Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-12
BOOM VERMONT.
Equal Taxation of Farms, the Remedy

=
Vermont is exercising the public at th'
present time. The basis Of all laws
should be justice TO all living under
them. There is such a principle al
: right, and right wrongs no one. This
principle should apply to taxation in
this state. A man of moderate means
purchases a farm for two thousand
dollars and pays five hundred down, it
is all he has, he mortgages the farm
for fifteen hundred and then he pays
taxes not only on the five hundred that
| he owns, but also on the fifteen hun
dred that he owes. He cannot hide
the farm, for it is visible to the listers
and the consequence is that he has to
pay taxes on four times as much prop
erty as he is worth.
E The name of this poor man is null
titude. He has no chance under the
law to avoid this taxation. Should he
be owing for other property then he
can have an offset, on that property
only not any on the farm. The mon
eyed man in our state may own bonds,
railroad and mining stock, and western
mortgages, and if so disposed may a.
void taxation or he may have nice
little deposit of fifteen hundred dollars
in Savings Bank for himself and a
like amount for each member of his
family and no taxes or he may start
some manufacturing enterprise and for
five years the burden OF taxation has
no terrors for him and at the end of
that time by removal or changing loca-
tion or name of firm or other iugglery
further five years immunity may be
had.
So we see very readily that legisla-
tion in this state favors the money
classes. 1t should favor no class. We
pay taxes for the protection of our
persons and our property. The quail
fication for citizenship is the poll of
males from the ages of twenty-one to
seventy years OF age so far the law is
equal in imposing its burdens on the
rich and poor but when it comes to
paying on property the rich may, and
in many cases do pay on much less
than they actually own. Might not a
partial remedy be found in legislation
touching the appraisal Of real estate
Take the example already referred to,
of the man who bought the two thous-
and dollar farm and paid five hundred
dollars down and mortgaged the farm
back for fifteen hundred. Now we
understand that the mortgage on real
estate is the best title to the property
in question, for if the fifteen hundred
is not paid, the seller by process Of
law can get the farm back without
paying the purchaser the five hundred
dollars that he received from him. The
seller may be taxed on the fifteen hum
dred dollars for he has that much in
personal property. Now would It
wrong any one if when the listers
made out the list on the farm in ques-
ton, they appraised it at two thous-
and dollars /; that the seller should pay
on fifteen hundred and the purchaser
on five and if the premises were con-
sidered worth three thousand dollars.
then each to be taxed on fifteen hum
dred, but if on the other hand the
place was set in the list at fifteen hum
dred or less, then the mortgagee to
pay on the whole for it is evident in
that case that the purchaser owned
nothing IN il consequently he should
not be assessed on the property at ALL !
Had law embodying this principle |
been enacted thirty years ago, we al |
low that unoccupied and deserted /
farms would be unknown in this state
at the present time. Vermont would !
have been richer in money by thous-
ands and thousands of dollars. and
what is of vastly more Importance,
would have been richer by thousands
of its sons and daughters that unwise
legislation has virtually driven out of
the state.
In comparing native Vermonters
with people of other states and foreign
CTS MuO nave lldut CiniOAt ihCil
home (see Thompson's Gazetteer on
states prison statistics) we find the
whole number committed from 1909 to
1910 inclusive was 1922 of which 293
were natives Of Vt, 5S7 were natives
of other states and PAP were foreign
ers showing very conclusively that ma
live Vermonters were the best element
in the state. Let our legislature and
influence be such that our sons and
daughters may be induced to remain
in Vermont, rather than foreigners be
imported and located on our farms
and COW furnished to them gratui-
tously for one or more years.
The delegating the power of ap- +,
pointment of commissionerof immigra- {
ton who is to make the hills and val |
leys of old Vermont flow with milk and |
honey, reminds me of the fable of the