Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-09-06
The State Equalizing Board.

Mr.. Editor The sharp criticism OF the extra
official reporter in the Free Press and other
| papers, in regard to the pay taken by the mem
bers of the board, might seem to call for reply.
| Not having the criticisms nor the report OF the
committee of debentures at hand, can only re-
| ply in general way. The law allows the board
and its officers three dollars day while en-
gagged in the duties OF their appointment" sup
| pose they were so engaged from the time they
started for tho place Of meeting at Montpelier on
| the 14th of August as most OF them had to start
| that day, until they completed their duties and
adjourned on the 18th, making twelve days, al
lowing day for them to get home. The law
| says they shall average and equalize the valu-
alton OF real estate in the several counties adding
| to or deducting from the appraisal as fixed by
| the county equalizing conventions and
| Il errors erist in the returns made By said conuen-
tons, shall make any corrections necessary 10 eS-
tdbHSh just radiation Of such real estate" Now
in the first and second days sessions OF the board
grave errors were discovered in the returns of
| OF the county equalizlng conventions, emitting
| large amounts OF property in many towns and
| counties and 1t was deemed best to adjourn for
week to enable the members Of the state board to
visit the various towns in their respective coun-
| ties and to obtain such information as would en-
able the state board TO make the necessary and
lawful corrections. This duty took much time,
| correspondence, telegraphing and travel, and it
was but fair and Just to allow them pay for the
| time and las the law provides) for their actual
and necessary travelling expenses" The amount
OF property brought into the grand list by this ad
| journment was S679, 332, 81, quite an important
| item in making up the list for state taxes. The
| committee on debentures doubtless thought 1t
but fair construction Of the law to allow for the
| whole time, as they had no means OF knowing the
| exact time spent by individual members; and for
actual and necessary travelling expenses they
allowed two fares each way by the most COM
monty Travelled route, and board while on the
way, excluding all hotel bills at Montpelier, and
| for postage, telegraphng and travelling expenses
| in looking up errors.
The members Of the board assembled at Mont
haat h.Nta
full Of city visitors, and most OF them had To pay
| 80 80 day for their board and lodging, Then
| they had to go home and for week scour over
the hills and valleys, with the Thermometer stand.
| ing up among the ninetes, looking up boards OF
| town listers and figuring over their returns and
| abstracts Having done all this at net wages OF
about fifty cents day, | say that an attempt
| to charge them with "a steal and ga most
contemplate salary grab" is deliberate attempt
| to crowd the mourners" that no decent white
man would make-not II he knew all the facts and
claimed to be gentleman. In the argus edi-
| returns Of county boards undoubtedly exceeded
| its powers" etc. Let us see: the omission In the
| returns Of the county boards amounting to nearly
seven hundred thousand dollars were certainly
tnkered in to the returns, and that will give the
state some twenty thousand dollars in taxes in the
next four years. Was 1t not a " correction neces-
sary to establish Just valuation OF such real
estate " according to law and In justice TO those
taxpayers whose property was already in the
| grand list?
How the young man who gathered up and
carried this bucket Of slOSh TO the Free Press and
| Argus came to Stop ouer in that careless kind OF
| way, can't see unless he was more than ftN,
| Then he says, 1.-THE board also undertook to
deal with the question Of exceptions Il suppose he
means exemptons) in summary manner, heaven
| knows by what authority" Well, am glad II
heaven knows, for there don't seem to be any
body certain about II here belolo. | had some
| decided opinions and convictions myself about
these matters when the board began its work. but
when asked one Of the keenest, smartest law
yers that this generation has produced, II rail-
roads were exempt by law for eight years from
the time they began running, he said promptly
land | believe honestly "Well, I'm - II |
know" and after consulting four more able law
yers, each Of whom had different view OF the
law from the other lbut all Of whom could
learnedly and lengthily explain the preUiousHess
OF subsequence and the heretoforeness of here
after, came to the conclusion that the laws on
that point were not particularly plain. The law
makers of the next legislature will probably make
II all clear, and until they do we ought to have
some charity for those that " err therein"
do not wish to advocate the retention OF the
state board OF equalization. | think 1t IL fair
and open question whether II would not be better
TO return TO the old method of doing II In the
legislature. But so long rs we have the law az
II is and 50 long as able and honorable men do
their duty as honestly and faithfully rs the pres
ent board have done, shall not stand by and see
them slandered without a word OF defence. 1t
will be u long time before human laws shall attain
divine perfection Meanwhile let us have charity
for all errors that are honest ones. And out OF
pure charity would recommend that our "ogtrd-
obiciouS" critic who has 80 far "elceeded his
p0i0ers" that he must feel tired, be allowed a
vacation that he may rest and reeuperate his
weary nature along the shady banks Of Salt river,
September 4, 1882 FAIR PLAY,