Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-09-18

& form OF inventory can pc lIalheQ
so plain that there can emo possible
misunderstanding about it, this should +
be done.
As there is in the new law a chance I
for evasion relative to debts due from
solvent debtors, the law ought to
define solvent debtors" or be SO /
worded that the tax dodger cannot |
class all his debtors who, for instance,
cannot at sight pay their bills, or who
are temporarily embarrassed, as in
solvent.
Another matter should be looked
after. Many women and aged per-
sons have property which is not yisi-
bic and the law has no way Of reach
ing this property unless somebody
chances to disclose on them. Now
there ought to be a provision that all
persons who are suspected of having
property be compelled under oath to
answer interrogatories relative to
their property. And this matter Of
the oath ought to be so arranged that
listers can put any person suspected
Of concealing property under oath
and compel him to disclose if he has
property, or to perjure himself,
Again there is always a great deal
of uncertainty and injustice in the
swearing Off Of certain kinds of
| personal property to Offset debts ow-
ing. If the swearing off principle is
right, a man ought to swear off both
real and personal property down to
his actual hard-pan standing, and the
person really owning the property
ought to be taxed for it. This opens
up the subject Of mortgages, which
is really a very difficult one to handle.
There have been attempts in the
Vermont legislature to SO adjust the
tax law that q poor mortgage who
owns only a mortgage title in q piece
Of real estate should not pay all the
taxes on it, but no way has been de-
vised to meet this condition Of affairs.
We suggest one way to meet the
case: Every man who holds title
Of real estate shall pay the taxes on
it, but the grand list shall show to
whom and for what sums the proper
| ty is mortgaged and, if the mortgage
claims shall not equal its appraised
value, the excess in value shall be
considered the property Of the title
owner. Having paid all the taxes
on the mortgaged property, he shall
have right to charge over to the par
ties holding mortgages on the prop
erty q sum pro rata, which shall equa
the amount Of taxes paid on thoh
: share Of the mort8aged property
this, first, to apply on the interest due
and, second, toward payment Of thu
principal. This would do away Will
double taxation, relieve the poor it'll
owner Of unjust taxes, and work 1t
injustice to the mortgagee, for he j
supposed to be honest and to put al
: his taxable property into his in
+ ventorY.
Another subject which is cu8se
and discussed, relative to the law 0
1880, is the doubling clause" Som
: claim this to be unconstitutional,
claim which is doubtless falIacious
, but there is really a question whethe
n some other kind Of penalty more wis
- and effective might not be fixed b
h the law. A man whose large estat
: by some process is put beyond til
y reach of the listers, leaving his pc
! only, gets off with a four dollar lis
), because there is no positive know
>, edge that he has any property. TIL
9 class Of dodgers, always shrewd, nee
i some clinch in the law, if it can [
J., made, which will pinch close.
We call attention to one other ma
Il
~ ter. If by some legerdemain q pc
"a son "dodges' his tax one year, al
n it is soon after discovered that he he
II property at the time he made a frau
n ulent inventory or allowed his list
~ be doubled, the town should have
right to collect back on him, wi
J. costs of collection, such sums as we
q, due it when the tax was evaded.
- course each corporate body to viii
:. taxes should have been paid shou
have the same right to collect as u
20 der a regularly made inventory.
- Other things might be suggeste
- but we will leave them for others.
II PRESS COMMENTS.