St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-08-25
The State Equalization.

The session of the state equaliZing
board was quite lively and interest
ing affair. j. G. Hovey of St. Johns
bury was appointed by the chair one
of committee of three to select a
county which should be taken as a
standard of valuation, in comparison
with which the others should be raised
or lowered. The secretary reported
the percentage of increase in the valu
alton of the several counties as COM
pared with the valuation of 1878, to be
as follows: Addison, "A per cent; Ben
ningtOn, %; Caledonia, SO Chitten-
den, 42B Essex, %; Franklin, % !;
Grand Isle, 49, LamOille, 46; Or
ange, 574; Orleans, 354 Rutland, 70;
Washington, 65 80; Windham, 46 !;
Windsor, %. The committee reported
in favor of making Addison county the
standard. The valuations of the real
estate of Addison and Bennington
counties were left unchanged-Addi-
son, 1872 1854 Bennington, So
453, 55l "a. The valuation of Caledo-
MIA county, 81 ,033, 029, was raised two
per cent. Mr.. Hovey did not want to
be alone in having his report "set up, y
so when Chittenden county reported
Sl0,69l ST. 10, he asked that his Chit
tenden friends be elevated to the tune
of seven per cent. 1t seems that Ed
ward Van Sicklen of South Burlington
fearful that the board could not get
along without the aid of his wisdom,
had been playing the role of a "lobby-
ist' and working for the raising of the
Chittenden county report. When Mr..
HOvey made the amendment for an in
crease of seven per cent, Mr.. Van Sick
len sitting beside Mr.. Hovey, and Mr..
Glllett-whO represented Chittenden
interests, -thought the move for the
raise came from Van Sicklen. 1t ac-
cOrdingly raised his ire, and he event
for" that gentleman, giving the board
a description of his personal traits
which were more interesting than COM
plimentary, which description was only
exceeded in its complimentary nature
by the descriptions vouchsafed certain
candidates in the late republican con
ventiOn for Caledonia county. Indeed
plain-speaking seems to be a Vermont
attribute. The victim of this on
slaught seemed like a Sickling, and he
requested permission to reply, which
was denied as he was not member Of
the board. Mr.. Gillett, seeing the re.
port would be raised, compromised al
five per cent, which was fixed as the
valuation.
Essex county, if the statements OF
its representative, Mr.. Robinson, are
to be believed, must be "a bowling
wilderness" Its valuation was report.
ed at Sl,7l3,905, and he asked that il
might be reduced twenty five per cent
He said her forests were stripped, hel
cleared land was an arid waste, and il
point of fertility one would judge thai
it was surpassed by the Great Sahara
His appeal was pathetically made, but
the sphynxes on the board stOically
voted to let it remain.
Mr.. johnson for Franklin county en-.
deavOred to Guido Mr.. Robinson in hi:
description of the calamities which had
befallen the county which he had the
honor to represent. No new indus
tries had been established, the farms
had run out, even the "huckleberries'
rewarded not the patient picker, anC
many of the farms were so sandy tina
some fears were expressed that they
might change base. There was moth
ing small about him, and he was will
ing that the report should stand-re
markable cOndescension-as the cOun'
ty equalizing board had left it, 81 ,7s7 :,
26S.4O. 1t turned out after some de
bate that through some neglect tn,
valuation of the railroad depots anC
grounds in the county had been omit
ted from the table of valuations a.
made up by the county equalizinl
convention, which were valued a
S20O,0OO. The report was laid on tn,
table, and committee was appointed
to consider the errors.