Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-08
TAKING The TEMPLE
Appeal Taken from the Action
of the Assessors.
board Of Civil Authority Refuses 90
Iny Appeal on Table ana Refers
Matters to the city Attorney
for Opinion.

The question of the taxation of the
Masonic Temple came up before the
board of civil authority at a meeting
held Monday night at the city clerk 8 OIL
flee. This building WAS included by
the assessors in the list of taxable
property at their last appraisal and tho
Grand Lodge, a. T.. d. a. NJ, took an
appeal. thus carrying the matter to the
board of civil authority. The building
is placed in the tax list at $4,000. H.
:. Peck addressed tho board in behalf
OF the grand lodge and other Masons
present were -. n. Nicholson. II. H.
Ross, G. l.. Soule and q. -. Wright. A
motion to lay the appeal on the table
resulted in II tic vote and the matter
was finally referred to the city attor-
ney. who is to report to an adjourned
meeting of the board to he held We'd
ncsday night. This question involves
the law passed at the last session of
kinds of property that have hereto
fore been exempt and the case will
probably he made test one as it will
be carried to the supreme court If tho
assessors are upheld by the board of
civil authority.
In spca king of the matter Mr.. Peck
said the assessors had told him they
included the property this year in
compliance with the law passed at the
last session of the Legislature. He
continued that tho law of 1904 did not
apply. lie said the now law did not
pretend to amend tho section of tho
old law. under which the board of civil
authority exempted the Masonic Tenn
pie year ago. when the assessors first
included it in the list. lie said the as
SCISSORS had told him they would not
have included the Masonic Temple in
the list if no new law had been passed.
but would have accepted the verdict
of the board of civil authority as final
until the next quardcnnial appraisal.
Mr.. Peck said the act of tho last
Legislature WAS designed to effect rail
road and church property. which the
Legislators thought should he taxed.
He further said that the temple was
exempted by the assessors at the last
nuadrcnnial appraisal and that tho de-
cision ended the matter until the next
uuadrcnnial appraisal. and that tho
board of civil authority could not
change that decision.
Continuing. Mr. Peck said the temple
was used for charitable purposes. lie said
that no ono made anything out of the
temple and that the grand lodge had
voted. that as soon as the temple was
paid for tho income thcrcfrom would he
used to support home for poor Masons
He closed by submitting that the temple
should not be taxed because the assessors
had SETTLED the matter ut tho last
uradrcnnial appraisal that it was again
settled by the board OF civil' authority
II year ago and that the building was
used for charitable purposes He said
that if the temple was placed in the list
the matter would bc taken to the supreme
court
Mayor Burke replied by saying that
there ought not to be any discrimna-
ton; that the Y. NJ G. A., tho building
owned by st. Joseph's society and other
buildings had been included and that no
other appeal had been taken. He said the
reason that the board of civil authority
exempted the property Il year ago was
because the assessors had made mis-
take in fixing the valuation. He said the
grand lodge owned the building but Oc-
cupied only one or two rooms subletting
the rest and making a business propo-
to uphold tho assessors in their action
i'm including the temple in the list. The
mayor said that IA majority of the Masons
in burlington We're outspokcn in their be-
lief that the temple should he taxed. In
closing he moved that the appeal be
laid upon the table.
In reply to the mayor. Mr. Peck said
the temple was not owned by the grand
Iolo hpt hIt NJ q
owned it, each member of the order
having a legal interest in it. He said there
was no question hut what some Masons
thought it ought to he taxed. That is not
the question he said, the real question
being what was right in the matter. In
referring to the fact that other societies
had not appealed he said that had no
bearing on the question. Continuing, he
said there were some other societies
included in the list by the assessors
which could not be taxed under the law.
alderman Mcaghor said he wanted fair
play only and that if it was not right
to tax the temple he would not vote for
it. He said other societies were waiting
to SEQ what action the board took In re-
GARD to the Masonic Temple.
Mr.. Peck said that when the temple
wns built here there was AN understands
ing that 1t would not be taxed and that
if there had not been such an under |
standing it you'd never have been erect
cd in burlington. He said there was Il
moral obligation resting with the board
not to tax the temple.
Tho opinion submitted n year age by
j. A. Brown, city attorney was PARTIAL,
read by tho mayor. after which he said
he wanted to he perfectly fair in the
matter bat he thought the question ought
to he settled at once.
The vote on the motion made by Mayor
Burke was as follows
Ycs-Courtncy, German, Neagher. Will |
lard. Turkc.
No-Coffcy, Morgan, Reeves. stiles,
Taft.
This being n tic vote. the matter stood |
IS before the appeal was taken. Alder.
man Reeves wished to have the matter
referred to tho city attorney to deter
mine the effect of the ace passed at the |
last session of the legislature. This was |
done and tho board adjourned until Wed.
mes lay evening at eight o'clock