The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-03

and In many, thVOflJsm, discriminate |
ion or dishonesty on the part OF the
listers. Thousands OF inventories
we're found that had not been sworn
TO, and very many had not even been
signed. In the several towns the lis.
ters guessed that the taxpayers had
nothing but real estate taxable. and
therefore required and obtained no
inventory but simply set the real es-
tate In the grand list, taking It from
the quadrennlal appraisal. In one
city over thousand slips for real es-
tate" were filed by the listers for res
ident taxpayers who, the listers as.
sumed, would return nothing but real
estate on their inventories and so re-
quired none, thereby violating an es-
sential provision OF the law. But this
city was not alone in falling to obtain
inventories OF It's taxpayers or 10 en-
force the penalties for on-compliance
with the law. In many other towns
inventories were not required In such
cases. Many inventories We're found
where not single question had been
answered and where the name of he
taxpayer had been entered in the Al
Jag space on the back of the inventory
by the listers, the taxpayers name
appearing nowhere else on the inven-
tory.
In one town, at least the balance Of
Offsets for debts owing over and above
the personal property OF taxpayers TO
the amount of several thousand dollars
vas deducted from the appraised val
ne of the real estate There were sew
eFal Instances where the signature
a. the taxpayer subscribed to the oath
contained in the inventory was fol-
lived by qualifying words which rem
dered the oath nugatory. In one town
where 1877 Inventories were filed,
1iS of them were without either sigma
tire, or oath, or both In that same
bwn the listers neglected or over
BOXED s493l of personal property
which was reported on the inventor
DIS for taxation and of this sum $500
vas trust company stock In many
instances In this same town the res
Hence of creditors was not given, but
IL answer to question 20 of the inven-
try relating to offsets, the answers
were given Market Bills" or Whole
slle Houses" without specifying the
persons or places. In another town
SITS were sworn 10 by an agent or
attorney though the taxpayers them
selves resided and were IN the town
during the time when the inventories
were delivered.
III numerous instances inventories
we're made up by the listers themsel-
YES without the signature or oath of
the taxpayer, with only one or two
questions answered, or none at all
Jhis was especially true in one town
a. the case OF estates of deceased per-
. sons Many Inventories in that same
town had not mark Of any kind on
The inside.
In many cases deposits in savings
banks were not deducted from offsets
allowed.
In a town having 1876 inventories ON
file, eight were neither signed ndr
sworn TO and no questions answered,
1870 had only one question answered,
I and there were many where the lister
had subscribed his own name as mag.
1trate to the oath on the inventory
, where there was no signature to the
. oath by the taxpayer.
In another town seventeen inven-
WtiN SlShtu ilOl oNOib
, 10. sixty had but one question answer.
( ed. and only six of all the inventories
, on file had four questions answered
In one city our agent reported" Many
of the inventories on file have no sign
al an answer, or other mark inside
many were made up and even signed
/ by listers themselves; there are three
| or four cases in which savings banks
3 deposits We're not deducted from on
p cts" In another town, ten inventor
T jes had no mark at all inside, ninety
? two were simply signed and sworn tC
: but not single question answered
! in some fifty or more towns the lis
r ters failed to assess all the personal
1 property that was reported In the in
2 ,ventories.
To be Continued