Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-05-31
How the Appraisal was Made.

The more that is known of the recent APP
praisal of the railway road beds by the
state listers the more II is seen to be sur
prisingly loose in its business character and
scandalous in its official aspect. The gen.
eral interest in the subject has led to inquiry,
and inquiry makes it reasonably certain that
the "appraisal" was ridiculous farce as
we'll as a glazing fraud upon the citizens OF
the state. Briefly stated, the main facts seem
to be that the work of appraising the road
beds was commenced without deliberation
or method or concerted action that when
the board met towards the last of April to
make up its report it appeared that Mr.
Gleason, the chairman Of the board, had
passed over portion of the roads; that Mr..
Dwinell had made the tour Of all the roads
in the state, but that Mr.. Colburn had been
out of the state and had not spent day in
the discharge of his official duties. The
chairman presented as his appraisal the ap-
praisal made by the board for the year 1881 /;
Mr.. Dwinell presented report based upon
the net earnings of the road as the same APP
peared from the books or published reports
of the companies; Mr.. Colburn took the
figures Of his associates and from these made
up an appraisal of his own which was some
what higher than Mr.. Gleason's. An effort
to harmonize their differences was unavail-
ing, SO the majority, Messrs. Gleason and
Colburn, agreed upon the latter's appraisal
and made up and signed the majority report,
and Mr.. Dwinell in minority report gave
his figures to the public; 80 that the ap-
praisal Of the railway road-beds for the pur-
poses of taxation which will be certified to
the town listers this year, and which accord
ing to the law shall be the appraisal for the
next four years, was made by that member
of the board who did not spend day in Wis
iting the roads aud in gathering that infor-
nation which should enable him to make,
according to the law under which he had
accepted an important public trust, a just
and intelligent appraisal. Mr.. Dwinell seems
to have been the only member of the board
who realized his responsibility to the law
and who labored intelligently and faithfully
to discharge his duty. We believe this
statement of the salient facts of the manner
in which this law has been practically null
lifted is substantially correct, and we be.
lieve that one of the earliest acts of the next
legislature will be to make an investigation
of the whole matter, and to remedy as far as
possible this outrage upon the taxpayers OF
the state. 1t is surprising that while town
listers were put under the most rigorous re-
strictions for the faithful discharge of their
duties the state listers, charged with duties
at least equally responsible, were bound by
no oath and controlled by no rigid exactions.
Under the appraisal of the state listers the
railroads will doubtless pay a smaller tax
than when appraised under the old law at
$4,000 mile, since, through the large in
crease of the general list, the rate of taxa
ton has been largely reduced. The rail-
roads can hardly be held responsible for
this. 1t is possible that they are quite as
much surprised at the work of the listers as
are the people. We believe railroad managers
are shrewd enough to see that it is better
for them to submit to fair and equitable
appraisal than to excite the jealous hostility
of the tax-paying people by the appearance
even of discrimination in their favor. In
this connection it may not be improper to
say, in view of some of the slurs in which
certain newspapers have INDUCED respecting
Mr.. Dwinell's "change of heart" that he
has undergone, we are credibly informed, no
change; that he entertained the same views
of his duty under the law last year and
made similar appraisal, but this year with
fuller information and knowing his indi-
vidual official rights better, he refused to
sign a report to which last year he formally
consented under protest.
nj