Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-07-19

would make it appear. Apart iron
the sell-interest OF the several towns
one way and the other, the state enters
as party. fit appears that Vermont
as whole benefits by it, then the bal
ance lnclines in its favor.
In the first place, each citizen and
taxpayer of Vermont, wherever be
chances to reside, has an interest In
good schools and good highways that
is not bounded by the lines OF his
town. The intellectual and material
advancement of the whole state is a
matter that deeply concerns us all,
whether we live in Vergennes or Yer
non, Bennington or Brighton. Each
town is not little republic by itself,
with only itself to consider, but the
246 towns are inseparably linked
as unit, so far as their common aims
and ends are concerned. Hence a
code of laws that would tend toward
enlightenment in one town and ignor-
ance in another. or toward good roads
in one town and impossible highways
in another, would be insufferable,
while all the towns recognized one
law-making authority.
Then there are the ever-present con-
ditions to consider, II all the towns
were equally rich, equally populous,
or if it were possible by local taxation
only to secure equal results in all for
the dollars expended In schools or
highways, there would be no need OF
another method of equalization. But
such is not the case. Among our 246
towns and cities there are the widest
extremes. Some Of them have large
grand lists; others very small. In
some total tax rate OF 100 cents on
the dollar suffices; in others it runs as
high as 800 to 400 cents. Some cities
and towns require only few large
central schools, where hundreds Of
pupils can be accommodated at a small
cost per pupil; others must maintain
many small schools at heavy cost per
pupil. The towns do not vary great
deal in area or in highway mileage,
but it is manifestly easier for the rich
town to care for its hundred miles Of
road than the poor town the same
mileage. 1t commonly happens, too,
that the hardest tasks OF this kind are
in the remote mountain towns that are
the poorest, with tax burdens the
heaviest.
Incidentally, there enters the tax
paying abilities OF the people OF the
different towns. Il is idle TO deny
that a dollar earned for any purpose
does not come harder in our little
farming towns than in our manu-
featuring or trade eenters. When the
town of Mendon raises 800 cents on
the dollar. ii means the expenditure
OF more effort TO meet it than would a
tax rate of the same proportions in
Barre or Burlington. OF course this
condition cannot be equalized by any
compensating method, but 1t deserves
some weight in the argument.
Il is not true that as a rule the large
towns raise higher taxes or are more
heavily in debt than the small towns.
TIE heaviest tax rates are those OF
the poor, little towns that are strug-
Cling pitifully and quite hopelessly TO
meet current expenses OF the most
pressing type and to pay interest on
constantly increasing debts The ex-
pendiulres in the large towns are
often of nature that would be cor
sidered luxurious, even wasteful. by
their weak neighbors that can only
scrimp along in the most niggardly
way. The bonded debts OF the cities
and large towns. with fine municipal
iA-htih5 vi NatSl PiauNe VI OllltI per
manent improvements OF a revenue
| producing nature to show for them.
are quite different from the Yearly.
year deficits of the little towns that
have grown with nothing 10 represent
them. A debt to a large, prosperous
and growing town is nothing. To
small, poor and constantly shrinking
town il spells ruin, almost.
Then here is another phase. To
the revenues OF the state, the small
towns contribute their proportion. In
strict justice, the states expenditures
should be so made as to return in
like measure. But they are not.
Follow the dollar that comes to the
state treasury and probably ninety
cents of it will be found to 60 to con-
Germs or individuals located in the
large towns The states administra-
"H