Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-23
State Equallzing Board.

The state board OF equalization met in the sem
ate chamber on Tuesday, the 10th inst Hon.
George Nichols, secretary OF state, presiding
Fred +. Smith OF Montpelier was elected secre-
tary, and James 7. Sabin assistant. The percent
age OF increase in the valuation OF the several
counties Is as follows. Addison, "A Bennington,
49, Caledonia, 30; Chttenden, AZ 1-3; Essex, %;
Franklin, 20; Grand Isle, 40 7.s; Lamoille, 40;
Orange, o. 1-2; Orleans, 30 IA; Rutland, 73;
Washington, Go So; Windham, 49, Windsor, %
A committee appointed for that purpose reported
In favor OF the valuation Of Addison as the stand
ard. The president ruled that the board had not
the power to change the appraisal Of railway
roadbeds made by the state listers. Proceeding
to consider the valuation Of the counties in alpha
betical order Addison, S8,672, 275, and Bennlng-
ton, 80, 4b3, Dol, were left unchanged Mr. Hovey,
delegate from Caledonia, stated the case OF that
county, and made an earnest protest against the
motion TO raise the valuation, 81 033 g29 ten per
cent He moved to amend by inserting 1.-TWO "
in the place OF ten" and the motion was
adopted. The valuation OF Chttenden, SO 69i, =
S77, was raised five per cent
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
f. c. Robinson, delegate from Essex, presented
the case OF that county, representing that the
condition OF Its lands and forests warranted
heavy reduction, and moved that the valuation
81, 7l3,9O5, be reduced twenty-five per cent The
motion was opposed by Pollard Of Windsor, Cha
pin OF Washington and Hovey OF Caledonia, and
was lost the board deciding that the valuation Of
Essex should remain unchanged. When Frank
lin county came up for consideration, IL was dis
covered that railroad property amounting to about
S2OO,OOO had been omitted from the exhibit OF the
county equalizng board and the further hearing Of
this case was suspended by the prevalence OF mo-
ton to lay upon the table. The valuation Of Frank
lin, as reported, Is s77S7,26S The valuation OF
Grand Isle, 81 POI 06i, not changed. Wilcox Of
Lamoille represented that things in that spunky"
precinct were in an unprosperous condition, and
moved that Its valuation be reduced ten per cent
On the failure of this motion, he moved a reduc-
mr. qQpfx hfalt to l.,ar 80
make but, on motion Of Hovey Of Caledonia,
raised the valuation SO Ala 0S5 FIVE per cent
Adams OF Orange represented that many OF the
towns OF his county had been raised by the
county equaliziDg board, varying from thirty
per cent in the town Of Washington to one hun
Ntred per cent In the town OF Bradford. In view
- this fact, and Of circumstances that had oper-
ated to reduce the value Of farm lands, he moved
that the valuation OF Orange, S72G2 203 be re-
duced ten per cent. After debate, this motion
was amended by the substitution Of five per cent
and adopted by the board
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The case OF Orleans came up Delegate Cham
berlin thought the valuation OF his county, So
bW,2O2, was about right, and asked that It be ac-
cepted. Hovey Of Caledonia asked for an explana-
ton OF the valuation Of first class lands in Derby
which, it appeared from the exhibit, was $40 374
Depreciation, and inability to sell property which
had cost large amounts for any sum, was the ex-
PLANTATION given. Mr. Hovey was not satisfied
The valuation Of Derby and Salem in 1878, now
united, was about $4,000. The reduction looked
more like the bottom dropping out than depreca-
ton Robinson OF Essex suggested that there
must be mistake in the report The president
read from the exhibit OF 1881, from which It APP
peared that the valuation Of first class lands In
that year was more than S214 900. Thereupon
the case of Orleans was ordered to lie Ram OF
Rutland county alluded to the very large advance
in the valuation Of Rutland since the last quad
rennial appraisal. This advance had been chiefly
IN the village OF Rutland and at the expense OF
the smaller villages In the county. The county
has many mountainous towns and much wild
land, and its general prosperity, 1t was main
tanned, was not correctly represented by the ad-
vance in valuation TO $40, 562, 026. Mr.. Ram
moved that the valuation be reduced twenty per
cent. Pending the consideration of this motion,
the case OF Rutland county was ordered to lie The
committee on the appraisal Of railway property
reported many failures the part OF towns TO
include the appraisal Of taxable railroad property
In their returns. By reason Of these omissions
and other errors in the exhibits Of the county
equalizing boards. the board nd ourned to We'd
nesday, August 23d, at two o'clock r. NJ, to give
the delegates Of each county time to correct errors