Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-03-12
EosoeeS The Tax Law.

AeH hht Ns -
ON taxation A. a result ct
prolonged aud comprehensive invesiisa-
lion OF the situation in different towns I,
aud the burden of complaint - that
sssessors have not enforced the law or
carried out the letter or spirit of tax
legislation so. far IA their own acts are
There are marked exc@P
tons 10 this situation AS in Bnlington'
but the structure applies very generally,
says the Burlingt, u Free Press:
Il follows rs matter of course that
listers Who neglect TO comply with the
PROVISIONS Of the law ~ 10 the manner
in which they shall perform their own
duties, can not he expected to b. strenu-
Gus in their insistence shat other citizens
shall obey the Law in every particular.
Indeed assessors who disregard the law
themselves are not in II position to ex-
act obedience to the requiem ents OF
the law from others.
1t is the general testimony OF thosa
who have given thorough study to the
subject that if our present. law in reia-
ton to taxation could be carried out to
the letter and every citizen made to bear
4 fair share of the burden of govern
meut and public Improvement, there
would be little ground for criticism as
regards its results. The chief COM
plant is that the law is not enforced
and from this flow most of the ills to
which the overburdened taxpayers flesh
is heir.
We have several suggestions to make
in this connection, which We believe
will be helpful, if carried out. In the
arst plscs al good citizens ought 10 ar
preciate the fact that by cooperating
with the assessors they can materially
aid in carrying oat the spirit as we'll as
the letter of our tax legislations.
Citizens who have juggled their in
ventories and thereby helped TO create :
demand for more rigorous measures il
order TO force them to bear their shar,
of the burden of taxation should tax,
warning from the experience Of thu
past few years, aud realize that if they
persist in tax-dodging, there will surely
be day Of reckoning with an Out
ragged public sentiment and their las
state will be worse than the FIRST
People in general have a fairly aie
quate idea Of what fair tax would b
for their ueighbo1s. and when wealth,
man pays little more than poll tax 70
public Improvements and the expense
OF government, il is natural that marke
unrest and dissatisfaction with the OF
Grafton of our tax laws should resuI
An excellent Illustration OF this is to b
, found in the following paragrap
printed in the editorial columns Of til
4 Barre Times:
; Former Attorney General Clarke
. Fits says that three millions of tax
bic property escapes taxation in Brattl
boro. We had not known before tii
/ Brsttleboroeaus were So adept at Il
J game Of tax-dodging.
This utterance brought forth the fc
: lowing striking comment from the Bra
/ tleboro Reformer:
T MIR. Fits did say that in Brattlebol
= in his opinion s3,000,000 OF proper'
. escaped taxation every year but he toe
pains to add that the same conditid
II existed in practically every town in Il
State, 80 that Barre-ites are just as AIDE
q in tax-dodging as Brattleboroeans.
2 This is matter in which it is diff
!. cult to throw stones without hittil
4 some other towns glass house. "
e presume the Reformer's statement wou
" apply to Burlington as we'll as to 9th
e towns in Vermont, and the stran;
!. thing about this is that most invetera
It tax-dodgers are known, although tn,
Il think they hide themselves when tn,
It hide their money. AS matter of ia
8, tax-dodgers onld be surprised, if tn,
could see themselves "as others S
e them"
d Assessors owe it to themselves
% we'll "a to their respective commnniti
j. and the State to enforce the law vii
ii respect to others rs we'll as themseIvt
+ In every case where an oath is require
r. it should be faithfully administers
% and where discretion is placed in tn,
Ell hands should be exercised with the 9
70 press idea of better enforcement
the law than formerly.
r II citizens cooperate with the asse
y sors aud assessors CO operate with ca,
Is other, the next commission that inv
n tigates tax conditions in Vermont W
9. have different story to tell from tn
,e reported by the commission and &C
ID sidered by the recent Legislature.
., --------------
e. There's discord in the Come bac
i, 5en, come backr' chorus when Il
Il Ltmekfln club butts in with, I'VE
:. back. Asstah JEFF. way backr