The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-10-06
Success of yermoni's sew Tax Law.


Success Of Vermoni's Sew Tax Law.
a correspondent OF The New York
Times gives the following information |
regarding the working of the tax law
of this state, which will doubtless be |
interesting reading 10 many:
BURLINGTON, W., Sept. 3O.-Thc tax
list Of The state for th current year,
summary of which has been to-day |
furnished The writer by the secretary of |
state, proves beyond alt GGayil he sue
which went into effect in the spring of
ieei ITO term "ncw system" is per-
haps too broad, for the law adopted at
the last session OF the legislature was
substantially the old one with few
amendments. These required each tax
payer 90 submit and swear to COM
plelc schedule of all his property oil
whatever description, ami in case of
Noncompliance the assessors were
obliged to ascertain hi. property as far
as they were able and then double
their valuation otit. The assessors, OH
their part, were required under oath to
appraise all property nt lis true cash
value; and or violation OF their oath
]
imprisonment as pcrjurers. Previous
to the enactment OF this law the asses
sors had for many years been in the
habit OF appraising real estate at about
two-thirds of its real value, and of put
ting on the list whatever personal pro-
perry the people choose to pay taxes on,
no oath ever being required of the tax
payers and 10 assessors ever making
! IN n
consequence tnXcs in this state were
nraltlh' any 1NcW England state, and the
limit of the peoples patience was reach
ed Naturally, then, the new law was
backed and enforced by the whole pow
er of public opinion; and very success
iul on its first trial, it has proved even
more so OF its second.
This is amply shown by the figures.
In 1850 the real estate of Vermont was
appraised at $7l,l1l,7l7; in 1881 Ohe
first year of the new law) it was APP
praised at Sl02 ,437 ,l02, and this year at
S1OG, 50 800 tins showing a gain the
first year of S3l ,322 800, and the second
year a further gain of 81, 1i0, 457. This
is certainly good showing on the real
estate part of the tax list. 1t was, how
ever, on personal property that the op.
,
it being claimed az something beyond
any doubt that the rich men would in
the course OF year find some method
of concealng their reality. Yet the
figures shows that the law has been lust
as successful in reaching this class of
property this year as last. In 1850 the
sPpr27a! 5 g neTiof ss pfo EgSFaa Is sy
500, 967-a gain of $31 500 ,705, or more
than 200 per cent.-and this year ii
reaches SAC, 1906 25 or about S IlI1a9n3ifil
more than IN .iiSSSt6Iaal appraisal Of all
classes of property Oncluding polls) is
this year S16S, O42, 9Sl Last year it
was1 $l63,7G2 900, and the preceding
year, under the old law, it was only
800, 900. These figures are, it is
claimed IA significant vindication of the
new law. The result, it is to be noted,
has been achieved with little or no diff.
Guilty. There have been in the whole
state but comparatively few cases of
noncompliance with the provisions of
tho law. Thus in the city of Burling-
ton, the largest and richest municipality
in the state, only one individual refused
to comply with the law, and in all
quarters the measure found prompt and
ready obedience. The principal oppon-
cnts of the law were the very rich men,
and one of these, James Il. Langdon of
Montpelier, who was assessed for $780,
900, is contesling the constitution alitv
49,, -''''i " tiivu liIs Iall. Is Iudcr-
lon of the law s oRiesiG1 to Tho iut, e.
doubling an assessment in the case of
Inc taxpayers refusal or neglect TO
furnish and swear to COMPLETE
schedule of his property. The best
I lawyers OF The state, however, maininin
the en'ire c0nsiituiionality of tive law.
and little dOnb' is entertained that il
" i'll br sustained hy The courts.
! Ia the inca lime The tax question i.
lhe great issue f the dav throuehnu;
Vernon The vast ma Hty of the
/ people are enthusiastically in favor off
the new law, ami its opponents haze
hccn politically anl socially nsiracizcd. |
Ia some OF Tic strongest Republican
towns and connics ia the state Demo |
cratic representatives aud 'nators have |
been iriumphantly elected over tax. |
lodging Republicans, and the incoming |
legislature will number nearly iwica MS
/ many Democrats as any previous enc.
And besides legislative candidates there
Is every prospect That higher game will
Nv oii H'N "is 'lc Nilel justice OF The |
state the Hon. Homer T.. Royce of St.
Adams, was one of the few prominent
men who refused TO comply with the
law, and n formidable attack ha, been
made on him in consequence. The
members Of the supreme court arc elect
ed by the legislature at each ssiop.
but as a general thing they ho'd their
places by successive reflections mill
they resign or die. The present indica.
lions are that Chief Justice Royce will
either be defeated for reelection or will /
retain his place by very slender ma
iority. Many Of the leading papers off
the state are demanding his official
head, and the public feeling on the sub.
iect is so strong that il hardly seems
possible that the legislature will retain
a chief justice who disobeys the law.
AT all events, the livelest tusslc of The
session promises TO be that over Judge
Royce. Rigid and thorough as the law
appears to be, experience has shown
some defects in it, which will be cor
recied at the coming session, and next {
spring we will have law that will be
cast-iron Indeed. ,
OF all the humorous sketches written