The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-04-10
HERBERT oHAMBERLAIN's WORK
Public Career OF Chairman Of Brattle'
boro Board Of Listers.

Herbert II. Chamberlain, chairman OF
the board OF listers, began this week his
| lith year as a member Of the hoanl, says
the local correspondent Of the Spring
| field Republican. lie served hii trst
year in lsa5, and he has been elected
every year since then, completing ms
18th year with the last list. He also has
served as a member OF the board Of
auditors ~ years, having been elected in
March, 1854, and he j. now serving his
?5th year on that board, OF which he Is
also chairman. His long terms in these
capacities have given HIM an intimate
knowledge Of town affairs and OF the tax
able property in Brattleboo such as prob
ably no other man possesses. Mr.. Cham.
berlain is familiar with all the ins and
outs OF taking tax inventories and max
ing up grand lists, and the recital OF his
experiences in the work would make an
interesting chapter. He says It would
surprise most people OF small means II
they knew TO what extent the dodging
Of taxes is practiced. The law allows an
offset for debts owing, and the grand list
book for last year shows that the Offsets
on that account in Battleboro amounted
to sl,29l ass Mr.. Chamberlain believes
that the provision of the law which al.
lows these offsets is the greatest defect
in the present tax system m Vermont,
and he says that ii the legislature will do
away with that provision II Will accomp-
lish more good than il could bring about
i'm any other way. He SAYS that he under.
stands that the commission appointed
by Gov. Fletcher ID. Proctor to investi-
gate the taxation system IN Vermont
recommends the abolition of that pro-
vision, among other things, although the
report has not vet been made public
nj L q l.. ..t lgasa
Is no sinecure. The listers have TO hear
all sorts of yarns which they are conf
dent are false, but they are unable to
prove that the stories are untrue and so
are unable to prevent specific instances OF
what they are morally certain are in.
stances of tax.dodging. I'VE get scolded
and denounced" says Mr.. Chamberlain.
but we go according to law and get hold
OF what property we can. The tax llst
in Brattleboro last year was S5,6I6,i5s.
and had it not been for the offsets for
debts owing the list would have been prac..
tically $4,000 The list has increased
about sl0OO.O00 since Mr., Chamberlain
became lister. Every legislature has
added to the work, so that the position
is not what it used TO be.
Besides his work as lister and auditor
Mr.. Chamberlain does considerable work
as an accountant and makes up the vital
statistics for the state board of health,
of which DR.. Henry Holton of Brattle.
boro is secretary He was born in New
port. n. H., August Is. ls49. and was
one of four children of Bella n. and II.
Jane Cram Chamberlain. He is the
last survivor of his fathers family. He
lived in Newport three years. and in
Peterboro. n. H., one year, and then the
family moved to Brattleboro. After. his
graduation from the Brattleboro high
school he began work for his father in
mems furnishings store which was then
in the old Chaplin building about whore
the Brooks House pharmacy now is. His
father and Frederick Franks had the
agency for the Merchants union express
company. with an office in the store. At
terward Mr.. Franks sold his interest to
B. N. Chamberlain, and Herbert B.
Chamberlain had entire charge of the ex..
press business until it was consolidated
with the American express company. HIS
father died in 1887 and the son remained
in charge of the store until about five
wears later, when it was sold. On May
il. 1896. he married Miss Nettie l.. Phil
lips. daughter of the late Henry c. Phil
lips, and they live at II Western avenue
Mr.. Chamberlain is trustee of the First |
Baptist church and has held other church
offices. He was an usher % years.