The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-06-08
And Other TWORefered to the
City Attorney
BY THE CIVIL AUTHORITY
Most Important Was That Of e. IN. Field,
Who Wanted Offsets Allowed Resi-
dents and Who Thought Bank
Stock Not Properly Assessed.

Seven appeals from the appraisaIs Of
the assessors for 1907 were heard bv
the board Of civil authority last night
and five Of them were dismissed. the
other two being left to the city attor-
ney for an opinion. The board ran IN
against alleged unconstitutionality Of 4
Vermont tax law, against double taxa
tion and against tax payers who, through
carelessness Or design. had failed to nut
IN any or their complete lists
The appeals Of Clinton NJ Field, y. E.
White, >. j Segel, Giovanni Gomani, and
G. a. Sawyer were dismissed and the
assessors were thereby sustained. while
those of Charles Marr and Il. b. Hutchins
were turned over to legal authority for
further light.
A Complicated Grievance.
BY far the most important and com
nlicated was the grievance of 9. M. Field.
who presented written objection to be-
ing classed as d nonresident Of Barre
and being therefore deprived Of the Of
set allowed to residents and (2)a because
be thought his stock in the Granite Saw
ings Bank and Trust company (aggrega-
ting about SB0,O0O) was put in al too
high a figure, believing that the amount
taxed should be the stock, minus the
real estate holdings.
This precipitated considerable discuss
sion, Richard A. Hoar appearing for Mr..
Field and j. Ward Carver representing
the assessors. Mr.. Hoar contended that
his client was still resident Of Barre
and that he was in New York simply
Tor business purposes, and that for two
years previously he had been allowed
the offsets now disalIowed. Furthermore.
MI. Hoar stated that the law III 1892
discriminating between nonresident and
resident taxpayers had been declared IL
legal and void under a ruling of the Ver-
mont supreme court, and that he didn't
know about it until few minutes be-
fore the meeting.
The members Of the board, LAWYERS
and all, had never heard of the supreme
court decision, and although recognizing
the weight of it were inclined TO think
It peculiar that the Vermont ierfsIa-
ture having met six times after the rem
dering OF the opinion had not repaired
the law Then after Mr.. Carver and
the assessors bad been heard on the ques
tion OF Mr.. Fields residence, declaring
him in their opinion to be. non resident
Of Barre, the board sustained the asses
sors and dismissed that portion Of the
appeal.
On the alleged excessive taxation of
bank stock the assessors stated that the
stock of the Barre National, the Barre
Savings and the Granite Savings banks
were assessed equally. while that OF the
Peoples National, being younger, was
put in at a lower figure. The board was
inclined to think the Granite bank was
exceeding its legal right as TO real es-
tate holdings anyway That portion Of
the appeal was then dismissed also.
Double Taxation.
The double taxation proposition was
presented by Charles Mari. he owned
farm on the edge Of Barre Town and
Plainiield which he transferred to Louis
Lancio, a bond for deed being passed,
with the stipulation that Mr. I.ancio
should pay the taxes. Mr.. Lancio did
pay taxes and Mr.. Marr was also called
upon to pay just as il mortgage had
been given instead Of q bond for deed.
Mr.. Mari considered the system unjust
and he therefore appealed to the board
Of civil authority for relief. After con-
siderable discussion Of this bond for a
deed and other similar documents, thu
matter was left to the city attorney
whether Mr.. Mar u taxable.
The same course was taken with the
appeal OF f 3. lIutehins, who listed a
1850 farm which he had agreed to sell
TO Harry and BERTHE Hufchins. Mr..
Hutchins stated that after putting the
property into thel ist he thought that ii
was not taxable TO him, and went to the
assessors to have it withdrawn. The
assessors, or one Of them, had told him
any mistakes would be rectified, but
the s4,050 hadn't been taken out Of his
inventory. Whether or not Mr.. Hutchins
can be taxed was left to the city at-
torney.
These Appeals Dismissed.
All the other appeals were on grand
lists doubled through failure to turn in
lists or complete statement of property.
J.. i. White failed TO enter a note of
$500 owed him by his motheri law IN
Essex Junction because he said be didn't
recollect II at the time of filing inven-
tory. The Barre assessors got wind Of
the note through the Essex assessors,
where the mothcr-in-law had put n the
not as an offset TO her property. i. D.
Burgess appeared for Mr.. White, and
both Mr.. and Mrs White took the oath
and testified In spite OF it the board
dismissed the appeal and the list stands
doubled under the law Of 1906
The other appeals were on poll list
doubled through failure to put IN list
after notification. They were presented
by s. J. Segel. G. II. Sawyer and g.
Gomani. The last two did not appear
and the first said he was III New York
at the time Of the notice being left BY
the assessors.
The board will meet again Monday
night to hear report of the city at
torney on the matters left to him.