News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-03-01

he makes oath that it is correct and
signs it.
So go through the town and visit |
all who are liable for taxation, and
get list OF all the polls, and the tax
able property in town. After | get
through l look my work over care
fully. | make some wonderful dis
coveries.
First, | find the most part of the
personal property in town, exempt
from taxation. | further discover
that the savings banks are in pos
session of the mortgage notes, on
which they pay small state tax,
which does not get into the grand
list, as similar property does, outside
of the banks. Consequently, the larg-
est part of the mortgages and notes
are lost to the county, town, village
and city, for taxation. | find there
are many paying interest on mort
cages, and at the same time, paying
taxes on the property that secures
the payment of such mortgages. |
find many, both men and women,
who escape taxation by putting their
money into savings banks, in their
own name, and prehaps their friends
names.
Now. tax law that will produce
such a condition of things is Obnox-
ious to any fair minded man. Any
one can see if they will take the trou-
BILE, that the working of the law COM
pels the poorer classes of tax payers
to not only pay their own taxes, but
compels them to pay the taxes of
those who are better BILE to pay taxes.
1t compells those whose property is
mortgaged to pay interest and taxes
on property they do not own, and
enables those who owns the mort
cages and notes to place them where
they escape taxation.
There are many who take advan-
tage Of the exemption clause" in
the law, who say they are compelled
to do so TO protect their own interest,
or pay taxes which belongs to Others
to pay. They also say if all the
property of the state was reached for
taxation they would willingly put in
all they possess in the grand list for
taxation. There are, exceptionally,
a few people who are absolutely hon
est in purpose, under all circum-
stances. But the masses hide all the
property they can to escape taxation,
regardless of any true principle or
Justice.
The question in my mind is now
can there be anything done through
legislation to enact tax law so that
the sharp and cunning cannot evade
it? can see but one way, and that
is to enact one that will reach all
without any respect of person, and
all of the property, without any eX-
emptiOn, and tax it all at the same
rate. And then if there should be
any so poor that they could not pay
taxes without distressing them, let
the Board of Civil Authority, which
every town has, abate such taxes.
Business is being done by men who
have large means. There does not
seem to be any chance for a young
man with a small capital to go into
business with any degree OF probable
+ success. Legislation has been of such
class that it has concentrated the
money and power into a few mems
hands. The consequences are that
taxation has doubled.
The increase of officers, with what
it cost to pay them, the change in
our school and road laws, has dis
T organized every school and highway
district in thestate and has doubled
the expenses withoutan correspond
ing benefit. The change may not
have injured the villages and cities
preceptably, but the rural districts
are not in as good condition as they
were before. The people in the rural
districts are losing their interest in
public affairs. When they had their
district organization, they took a
lively interest in schools, roads and
other business matters. With these
changed conditions we need a tax
law that will find the property, where
it is concentrated to escape taxation.
Now, | would suggest to all who
are interested, you wish to accom-
plish anything there must be an or
gained effort made to elect such men
to 90 to our Legislature, who are fa-
vorable for a change in the law; es-
pecially you need to look for the
right kind of men to send to the Sen
ate, for the Senate is usually com
posed of men who are well off, sharp
and schemy, and will work against
any law that will effect their personal
interest unfavorahly, even though
such law would be a great public
, benefit. AN OLD TAXPAYER.
"We may regard the situation he
fore us as an opportunity, said the
| President At BOSTON hnt uhnth nr hn