Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13

of lie renofts from these institutions Is the
great dccrcnsc OF minutes, rs shown by the
Numbcf of inmates In the respective iusti-
ulions tue first day Of August:
is7s 1880 1887
state Prison. ..................'.''"'i9@ ig 55 20
Reform SChuul,.............. .,,,......lA' * 81
House at Correction. ................ss ." 3"
THE main cuu-e OF this decrease of crime Is
doubtless owing Ia the great demand Tor IA
bor, which removes the temptations that are
nlwnvs occnstoncd by idicncss. There has
been drawn from the treasury tor new bulld
iuus. repairs, ana current expenses, during
tie two years ending July 81, lso2'
House Of Correction. ................. Mili
Reform School................. ''lh
and there has becu returned from convict Ia
Dor ana other receipts;
From the State f258i
Iiou.G 81 Jol,t''lY' '''''''''''''''' 'it G3i
II isnmntter ol couRrtulntlOn that the sew
crul -upcriutcndCuts are said 10 be eNccp-
tiounlly nblc ANA mithiul officials. Good dis.
ctpliuC IL maintained, while those confined
are treated In "a kind nud humuuc manner.
A small appropriation TO complete out-build
/ inV- is asked Tor at the Prison and House of
| Correction. Nuuc j. requested for special
| purposes nj the Reform school, but its equiv.
! alcnt H. recommended In such changes OF the
| law rs viii reduce lis income.
| I am unable tU agree with the trustees OF
! the Reform school IN their accommodation
/ that the Inv be repealed which requires towns
. To contribute to the support OF the children
! they send to the school. The greatest iault
! found with the working OF the reform school
! has been that children have been improperly
| sent therefor trivial onense-i OF tender age
/ and of weak minds-sent by towns merely TO
J be Ud OF them, thus throwing upon the STATE
! the expense that should he borne by the
/ towns. Ex Gov. Dillingham;, while Trustee,
] asserted this in strong terms, saying also, IN
/ one at his reports, TINT over 80 Improper com
] mitmcnts had been made under the Nugrhnt
! or tramp law alone. The law obhgnu towns
/ to pay portion OF the expense of the school
/ has been passed entirely with view TO pre-.
NHt.Fr NVIHaH
] it, would be another mark OF changchble reg
] Isluiion. repeating laws before they have
been fairly tested. The school might again
/ be Hooded with mere Nhgrunls irom ihe large
/ villages, ana we should again be called upon
| to enlarge the buildings. Communities
/ should not be relieved of all responsibility In
/ regard to truant boys.
MILITIA.
a force Of disciplined militia is Il vital nee
cssity in ANY State us 10 u the last resort for
! the enforcement ct the law. II Is the only
| power that can vindicate ana preserve the
! liberties OF the state in certain emergencies,
| without calling upon the general government
! uud its existence may prevent the necessity
for its use. Our military force Is small, con
! sistiug OF one reEimeut ana battery, but us
/ efficiency j. asserted by the Adiutant General.
ana am informed that constant Efforts are
| being made by the field aud line officers to
improve it, condition. Tue State T. under
obligations TO all it, members for their sacri-
flee ct time and labor and for their efforts to
preserve the martial spirit OF the people. Ger
tain business men OF wealth have for years
greatly aided the regiment ANA battery, aud
to them also our acknowledgements are due
BOARD or AGRICULTURE.
The board serves a useful purpose in arous-
ing the attention OF tanners TO proper
sense of the importance and dignity Ot their
calling, and in ui-scm mating valuable knowl.
edge in regard to improved agricultural
/ methods. 80 many OF your number art 1T
miliur with the importance and necessity OF
! the board, thni uoubt not every measure cal.
culutcd to enhance ITS value will receive your
cordial support
FISHERIES.
lam informed that Your attention viii be
called to the necessity OF some change IN tie
| present law relating to the protection OF nsh.
Tue subject Is one OF no little importance 10
many persons, particularly those living on
| the shores Ut Lake thumplHin, ANA 10 the
] thousand, VINO there make their summer
] homes.
| The Fish Commissioners have practical and
] scientific knowledge, and trust that ample
! power VIII he given them, or other proper
/ persons, to enforce such laws as are enacted.
METHODS OF TAXATION.
Many writers ON this subject hold that only
] real estate should be taxed, while the other
| extreme view would tax all property, Visible
! and invisible, the amount of Invisible prop
| erty to he usCertHined by placing every per
son under oath as to the list returned by hun.
! The latter Is substantially our present plan,
] though make many exemptions In both
! classes, and allow Offsets tor debts, against
] personal property. You VIII probably De
| asked to enact a law by which Offsets can be
| made against real estate, TO tie amount
! OF the mortgages thereon, but such relief
/ would not hr uniform unless extended to debts
/ not secured by mortgage. such laws would
be just, but would tend to increase the num-
| Der OF mortgages, aud to pcrpetuuie those al
| ready existing. Exemptions and Offsets
| should be abolished, Or made Uniform upon
4 every species OF property. Perhaps equal JUS
! lice would be done by abolishing Offsets,
! winch ia our last list amounted To over $4,000,
| CO... THIS sum, added To the present valuation,
/ would greatly decrease the rate per cent. OF
] taxation, ana be moIc uniform AMI Just than
] the present system. In any event, justice de
/ lnantls that tie owners OF real ana personal
saff tntt IN
equality.
Thc present law was the result Of an ear
| nest, honest effort to cquuliZe the burdens Of
! taxation, and 10 remedy the evils notorious
| ~ existing under the old law. The step nav
! ing been taken aHa apparently approved by
! the people, no pains should be spared to
| make the law us perfect az possible. By lis
! operation, the amount of personal properly
| subject to taxation has been more increased
! than that OF real estate, relieving to tins cN-
! tent, only, the owners Of real property. Those
| who pay only poll tax have received the
! greatest bcuvtt, and this Is the class that most
The appraisal Of ISL. without equnlizing
boards, created perhaps the most unequal
real estate grand list we have ever bad. 1hat
81 ISL, after equalization, is much more uu-
iior1u, but is iar from perfect. When the
| county boards meet, the fact that one OF their
number is TO be chosen a member uf the state
board, has "a bad effect. would suggest That,
IN future, state boards be appointed by the
Governor from the members OF the county
boards or that IL be made the duty OF county
boards to elect their members OF the STATE
/ board before NulnE any utuCf business.
| No law win prevent "the race oi fraud To
escape taxation. II will never cease unit
State taxes are raised in some other manned.
several states pay teeir entire ordinary eN-
| pences by a tax ON corporations. bill adopt
ing this system was presented 10 the last Leg
islHture by Ex-Governor Page, of Rutland.
Another plan II that embraced In "a bill intro
duced by senator Dwmell at the same session,
| by which state taxes were levied ON towns &C.
cording TO population. While this would not
be entirely uniform, AS no tax leVey can be, II
would seem To be more so than our present
system. Toboth these plans respectfully ask
| your attention, lOu viii doubtless ende0NOT
| to regulate our method of taxation so that II
shall conform to the principal of the Constitu-
ton, that every member OF society is bound To
contribute his portion toward the expenses OF
The following table shows the changes IN
the state grand list for the last five years
Real eD3.AOo.ttZ nIWlilNl
Personal Properly. .l6.'i5l3 l5,5id,aS
s@Ha155s sSS,aa5l
Real Estate ili5t7 sic245Io2 sloa555 q.
Personal Property .lg.oi' .264 4dSS,sd7 4G,@602'
ss6,l59,OG sl49, 8i,Os sl5I578, -
The direct taxes levied ana collected for the
last two years were siIs,0y1.
SUPREME COURT.
II is generally believed that the last increase
of the number of judges was unnecessary, but
| since that time the cases involving large
amounts have increased, and 1t is claimed that
the time of the bench Is now fully occupied in
official duties. Two years SINCE the illness OF
Judge Pierpoint was urged AS "A reason for not
reducing the number of Judges, and now, the
somewhat impaired health of Judge Redhed
causing general regret, affords IA similar rea
| son. The reputation Ofthe court for impartial
Independence, and for learning and ability, is
such as TO be just cause of satisfaction, and 10
would not be good policy 10 impose such an
additional amount of labor upon them a
would cause the resignation of any, particular
| ly the elder members.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER.
nut
like report, and very properly asks that law
| be enncted insnring greAter sAtetY of nnsseng