Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-12-15

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anxious legislators were declined by
the assembly, that body did all it felt
itself warranted in doing by authoriz-
inc the appointment by the governor
I OF two commissioners to investigate
the whole question and report at the
next session if it is practicable to sub
stitite some better system OF taxation
and if not to report that. Such COM
mission was recommended by ex-Gov.
Grout, and the Senate of'96 authorized
its appointment, but the HOUSE., in its
wisdom, refused to concur and the
matter was postponed.
There was evident in the House this
year firm desire to "do something
toward mitigating the evil of double
taxation Indeed, this feeling was so
strong that the body came very near
passing one bill that was drawn crude
" and whose effect would certainly
have been disastrous. Finally, in the
closing days of the session, when the
assembly perceived its absolute ina
bility to settle the matter wisely in the
short time at its disposal, Mr. Emery
of Chelsea proposed the appointment
Of a commission. and his resolution
went through easily. testifying the
sentiment of the peoples representa-
tiyes that no stone should be left nm
turned to right the wrong, if it can be
done without causing more injury than
relief
We consider this commission one of
the most important results OF the re-
cent session. Ii may be the entering
wedge Tor complete ovcrturn in our
system of taxation. We regard its
creation as the wiscst possible method
of considering the great problem. Ex-
perience has shown the utter inability
of the legislature to handle it in con-
nection with its other manifold duties.
~ CNtiH cCcSioh III ittVht y thio btit
after bin has been introduced calculated
to do away with the evil. Their con.
sideration is invariably postponed by
the committee until the latter end
of the session in the hope that some
better method may be devised than has
yet appeared or that some new light
may be shed. At length. when the
matter is taken up. the committee is
staggered by the size OF the task be-
fore it and usually finishes its duty BY
reporting the bills unfavorably. one
and all, which, in truth, is the proper
thing to do with most of them. The
assembly brcathes sigh OF sympathy
tor the poor, debt-ridden land owner
and wishes it could help him, but
doesn't see how it can. So it goes on.
year after year, while taxes grow and
grow. If a special committee could be
appointed the first of the session to
consider this problem and no other, it
might possibly recommend something
OF value. but even this is doubtful. A
commission with two years to con-
slider il is likely to got at the truth of
the matter. The governor has APP
pointed George A. Ballard, the we'll
known Fairfax lawyer, and W. j. Big
Glow of the Burlington Free Press, a
young man of much ability We shall
await their findings with much inter
est.
We do not presume to suggest to
these men any special course of in
quiry. They will doubtless secure
from other states compendiums of tax
laws relating to real estate mortgages.
with Information as to the satisfaction
each gives. This win be most val
liable to thestate. They will probably
ascertain the amount of the mortgages
in Vermont that are double taxed. to
learn the magnitude of the trouble.
After securing all possible informa-
ton, they win take up the remedies.
and we trust, recommend one that will
be efiicacious. without being too dis
turbing in its nature. We do not.
however, anticipate that the disease
can be cured without applying the
knife-it is Of too long standing.
The commission will find itself con-
fronted with several serious dilemmas.
First, how can the duplicate portion of
the grand list be stricken out without
reducing the grand list, which means
a higher tax rate? As to that the
commission may consider that the
grand list ought to be right, whether
high or low. Then there will be the
problem of how to adjust matters SO
that the change will not increase thel|
tax of the lender to the extent that he
will demand payment of the loan, i'll
due, as would be the case if the mort