The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-12
Further Returns.

The Boston & Northern Telephone Com
pany has made its return to the commits
sioner and the Western Union telegraph
company has deposited with the state
treasurer sum to cover its taxes till such
time as it shall be able to make up its &C.
counts. The railway companies men,
toned last week are still delinquents with
out explanation, and the presumption is
that they propose to lock horns in thecourts
with the legislative power of the state.
Some of the state papers are rushing to
conclusions, from the showing made by the
first six months of the operation of the law,
which are not warranted by the facts. For
instance the Rutland Herald, with less
than its usual precision, says "The adj
vocates of the bill in the legislature
counted upon an annual revenue from
these corporation taxes of $250,000 but it
is not likely to exceed, if it reaches $780,
000." This sum is simply double the
amount of the first six months returns
which do not embrace the tax of the prin-
cipal and several minor railway COM
panies, nor the taxes on any of the insur-
ance companies which are not due for the
entire year till February. Furthermore,
it is reasonable to assume that the earn
ings of the railways and other similar
corporations will be greater and conse-
quently pay a greater tax for the last
six months of the year than for the first !;
so that, it is safe as well as wise to wait
for the /" official figures for the full year
before judging the law by its fruits.
There seems also to be a disposition in
certain quarters to slur the law or taunt
its trainers because, it is said, the revenue
raised will be less than the sum estimated.
But the people, we believe, will feel dis
posed to " take the goods the gods pro-
vide" and will not suffer estimates or
speculations as to the amount the law
would raise to alloy their enjoyment of
Its substantial easement of the burdens
of taxation" The legislature probably
never undertook an important measure
with less of specific information on which
to base its action than in the case of this
corporation tax law. A beginning had to
be made, and wonderfully good begin
ming was made. The next legislature
will have before it, as one result of this
law, detailed and precise official informa.
tiar n, tha Iin,ht IF xxyhiNh nall IT.
year and half of the practical working
of the law, the result of the labors of its
predecessor can be revised and amended
Opposition to the enforcement of the law
will come, if it comes at all, from foreign
owners of corporate property in this state
from non-residents who reap advantages
from the business of the state, who OWL
franchises granted by the state and whose
property has the protection of the laws Of
the state. To their credit be it said thai
resident owners of corporate property have
not only paid their taxes promptly ant
with as much cheerfulness as the averag,
citizen pays ON his grand list, but hav,
steadily declined to become party to or
ganized efforts to contest the law. Thu
people were practically unanimous TO
this measure, and press and people should
and unquestionably will, stand up SQUARED.
in its defense, should it be assailed.
Since the above was in type the Pas
sumpsic railways return has been re
ceived by the commissioner. The Pas
sumpic pays tax of over $4,000 for tn
first six months of the year. This sur
with the tax of the Bennington saving
bank, of the Boston and Northern Tell