The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-31
CURRENT COMMENT.
Expert Opinion.

1t is perhaps true that in great
many matters the individual must
form his opinions for himself. indepcn-
dent of any direction or over.ruling pre-
JUDGE. IL is further true, however,
that tribunal OF bipartisan character
with no object in view save the ulti.
mate and greatest good OF the public,
Is entitled to respectful considera ton,
and its conclusions should By no means
be brushed aside by men whose view
point is warped and narrowed by~local
influences and supposed conditions. The
word supposed" IS here used advised
ly, as it has been fully demonstrated
that actual conditions in given com.
munity regarding the vexed question Of
| taxation, for instance, are known only
TO the officials and often not fully re-
vealed to them.
Regarding the expert effort that mas
been given TO the state in the sueges-
ton of remedies for the evils Of double
and unequal taxation, Joseph A. DeBoer
Of Montpelier, in perhaps the most no.
table public speech Of the year, spoke
as follows:
Il ask you to recall the preceding
legislature Of 1906, which, after think.
ing over the whole subject of taxation,
concluded that there was something
wrong in this state. Now the trouble
with us is that we have not got the
power Of conviction We appoint com
mission after commission and they
give their time and their thought to an
Investigation of the facts, they present
You he facts, they advise you what
ought to be done, and then you actually
90 to work and throw the whole bust
ness out Of court. Are yon going to
do this with your commission Of
! 1906
That is to say, the Bigelow commits
sion, the Barber commission and the
special joint commission on taxation OF
the present legislature all arrived at
the same conclusion and all made prae-
tically the same recommendations.
Naturally enough. the wisdom and vir-
tue of two legislatures have deliber-
ately repudiated the work OF their
skilled servants and determined to sub
stitute therefor some hoeus.pocus OF
their own imagining. Even this was
anticipated by Mr.. peBoer. ETe said:
1t has been suggested that perhaps
you would prefer one Offset, that on
debts owing outside the state ! win
criticise this as unfair and as class
legislation. | won't give my vote at
any time for the passage Of any law
that viii give one class Of property
any right over another Your commit
toe decided that if offsets were to be
abolished they should be abolished in
toto and we should stop fooling by
giving one class Offsets and another
class none"
AS far as denunciation goes, nothing
that the Herald has said could exceed
in courteous apprehension, the follow
ing sentence from Mr. DeBoer's ad-
dress
"Now what are Won going to do about
itf Going to throw that recommends
tion, the result OF years Of work, out
ls it going to be voted down by reason
OF some little incident affecting viii
lage or q town in the state, some par
ticular instance, or are we going to be
governed gentlemen, by broad consider
atoms. BY principles Of economy by
what is right, and do our duty and try
cp the experiment Of abolishing offsets,
the putting up fiat rate ON intangi-
bles and the creation Of commission
If we do these things the rest Of the
program suggested win follow in ma
tural order"
IF the current reports are to be be- |
lieved, that is exactly what the % dis |
senting members of the special Joint |
committee on taxation proposes to do. |
They intend TO set up their precious |
opinions and convictions against the |
wisdom and expert knowledge Of men /
like Barber, Hitchcock, Senter and De. |
Boer. They assert that only from the
viewpoint Of Glastonbury and st. /
George may statesmenlike conclusions
be drawn. And this in the face Of their
own voluntary action in the matter.
Mr. DeBoer eontinues
NOW what have you done in your
turn2 When the report Of that com
mission comes in you make up a Joint
committee Of the Senate and House
adm | believe, excluding myself. that
that committee was exceptionally com
petent. This committee sat hour after
hour and day after day in consideration
o. this important problem with no 9th
er desire in their hearts than to make
right the inequalities Of our tax law.
and they came hack to you today say
ing what we want is the adjustment
Of offsets, a small rate en- intangibles
and commission TO enforce the law
ana they believe if you will carry out
these three things YOU will not retire
from this position IN two years or 10
years. They believe it is a broad. bus
mess proposition. The tax commission
Of 1906 wrestled with this important
question of taxation for a period OF
tive years. They held meeting after
meeting. They came back with a re-
port which has received The endorse
meat Of the press It is probably the
most important state doeumen. that
Vermont has ever seen
Il seems 70 the Herald that opinions
ike those incorporated IN the reports
lf TIE two commissions, ike that ex
PRESSED BY the unanimous report of
he isint csmmisfee, hike those broad I