St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-01-20

bill is as long as Hudson Bay sunset
but is verv comprehensive and will give
the state proper enforcement OF exist,
ing tax laws. About the only radical
change in existing tax laws is that in or
der to take advantage OF an offset on
April LIST it will be necessary to nile
statement of the debt with the Town
Clerk, before the 18th day Of January
preceding and then between the 1st ana
18th days of April to file an itemlzed
statement of the debt together with the
name and address of the creditor all OF
which shall be accompanied by an attl-
davit stating that the debt is an honest
debt due and owing and was not con-
tracted for the purpose of evading taxes.
The commission is given power to look
into all tax matters, summon witnesses.
examine books and papers andprosecute
for perjury. The commission must visit
every town in the state and instruct
listers as to their duties and may remove
listers for failure or neglect in the per-
Torrance of their duties. They must see
to it that all towns appraise property at
its true value in money. This will insure
a uniform appraisal all over the state
and will prevent the competition between
towns which are now trying to keep the
grand list as low as possible on account
of the state, school and highway taxes.
1t will also materially increase thegrand
list of the several towns and thereby re-
duce the tax rate, perhaps enough so
that it will be profitable to carry
per cent mortgage and still pay local
taxes on it.
This tax bill will correct many OF the
abuses under the present system and it
may be better for the state to have two
years honest enforcement of the present
law before we make any radical change
in the system of taxation.
The one other matter of Importance
for this session is the disposition of the
Normal School questions. 1t now seems
probable that the three schools will not
be discontinued at present, but a reason
able appropriation will be made to keep
them up and start will be made toward
the central school which so many of the
state educators seem to wish. 1t is I'M
derstood the committee favor about
$4,000 for the present schools and
about $50, 900 as starter for the CEN
trail school.
The question of adjournment has been
talked of so many times it begins to lose
interest The members all hope they
may be able to get away from Mont
pelier for keeps not later than Saturday.
The bill granting licenses to inn holders
passed the Senate Friday by the narrow
margin of IA to 12 Senator Fairbanks
was the only Senator on the temperance
committee who opposed the bill in the
committee and when the bill reached the
Senate he spoke against it. He said he
could not quite look upon the bill as
temperance measure and regretted that
there was not clause in the bill limiting
the sale to beers and wines. This was
all the hotel keepers asked for but the
bill permits the sale of all kinds of liquors
to guests. Speaking for St. Johnsbury,
Senator Fairbanks said his town had
voted by large majority that they did
not want liquor sold in that community
and he felt that ifhe supported this bill
he would place the town in a situation
that they had emphatically decided they
never wanted.
Representative Howe succeeded in
getting his bill through the House pro-
viding for branch of the State labora-
tory at St. Johnsbury, but it is expected
this bill cannot pass the Senate. Some
who objected to the bill based their OBJ
jections on the fact that it was opposed
by the State Board of Health and that it
would open the way for other branch
stations thi oughout the state. The bill
had the hearty endorsement of all the
doctors in northeastern Vermont and
the people ofSt. Johnsbury felt that they
really deserved to have branch station
on the lines of the bill introduced by
Mr.. Howe.
In its issue of Saturday the Mont
pelier Journal said, "Boyce of Waterbury
nearly fell dead when Howe of st. Johns
bury sprung 'incorporeal hereditament'
on him yesterday afternoon and the
House shivered with anguish when Will
liams of Newport used it again. 1t is
dictionary term, however, and means,
existing in contemplation of law, not
capable of actual visible Selling or pos
session not being an object of sense;
intangible When Mr.. Howe gave the
latter explanation, Mr.. DeBoer wanted
to know how it ought to be taxed and
the gentleman from St. Johnsbury prov
ed himself an economist by replying, by
fiat rate, of course