The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-31
DOUBLE TAXATION
Report of Commission Created to In
vestigate the Subject

tor to investigate the subject of dou-
BILE taxation:
Joint resolution relating to the APP
pointment of a commission to in
vestigate double taxation
by the Senate and House of
Representatives
That a committee composed of six
persons especially well versed in mat
tiers relating to taxation shall be APP
pointed by the governor on or before
the first day of February. 1907. The
general assembly would respectfully
recommend that three of said persons
be selected from the republican party
and three from the democratic party.
Said commission shall thoroughly
Investigate the subject of taxation and
before the first day Of June, 1908,
shall make report thereof to the gov
ernor with such recommendation as
1t may consider are best adapted to
remedy the evils of our present sys-
TEN OF taxation
Said commission shall, before said
last named date, cause its reports to
be printed at the expense of the state,
and shall procure such number of cop.
les as it shall deem sufficient for gen.
eral distribution among the taxpayers
and voters of the state.
( Said commission is hereby author
lied to examine and make abstracts
of tax inventories on file in the sew.
eral town clerks Offices and to make
such investigation into the practical
workings of the laws of this state and
other states and countries relating tC
the subject of taxation as will enable
said commission to make an exhaus
tive and careful report on the subject
of taxation.
The secretary of state is hereby
authorized to insert such interroga
torres in the tax inventories during
the years of 1907 and 1908 as said
commission shall direct for the pur
pose of ascertaining information tC
enable said commission to carry out
the proyisins of this resolution.
In case said commission is prepar
ed, within one year from the date OF
its appointment, TO report recommen
dations which II Is satisfied should be
adopted by the state, we respectfully
recommend that the governor call a
special session of the general assem-
bly, for the purpose of enacting legis
lation along the lines recommended
by said commission
The compensation of said commits
sion shall be fixed by the governor
and paid by the state Said commits
sion is hereby authorized and empow
cred TO employ. at the expense of the
state. such necessary clerical assis
lance as 1t shall require to carry out
the provisions of this resolution and
may eXpend such sums for books, sta
tionery and incidental expenses as
shall be required for the purpose OF
carrying out such provisions.
Approved December 10. 1906.
SO much OF Section l Of No. 3S Of
the Acts of 1906 entitled: "An act tC
amend section 442 of the Vermont
Statutes relating to the examination
of tax Inventories" approved Decem
Der 10, 1906, as is germane to tn,
authority and duty of this commits
sion Is rs follows:
"The town clerk shall also allow /,
commission authorized so to do b,
the general assembly, a member o
such commission and person desig
mated in writing by such commission
to examine any inventory on file il
his Office, and TO make such abstract
thereof as shall be deemed necessar,
10 carry out the purposes of sucl
authorization The information OF
tanned by such examination or con
tanned in such abstracts shall not b
> disclosed in such manner as will re
veal the name or identity OF the pen
son making such inventory, excep
for the use of such commission"
, REPORT OF COMMISSION
Pursuant to the requirements of III
joint resolution under and by virtu
of which Your Excellency apponte
this commission, we hereby submit
our report.
The commission entered upon II
duties the first day of February, 190'
Mr. J. H. Williams of Bellows Fall
was one OF the original members bu
on account of i'll health was unabl
to serve, and Mr.. A. A. Olmsted wa
later appointed in his stead.
II will be observed that the title {
this resolution indicates that the con
mission to be appointed thereunde
was to investigate the subject of dol
BILE taxation. The resolution itself
silent on that question, but require
that the commission thoroughly II
vestigate the subject of taxation, an
: make report thereof to the governC
with such recommendations as II ma
: consider are best adapted to remed
= the evils of our present system of Ia
alton"
Undoubtedly there is in the stat
4 widespread belief that there is son
thing radically wrong with our pre-
! ent system of taxation. The adoptio
+ of this resolution is indeed n stron
: indication that such feeling exist
Il But before passing to the consider
> ton OF what may be termed the evi
of our present system, it may be we
to suggest that the inequalities whiC
- apparently exist therein in comma
with evils found to exist in all 9th,
. Systems that have ever been trie
are due largely to the fact that man
/ taxpayers do not even attempt to I
$ honest in the performance of the du
$ les which the law imposes upon the
{ with reference to taxation.
u 1t is the duty of every taxpayer
y contribute his share to the expense
) of maintaining the government, mea
l. ured of course by his ability to mai
= such contribution; society in this +
. spect is in sense one large famil
u and each member shOuld nav his i'm
. proportion of the cost of maintainir
. It. 1t Is not uncommon, howeve
{ that, instead of faithfully dischar
, ing such duty, the taxpayer seen
l. rather to be seeking for some leo
d hole by which to escape its perfo
II nance He is anxious 10 satisfy Il
y government with the least tax pc
c sible, and is not unwilling to educa
his conscience to a high degree
elasticity If necessary. to enable hi