The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-02-11

from it, even the ruins of the shepIey
block and the costly Iildcn mansion still
yawn al passersby
In the face Of this state Of .inps, can
II be truly said that Mayor Barclay
leaves the city in better shape than he
found itf
While be claims this, contradictory az
It may seem, he yet in mis- message CON
fesses and deplores tho decadence in the
growth of the city lie plainly states
that there has been but little building
tie past year; that capital and capital
lists are leaving the city; that ne knows
several property holders who have left
the city, taken up their residence In
Montpelier, there erected good buildings.
claiming that they there get better in.
come on their money.
Why this death to the growth OF our
eityg One cause, and one only. can be
assigned--the high tax rate Mayor
Barclay confesses this. To use his words:
THE high tax rate Is serious draw
back to the growth 81 the city.H And
again, lowing TO the high tax rate he
says, capital and capitalists are leaving
the city. The mayor Is right. The
price of lumber and labor Is practicable
as high in Montpelier as in Barre But
while Barre is dying, Montpelier Is grow.
ing more rapidly than ever before This
is because the tax rate in Montpelier is
only sl.50, while it is nearly double that
in Barre.
But this Is a great confession as com
ing from representative Of tho high
tax party. This same result was pre-.
dicted over and over again some years
ago. That party was fought, over and
over again, ON the issue OF its high tax
rate system. Over and over again, In
the face of that party was it argued
that its high tax rate would, in the near
future, bring ruin to the growth and
prosperity of the city. But none are
70 blind as those who won't see. Now
and spits It back in the face of his own
party.
The peculiar thing about it il, that
Mayor Barclay Is among the highest OF
high tax rate mayors. During his first
year the tax rate was S2.74. The second
year It was $3.50. This last year the
city council, under his discretion, set tho
tax rate as high as il legally could
$3.50. But this was not high enough.
The mayor called two city. meetings To
make Che tax rate higher By two more
special taxes. Had he succeeded the tax
rate this year must have been nearly
$500. But the taxpayers had begun to
get their eyes open, and at each meeting
voted no.
What now tales placer A deal seems
to have been made with the quadrennial
appraisers 10 put up the grand list A
higher grand FIST means the same thing
as higher tax rate. Each calls for
more taxes. Ii moro taxes could not
be gotten by vote Of the taxpayers,
they could be gotten by an act Of the
assessors, in hundreds of cases, raised
the grand list Of individuals abnormally
high. A hundred and thirty or more
appeals went up to the board OF civil
authority for relief.
Here were hundreds Of stahs at the
dying city Mayor Barclay in his mes
sage takes notice Of the same and advises
hencefortn low tax rate. But Just see
what a high tax mayor calls a low tax
rate--$2.50 on each dollar Of the grand
list. Good heavens, Mayor Barclay
That tax rate, low m you deem It, is
yet high enough 10 kill, in a few short
years, any city this side the Mississippi
river. The only reason Barre has stood
| ii 80 long Il found in the mighty energy
OF her granite industry. But even that
can stand the stran no longer Our city
must 20.
But 10 on, gentlemen Of the high tax
party. Elect another high tax mayor
Re-elect Mayor Barclay il you can. II
not, elect another just like him. Then
prepare your funeral obseqnies for the
dying city. Select your pail bearers
your ak high tax mayors who have serv-
cd the city 40 wen would BE- most suit.
able. Appoint your poet 70 give the
| funeral odc---Goodhue best knows how
to sing chat song Choose also your
orator--J John, OF course, would be most
eloquent and pathetic in that role. So
ahall the last rites BE- performed IN ac-
cordance with THE eternal fitness Of
things
! Citizen.