The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-07
A DECREASE IN OFFSETS.
Jhe Total, However, Still Remains
Not Far Below Personal Property
Valuations.

In its grand lis; s,A'ls:iHs The Bur-
lington Free Press declares that the
totals for the State show 5,24S,59S
acres of taxable land with an APP
praised valuation of Sal, 1929 ,051.
The personal property listed for tax
alton aggregates $43,S97,747 and the
total offsets are 1892, 113. The
total number of polls is 92,57S. These
figures as compared with those of
1908 make an increase in land valua-
ton of $1,337,104 and an increase of
personal property $527,7S3. In the
same period the total offsets have
decreased $360,431, and the number
of polls has increased by S2S.
AS regards personal property these
figures show that while this class
of wealth has increased one-and-two
tenths per cent, offsets have decreas-
ed one and Observation-Disclosures per
cent. This argues that listers on
the whole have found more personal
estate and, also, that in the State as
a whole, t~aX-dodging through the
offset-privilege is decreasing slightly
rather than increasing.
If the number of polls as compar-
ed with the number in the last CEN
sus year, 1900, may indicate the
growth in population since hat date
then the present population of the
State should represent an increase
over the population of 1900 of six
and-a-half per cent. Such an in
crease would give Vermont a present
population of 366,149, or an increase
of 22,50S since the last ensus If
the increase has been as large as
this, it exceeds every ten year in
crease since the period between 1920
and 1880, it being slightly in excess
of the growth between 1910 and 1850.
For the purpose of showing the
comparative extent to which offsets
run against personal property that
otherwise would be subject to taxa
ton the returns from each county
have been studied and percentages
| have been figured from certain
or cities in each county. In
the statistical information the in
crease or decrease in percentage
that offsets are in 1909 as compared
with 1908 is first given for an entire
county and in connection Herewith
similar percentages are given for the
largest mercantile or manufacturing
town, and, also, for an average farm
ing town in the same county.
The Washington county figures are
as follows:
Washington County.
1909-Personal property taxed, S4,-
696,73S; offsets, $3,79O,735; percent
age offsets are of total personal
property, 44.7.
190S-Personal property taxed, $4,-
316,772; offsets, $~3,767,793; percent
19O9--Personal property taxed
1912 ISIS; offsets, s7S,63O; percentage
offsets are of total personal property,
45.9.
190S-Personal property taxed,
S99,11S; offsets, $74,979; percentage
offsets are of total personal property,
43. Increase, 2.9 per cent.
From the statistical presentation
it is shown that in the counties of
Addison, Bennington, Essex, Frank
lin, Grand Isle, Orleans and Wind
sor, the percentage of offsets upon
the total personal property has in
creased, and that in the counties of
age offsets are of total personal prop
erty, 46.6. Decrease, 10 per cent.
MONTPELIER
1909-Personal property taxed, ST.
946 SIP; offsets, 1892, 923; percentage
offsets are of total personal property,
2S.9.
19OS-Personal property taxed, ST.
1851; offsets, $745 1905; percentage
offsets are of total personal property,
80. Decrease, IL per cent.
PLAINFIELD.
Caledonia, C%hittenden, Lamoille, Or
ange, Rutland, Washington and
Windham, it has decreased. OF the
former, the increase has been great
est in Grand Isle and least in Frank
lin, and of the latter, the decrease
has been greatest in Lamoflle and
least in Chittenden. Again, of the
thirteen large towns or cities consid-
cred, in all but Randolph and Spring
field the percentage of offsets upon
the total personal property has de-
creased, st. Johnsbury and st. AL
bans having decreased most and in
equal percentages, Middlebury hay
ing decreased least. OF the thirteen
farming towns considered in the
same connection, Ferrisburg, Under
hill, Concord, Fairfield, Clarendon
Plainfeld and Pomfret have increas.
ed their percentages of offsets upon
total personal property, Ferrisburf
showing the greatest and Fairfield
the least change in that particular
The rest, Arlington, Burke, Hyde
Park, Newbury, Craftsbury and New
fame show decreased percentages
with HU1n DarlF In fhA Inn1 mn