The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-09
TAX COMMISSION BILL
Substance Of an Important Bill Intro
duced Thursday

Substance Of an Important Bill Intro
duced Thursday
That the governor, before the close
of the present session of the legislat-
ure, shall appoint one commissioner
for two years from December 1908, an
other for four years, and a third for
six years, and that thereafter one com
missioner shall be appointed bienni-
ally for a term of six years. The com
mission shall be nonpartisan as far
as possible and not more than two
members shall be affiliated with the
same political party. The commits
sioners shall have an Office at the
state house and shall meet every day
except Sundays and holidays, devoting
their entire time to the business. Each
commissioner shall receive a salary OF
$4,000 a year and provision is made for
a secretary and clerk hire necessary,
provided the expenditure does not ex-
coed $1,000 per year. Expenses of the
commissioners shall be paid by the
state when members are away from
the Office on business connected with
the commission The duties of the
tax commission shall revert to this
commission and one of the members
will be named by the governor as
chairman
1ue duties OF the commissioners in
brief, shall Doe as follows:
]. To have and exercise general su
peryision and control of the admins
tration Of the taxation laws OF the
state. and all assessments hereunder
and over an listers
.. To confer with and advise with
listers and give necessary instructions
and to hold meetings In the various
county seats OF the listers In the vari.
Gus towns.
3. To direct proceedings and act
ions for the enforcement OF the laws
against corporations, their agents and
individuals for failure or negligence
to comply with the laws also to dir.
ect prosecutions against public officers
for neglect Of duty
4, To require individuals, compan.
les and corporations 10 furnish infor
nation concerning their capital, fund
ed or current gsSests, liabilities. earn.
ings, dividends and operating eXpen-
SEES as well as other statements re.
Quired by law for taxation purposes.
3. To summon witness to produce
books. records, etc. relating to taxa
ton matter which the commission may
have authority to investigate or de.
termiue.
6. To cause dispositions OF witness
es to be taken upon proper notice to
interested parties, the same as the
courts.
Z. One or more commissioners to
visit every town In the state at least
once annually to ascertain whether
the listers are faithfully performing
their duties.
s. To investigate laws OF other
states and countries and submit to
the governor recommendations for leg
islation before August 1 in each even
year
9. To consult and confer with the
governor upon subjects OF taxation
the progress OF the work Of the com
mission and to furnish him with any
desired information in regard there
to.
no. Before August I In each even
year to transmit to the governor TO be
hy him presented to the legislature a
report of said commission showing all
the taxable property In the state and
the valuation OF the same, In tabulat
ed form, with such recommendations
as the commission may deem proper
n. TO require the listers Of any
town To place IN the list for taxation
any polls or real or personal property
not exempt that may have been omit
ted from the grand list OF said town.
TO- To receive complaints and
carefully examine into all cases where
IL is alleged that property subject to
taxation has not been assessed, or has
been fraudulcutly or uneQually assess.
ed
10. To re.8ppraise any property In
any town ON complaint of any person,
"a taxpayer tn that town.
"a To see that the appraisal OF
property In the various towns and
counties are equal and equitable and
that no town escapes it's due proper.
tlon OF the state, highway, county and
school taxes.
No. All the powers and duties con
forrod upon the secretary Of state by
sections sac and 5ii public statutes
are hereby conferred and imposed up.
on said commission
rs. Section 5i1 of the public stat.
utcs is hereby amended SO as to read
as follows
Returns of Omcers-The cashiers
of banks organized under the laws Of
this uats 81 The United Status and 81