Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-08

provided, and persons having money on
hand or due them, "oVer and above all
debts charged thereon" were required
to enter it at the rate OF G6 for every
hundred. Lawyers were set in the list
for their faculty" those having the
least practice at SEQ and others accord
ing to their practice" Tradesmen and
artifciers were rated according 20 their
gains and returns This was in effect
general property tax fitted for the
primitive community and equitable he
caused based on ability 10 pay.
There were few changes in the tax
laws until 1909. Then It began to be
seen that personal property was not
paying what IT should and the Legisla
ture provided that persons having
money on hand or money due, or obl
cations payable in money or cattle, or
any kind of species of property whether
such obligations have become due or
are payable at a future day.. over and
above the debts due from such person,
shall have the same set in the list at
the rate OF S. for every 500"
! CHANGE IN THE LAW
1t was not until manufacturing had
{
! that any great changes were made.
/ Triennial appraisals Of land were re-
| CURED and land was set IN the list at
/ its estimated value instead of by the
/ three classes In 1920. county conven-
| lions of listers were established for the
purpose of equalizing appraIsals of real
! estate. and these continued until 1889
/ The rates on live stock were lowered.
| valuation prescribed by law.
But the patching process that had been
going on for several years was not
| satisfactory and In 1895 the listing laws
were revised and consolidated. Males
between q and co years of age were listed
! at SO on their polls. Deductions We're
made for militia service and for cavalry
equipment, the usual exemption was
made of lands sequestered for schools
and other public. pious and charitable
| uses" real and personal property III the
hands Of tenants was placed in the lists
of both and they We're jointly and sever
ally liable for the taxes: the rates on
personal property were lowered, money
on hand and debts due were placed in
the list at So for every 800 bank insur-
ance stock was rated a. 50 for every
500 paid in Uhis being the first attempt
to tax stock or corpora ions). attorneys
and doctors were listed at from $40 TO
$500. according to their gains, merchants
and traders at sl5 TO $500; mechanics and
| manufacturers were listed on the income
principle at an amount not exceeding
500, mills. stores. distilleries and furn-
aces were listed tsix and four per cent.
ENLARGED POWERS FOR LISTERS.
The listers were given greatly enlarged
powers in bringing out personal prop
erty. but the rigid and inqulsitorIal
methods finally failed
With minor changes. principally d.
rectcd toward securing proper taxes on
corporation stocks and from non-resi-
dent property owners till 1874. The plan
of listing personal property ~ spec-
fed valuation, instead Of its value as
estima ted by the listers, was found to
work Injustice.
The act of lSl changed this and has
been the nucleus of succeeding tax leg
isation. Its main characteristic was
the provision that all property should
he set In the list AT | per cent Of its
value. which has been followed ever
since The income idea in regard to
others wcs abandoned. Polls were list
ed at ST. The listers We're required 10
tako a list of all the personal property,
and II they thought they had not found
1t all, might require any person to make
a full statement Of all his possession
and as much of the debts due him as he
chose to disclose.
POWERS OF SELECTNlEN.
Corporations were obliged to make re-
, turns of all stockholders and the amounts
they had paid on each share De
auctions for debt were hedged about by a
strict provision requiring persons claim
ing the deductions to swear that they
were bona ide. The selectmen were
given authority to revise the action Of
the listers as to money ON hand stocks
etc. the kind OF personal property that
most easily includes observation.
Another revision was made In 1888 but
this did not deviate from the principles
OF the act of 1871. The same trouble re-
garding entangable personal property ex.
listed for we find there condition fol
deduction on account of debts owing tha'
the pers~r shall answer all such inter
rogatories In regard to debts due OF
owing as shall be propounded to him by