The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-01
SENATOR PowELL's HOTEL BILL

Senator Max l.. Powell's bill intro
duced for the purpose of avoiding the
navment of taxes on the new hotel
now in process of erection at Burling-
ton is likely to receive few cracks
before it passes both houses OF the
legislature and receives the COVER
nors signature. Here is one from the
Enosburgh Standard;
"The bill introduced in the legisla-
ture last week by Senator Powell oil
Burlington, providing for the exemp-
ton from taxation of hotels by the
towns or cities in which they are
located, is the most pernicious piece
of legislation proposed in Vermont
legislature in good many years. We
want all the good hotels in Vermont
that we can get (Enosburgh Falls
feels this full as well as any other
town in the state) but we do not
want to violate the constitution or
overthrow the whole system OF civic
government to get them. If we are to
adopt this policy why not exempt
farms in order to further the back
TO the soil" movement? 1t is special
legislation of the worst kind, and the
submission of such proposition to
the general assembly displays a re-
markable nerve"
Under existing statutes the towns
and cities of the state are empowered
to exempt new industries from taxa
ton for certain periods of years on
the ground that the additional bust
ness in the form of wages will more
than compensate the community for
the shrinkage In the grand list. To
extend this privilege to prospective
new hotels is certainly an innovation
and the fate Of Mr.. Powell's measure
in the legislature will be watched
with considerable Understanding
ton Banner.
1t seems to us that both the
Standard and the Banner go a long
way out of their course to get slap
at Mr.. Powell The statute does
not compel town or city to exempt
new industry from taxation for a
term of years, 1t gives the town
the privilege of voting such exemp-
ton. There surely cannot be any
thing "pernicious' in that. 1t is a
policy of some years standing,
adopted from other states 1t often
amounts to getting a new and per-
haps struggling, yet successful in
dustry to locate in town. To exempt
it from taxation for few years
would be no loss to the town because
IL refused, it would stay away and
there would be a permanent loss AT
the end of the term the industry
would pay its tax If it got its exemp-
ton and nobody has lost II may be
said that IL no town would give that
inducement the industry would settle
In some town. But II might so Ia
some other state and be better on
Vermont is not the best manufactur
ing state in the country. Mr.. Powells
hotel bill is OF the same class If q
town that has no good hotel couC
induce some man to build one II eX
empt from taxation for ten years, w
are of the opinion that the town ant
the state would be benefited and no
body hurt.-Burlington News.
There was not nor has there beer
, any desire on the part Of the Banne
ito get slap at Mr. Powell" Thi
paper reprinted the comment Of tn
/; Enosburg Standard and stated its be
0 lief that the measure to. exempt pro
spective hotels from taxation woul
: be sharply criticised before II becam
law. In a legislature composed O
e many representatives from town
! wherein the small grand lists ar
e heavily taxed for absolutely neces
0 sary expenses it appears to us that
4 bill which extends the privilege of e'
:; emption beyond the present scop
must meet with opposition. Thi
< prophecy may turn out to be incol
b rect but until the bill has been place
: on trial the Banner will still hold I
It that the fate of the measure in tn
: legislature" will continue to be
!, matter of interest The father Of III
s. bill should, however, be given cred
m for the manner In which he has pr
9 forward the measure. He is the pr
: moter Of a company which is buildin
" " new hotel in Burlington at the pre-
n n ent time and yet he has come befol
u the Legislature in person to ask 4
!. the privilege of securing the taxatic
3, exemption provided the people
= Burlington see 1T to extend It. III
!, fact that he went before the legsl
ls ture in this man-like fashion, instel
Il of attempting to avoid the appea
- ance of personal interest by haylI
le the bill introduced by some one eli
eT will stand him In good stead VIII,
: the test arrives.
os Caught Al II.
tntn