Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30
Board OF Equalization.

The board met according to adjournment at two
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon. number OF dele
gates had not arrived and for this reason, and
also to allow the committee on the appraisal OF
railroad property to make up their report, which
seemed to be necessary before further proceed
ings could be had, an adjournment to Thursday,
at ten o'clock, was made.
THURSDAY MORNING.
Mr.. North, the delegate from Addison, chairman
OF the committee on the appraisal Of railway
property reported an addition to the valuations
OF various towns In Addison county aggregating
Sll 400 OF first class property (depots, shops OF
lauds and So 107 81 OF third class (road- beds and
track) Bennington county, first class, 81, 725.
Caledonia county, first class, 3,i0o second
county count first.ciass $3.50; third class, si6,sT'
Franklin county had not been considered by the
committee. Grand Isle, first class, 81 400; sec
ond class, $1,000 Rutland county, first class,
S2,25O In the town of Castleton S32, 1913 of third
class property had been included in the second
class also and this amount was accordingly de-
Quoted from the appraisal of the latter class Of
property In that town. Washington county added,
first class, 81, 450; second class 81, 800. Windsor
county, first class, 500, l25 The listers OF Nor
witch adopted the minority report OF the state
board OF listers, and placed the road-bed OF the
Passumpsic railway In the town list at Sis, 10,
The majority OF the state listers appraised so
much OF the above railway as lies In the town
of Norwich at S38, 800. The valuation OF third
class property in that town was corrected by sub
stituting the majority for the minority report,
making a reduction OF 500, 100 A discussion
arose rs to the taxation OF the property OF rail-
ways. 1t was claimed that under the law the
real estate OF railways was exempt from taxation
for eight years from the time when such roads
commenced To run their trains for traffic into OF
through the towns, and that under this law several
towns had omitted 10 include the appraisal OF rail-
way property In their returns In the town OF John
son the eight-year period OF exemption would not
expire till December, 1882, and In other towns on
the line OF the st. Johnsbury 4 Lake Cham
plain and Burlington lamoille railways, the
exemption would continue Tor three years longer
Mr.. Chaplin OF Washington moved, In order to OBJ
tain an expression OF the opinion OF the board ON
this question: that the majority report OF the state
board OF listers be adopted AZ the basis OF taxa
ton, without regard 10 any exemptions, unless
the railroad. This motion was not adopted, and
at the close OF further discussion all questions re-
lating To the appraisal OF railways was referred
back TO the committee, 10 which two members
were added, and It then consisted Of North OF ,Ad-
olson, Carney Of Bennington Robinson OF Essex,
Hoyey Of Caledonia, and Gilett Of Chittenden
The president laid the exhibit of Orleans county
before the board. MIR. Chamberlin explained
that there had been mistake made In the return
OF the appraisal Of first class land for the town of
Derby, and moved that such be changed from
500, 37l 10 S22O, III MIR. Chamberlin argued that
Orleans corrected valuation WAS about right"
and trusted the board would accept II as the yau-
alton OF his county. MIR. Ram Of Rutland county
thought Orleans was below the standard, and
moved that the valuation DO raised ten per cent
Mr. Hoyey OF Caledonia was well acquainted
with Orleans, and thought It's valuation too low