Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-12
new HAMPSHIRE PROBLEMS
Wants a Smaller Ier,sIutvrc md Pow,
er TO Adopt Modern Methods
OF Taxation.

Concord. n. H.. Aug. S.--The last Iegs.
lature provided for taking the sense o,
the voters of New Uamnshire on tbs
question Of holding convention to
amend the constitution. Two things led
TO this resolution o fthe General Court,
u conviction that the House Of Repre-.
sehtatives should be materially reduced
IN numbers ana n derire to change the
organic law SO that modern methods Of
.aNauon could be adopted by the Legis-
iature. James O. Lyford OF Concord, tho
reading champion Of the district system
VI representation in the last constits
uohat convention and an advocate "a
various tax measures before the last Leg
lature gives the following reasons f0
calling a convention. He says:
The failure Of the last constitutions;
convention to present n plan for re.
ducing the House OF Representa- lves ac-
ceptable to the people will be emphasized
when tho census returns of 1910 are COM
plete. we now have a house OF upward
or 400 members, the largest legislative
body In this country, more members in
membership than the national House. II
inc census shows our usual increase OF
population. the Legislature Will be IN
creased TO 430 and the House will con-
ttnue In size with each decade 50 long
as the population Of Hew Ilampehire
goes forward. Every one comedies thaya
legislative body one half the presen,
size would transact business more ex-
peditiously and better
DIFFICULTY OVER PLAN.
Tie difficulty Is In agreeing upon
plan for reduction Tic present basis of
representa- ton In the lower branch Of
the Legislature in population, but not in
proportion to numbers Every town OF
ward having 600 Inhabitants IS entitled
TO ono representative but for every ad.
ditional representative 1.2oo additional
population is required. Towns of les.
than eco population have representation
a proportional part Of the time 1t will
: ne seen that this plan gives an advarr
tage to the small towns Ten towns a.
600 population each have 10 representae
tives. but one town OF 5000 populatior
would have but five representatives
! Tho Inst convention submitted Tn
amendment raising the number re-
quired for the first representative 70
500 population. with Gouble that num-
Der for each additional representative.
This amendment preserved tho pres
ent proportion. It would have re.
duced the House to about 900 mem
bers The amendment failed OF tina
requisite two-thirds vote in its favo.
TO secure It's adoption. II lacked much
support because 1t was regarded n,
a makeshift, having no permanent
value. Whether any more etceptabl<
plan can be devised by another con.
vention remains to be seen Tho larc,,
towns and the cities refused to con.
cede any greater proportion IF rep,
resentation to the small towns tina.
they now have. while the latter were
not inclined to lose their continued
representation, some OF them
would, by increasing the first unit or
their Individuality. as all would be
under the district system.
THE Governor and council were
authorized by the last Legislature 70
appoint n commission to serve with
} out compensation. whose duty Il
would be to study the problem and
make recommendations 20 the con-
vention.
, TAX QESTION INCENTIVE.
II this were the only question re-
curing the assembling Of a constitu.
doubt Of the people voting to have
one. But the stumbling blocks thrown
in the way Of the last LEGISLATURE.
when II attempted to enact tax laws,
ty the doubts co. tinuallv raised of the
constitutionality Of the measures pro-
posed will be a powerful incentive TO
q favorable vote Of the people for a
conventions The tax question Ia still
Il
in the way Of renledia! legislation. the
voters will certainly favor hs amend
ment II is unfortunate that atten-
ton was not given by the last Legis-
lature early in its session 10 she very
able chapter IN the lax commission
ers' report on the constitutional linli-
tntions OF taxation prepared by Ed
ward c. Niles Of Concord. The latter
took the position that, upon rehearine
and proper argument. the supreme
court of the state might ork out
rule of constitutional construction
which would enable the Legislature
: 10 employ modern methods or TAXA
ton The Legislature Is the only pohl
:. that could bring the question square
w and fully before the court. This
the last Legislature failed to do.
e INTANGIBLEs THE PROBLEM.
7 LAS in other States, so in New lamp
shire, the attempt to tax intangible prop
= erty. such as bonds, mortgages, credits
etc at the same time as other propert
is taxed. has met with dismal failure
For wears we have had a law on III
statute books requiring sworn !nvento
ries from taxpayers. which has not bee
enforced II is generally conceded tina
not one-tenth of this class OF propert
Is taxed at all No legislation. howeve
drastic has ever been successful In per
nanentlv taxing more than n small! par
Of the Intangible property OF any stat
at the same rate that other property
taxed The reason Of this failure is sim
ule. When a person has TO surrcnde
i, from, so TO 80 per cent of his income I
the tax gatherer. he will avoid taxation
The average rate Of taxation in Ne'
HAMPSHIRE IL per cent. The holder c
q nor cont. mortgage II he returns
for taxation. gives up one-thrd of III
"a income, while the owner of munieipf
bond bearing per cent. interest part
with half of the income. NO oiher cias
Of property is compelled to surrender =
% large a proportion o. its income IN taxa
ton. The uuest.on OF the taxation OF II
tangible property has been discussed h
all State tax commissions of the pas
decade. The conclusions that they reac
arc that the taxation OF intangioles
r. double taxation, and that, II ta-.td at a.