The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-18
FROM THE STATE CAPITOL
elltterIns GeneralItles eleahed BY
1.-THE Hermit Of Woodford''

mas hyud Ou VIII ANAAN u O IAuu the
past week, and there Is 30 much more
yet to do that It viii be impossible
to finish up next week, 80 after the
Thanksgiving recess the session will
resume It's work which will probably
run well into December.
Those who are on the more lmpor-
tant committees do not have so much
spare time as at the first OF the SEES
sion and the Hermit" is pleased
thereat Evening sessions are ire
quently held
Senator Kdder OF Windsor is
pleasant man to meet and his rotund
figure contains a good deal Of humor.
A man accosted him at the state house
and said, You are Senator OrVis, are
you not2" In his quiet manner Senator
Kidder replied: mo, Senator Orvis is
a fat man" Senator Kidder tips the
scales at 225 pounds, while the honor
able gentleman from Manchester cas-
fly goes him so pounds better.
| have done committee work here
evenings and well into the night In
days gone by, but last Monday even
ing was my first experience at a night
session of regular legislative bust
ness in Representatives hall, when "A
bills we're introduced and several read
the third time and passed after which
the joint committee on taxation held
a public debate, in which several
members of the House and Senate
took part, as well as some who are
not members. Hon. John Senter OF
Montpelier opened the debate by ably
discussing the bill which will soon
come before both branches of the leg
islature to see whether tax commits
sioners shall be appointed. and make
/, their entire business to go all over
the state to see that listers in all the
towns do their work according 70 law.
The abolishing OF Offsets was an
important part OF the discussion, some
favoring II and some not. over
heard one representative say that
Just as he felt then II would require
Philadelphia iurlst to decide the
matter, and he might get It wrong.
The debate lasted until midnight and
the members In pairs earnestly dis
cussed the merits aud demerits OF the
arguments heard, while on the way to
their places of abode.
Marshall ]. Hapgood OF Peru has
been here a part of the week trying
to do good legislative work on the out
side. Mr.. Hapgood was one of the
speakers before tho taxation commits
sion Monday evening. He would abol
fish offsets for debts owing and tax
only tangible property. He said that
by so doing inventories which have
sent so many to purgatory would not
be needed. Without any spread eagle
oratory, Mr.. HapgUod expressed the
opinion that the legislature would
have a hard time passing the bill as
II would be strongly opposed by the
savings banks and trust companies.
Mr.. Tilden OF Mortified was sverse
to Mr.. Hapgood's way OF seeing
things, and went on TO show what the
actual burden would be resting on a
man with a $1,000 investment on
farm in his own town, provided that
Offsets were abolished.
A. d. V. Piper OF jamaica, assistant
in Attorney General Fits Office and
bright fellow. said that his town
enjoyed the distinction OF paying the
highest tax rate In the state and that
It had voted III TO 81 TO abolish on
sets. He said three times the grand
list was set of In Offsets. His words
ran rs easily as water on from a
ducks back. suppose this was be
cause he is a lawyer Mr.. Piper con
tinued by saying that one big lumber
company. a partnership. doing bust
ness I'm his town TO the extent OF two
OF three million feet Of lumber annu-
ally would Offset It's debts owing TO
the individual partners and the part
ners In turn would Offset their debts
by notes on the company In the NAL
one, n. T., banks. from which they
would pretend 10 borrow money be
fore the inventories were taken, send
ing checks 20 cover the amounts I'M
mediately after the tar inventories
we're made He said that another
trick was the Offset OF Vermont com
pany on practically the same com
pany In another state With a different
name
T. F. Smith OF MorrisvilIe. repre-
senting the State Grange. who was 4
member OF the house With me In "a,
said that the organization he repres-
ented favored with doing away with
Offsets inside the state and outside,
provided SOME relief could be extend
ed TO the overburdened farmer who
was paying more than he could carry
BENJAMIN Strachan, a Montpelier
business man, told about the system
I'm New Zealand where every man
made out his own inventory. II he
made Il too small, the city represen'
tatlves would write him check for
the amount and the property was
theirs and there was no appeal In the
matter. How would some OF my
friends in Bennington county IKE TO
live In New Zealandg
Mr.. Strachan opposed abolishlns
Offsets, and gave as an Illustration
a man I'm the carpet business who
had the largest stock OF goods In
April than az any other time OF the
year. II Offsets were abolished pc
would have 10 pay on thousands oil
dollars unjustly, a. the chances are
that much OF the stock would 90 back
to the concerns In the cities nom
which the carpets were bought
have written quite az length on
this subject OF Offsets because Il IL
one of great interest and win soon be
voted on In the legislature. From the
discussions heard pro and con, on the
outside find that many are yet un
decided. aud when the test comes
as with all other questions trivial OF
weighty, some will be for and some
against. hut let II be hoped that nc
feeling OF following the band wagon
viii prevail with the men OF wisdom
Nearly all OF Thursday forenoon
session WAS taken up by the tight on
the Sunday blue law, brought about