The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-03-25
State Tax Commission Wanted.
Rutland lierald.)

The Saturday meeting of the listers o
Rutland county was a notable gathering
both in point Of numbers and interest, an,
the situation OF the various towns in tn
county in regard to taxation problems wa
discussed with "A frankne>s that was mos
refreshing. After listening to the tnel,
drawn theories OF taxation theorists, il wa
informing and enlightening TO come int,
contact with the men who do the work,
On one matter there was practically
unanimous opinion Practical, experienced
listers admit that the present law is moi
only broken, probably by every lister in
Vermont but that it is incapable of en-
forcement under the town unite system OF
taxation. Listers after lister, respected
and honored citizens in their own towns,
admitted without reserve that they had not
only violated their oaths of office, but that
they were expected to violate them, that
their towns elected them for that purpose
and that lister who lived up to his oath
would never serve but one term.
The trouble comes mostly in the apprais-
al of real estate Under the present sys-
TEN of state school and highway taxation,
a town must pay according to its grand list.
If it appraises its real estate at its true
value in money, then it will pay more
than its share of the state tax, as the
average appraisal of real estate in Yer
mont is about so per cent of its true value
If Rutland property is assessed at IS or
IS per cent of its true value, while Brandon
property is assessed at less than 50 per
cent of its value, then Rutland pays more
than its fair proportion of such tax. The
result is constant compromise between
raising sufficient tax for town purposes
and keeping down the grand list SO that the
state tax may be kept at minimum.
The need of state board with power
to equalize grand lists, was made perfectly
apparent, while the absurdity of the pres
ent laws was brought out so strongly that
one is inclined to be astonished that the
son lies undoubtedly in the fact that the
listers have simply ignored the law wher
ever and whenever they considered it in
capable of enforcement and have gotten the
best tax possible with the least effort.
The Herald will go further and say that
it is quite likely that no sensible reform
of taxation laws need be expected in Yer
mont until the present laws are enforced.
Let this state board be not only an equaliz-
ing board, but board clothed with power
to enforce the law to the letter. 1t may be
painful. 1t will certainly be shocking to
the taxpayer, but apparently no improve
ment need be looked for as long as towns
elect listers to violate the law and back
them up" in the violation of their oaths
Once let the present laws, inequitable,
just and impracticable as they are, be exact
ly and impartially enforced, and Vermont
will get taxation reform and get it in a
hurry. A man will not seek doctor I'M
til he knows how badly hurt he is, and a
state will not seek reform until bad law |
is enforced-just once.
For the present, all that the listers meet
ings can accomplish is some uniformity, |
county by county, in compromise listing. |
There is no pretence that the present law
will be or can be enforced without state
supervision.
The Herald is opposed, on general prin-
,iples, to increasing Vermont commissions,
but commission of honest men, without
political axes to grind, given power to in
vestigate, equalize and enforce the law, will
10 more for taxation reform at this june
,ure than any single source that suggests
Itself at this time. Let us have a taxa
ion commission.