Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-12-03
TAXATION, AGAIN.

der the QtduluHr ouPPo04H5f
which you suppose a community com,
posed solely of Smith, Jones and
Brown, Smith having a farm ap-
praised at $1,000, stock $1,000, Jones
$1,000 in money and Brown a stock oil
merchandise worth $1,000; and the IN
instice done Jones by our present law,
when he buys Smiths farm and stock
TOR $4,000 and mortgages back lot
$1,000 and how it increases the grand
list of the town by his so doing, but
still does not increase the value OF any
OF the property in the town and your
question, Aren't there justice and
magnanimity enough among the
Smiths and Browns OF Vermont to re-
lieve Jones of the load he is stagger-
ING under when he buys a farm and
tries TO pay off the mortgage; = reading
these articles, say, prompts me to
suggest a remedy for poor Jones.
The remedy consists OF proposed
amendments to our present tax law.
| now offer these amendments to the
public, believing it to be the shortest
surest and most edectGal way to
equalize taxation and at the same time
cause the least friction in making such
change as is necessary to relieve
poor Jones.
| take it for granted that all will adj
NIT the necessity Of taxation, and that
but few will dispute the justice OF
equal taxation upon individual wealth,
and that individual wealth consists Of
both real and personal property. that
both are negotiable and have a value,
and both constitute wealth and should
be taxed one just as much as the 9th
er and to find the wealth of an indi-
vidual we add the value Of his real es-
tate to his personal property, and from
that amount we deduct the debts he is
owing, if any.
But do we do that way to find the |
wealth of an individual Tor taxation? |
Why, certainly not But why not /
Why, they tell us that real estate is the
basis OF taxation and should we allow |
Jones a deduction on that mortgage .
debt over and above his personally,
smith will not stand it, as it will re-
luce the grand list Of the small towns
20 much that he will call for his money
md leave the town, and Jones and
}rOwn will have all the taxes to pay.
low do they know that it will reduce
he grand list Of the small towns so
much, and more in proportion than il
Ices in the large towns?
Shall we believe all the bugbear
ales that Smith and Brown tell us
very time the Legislature meets Let
Is study into the matter
Glastonbury, the smallest town in
ermont, with a population OF only
$ al the last census, claimed. as an
tlset for debts owing, only Sis or
n average debt Of only Sl4 % for each I
erson, and after that deduction had I
cen made, they had SlI45 OF taxable
ersonalty, a little more than twice .
that had been deducted, while Bur y
ngton, the largest town or city in ,
ermont, with population of 1860, t
lalmed an offset of 81, 307, los, or an
yerage debt Of Sl23.77 tor each per-
on, and had S3,4O0,3l6 OF taxable !
ersonalty after such deduction-onlyI {
little more than had been deducted, t
lille Glastonbury had little more
ian twice what had been deducted. y
hese figures | received from the
ecretary of State only a few DAYS 4,
90 and are doubtless correct.
will take some figures of Chelsea y
ON our grand list book as an average u
'wn through the state. "
We have a population of 1910 and i.
find 522 different taxpayers on the y
ST book, nearly one-halt of the pop U
alton of the town who claimed an
iset Of SIS, 995-or an average debt =
SSH for each person, and had a
-l4,5t5 taxable personally, showing d
cent Of personal property. 4
impaired with the offset claimed |,
an either OF the other towns. with y
smaller average debt than Rurling- H
n, but much larger than Glasten- Ii
Try.
OF these 522 taxpayers, I find by !,
uniting, that SO having real estate y
We offset all their personal property
d have a surplus debt which would ,.
deducted from their real estate. if
law We're so changed. Tlalso find
az few Of those % taxpayers were 81
'ners Of large farms and VILLAGE
mes, but the larger part OF the OBJ SC
re owners OF smaller farms. VARYING
appraisal from $3.50 to $500 (bear D.
mind that young men are 10th 10 a,
real estate in Vermont and nav
,h taxes, which is one cause of ifs
ing so low which would amount al
a total value Of about $50. 600. and u
IN taxpayer has surplus debt over r,
u above his personally VARYING n
IN few dollars to sums that per-
ps might deduct the whole of their m
Y estate, but certainly could not re
1uct the whole $50. 006, ana doubt- Ct
5 would not exceed $4,000. which
uld reduce our grand list 5000 or Dc
5.
These figures DO not settle the mat es
for a certainty, but the way tbev s1
mt II Is quite conclusive that Z,
ger per cent Of the real estate woul6 |lir
deducted in Burlington and CbeI- n.
than would be in the little tou,n ~
glastonbury, and 1t is also eencIu-
e That such change in the law On
uld not reduce the grand list of Ia
elsea enough TO drive the money
INTO Barre, where the taxes are %
on the 81. '''' Z.
'ome claim, as another burbear that
unconstitutional to deduct from
appraised value OF real estate. Bnf "a