The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-12-02

taxation and subjeei only TO a hKad and
uniform tax ot seyentenlhs q one per
eenl,
The same Laws also provide that mort
gases, notes and the like, when held ~
individuals, shall mol ls sghSasi 10 Tho
hsel rate paid b. the banks but shall be
subisei 10 municipal laAailon'
The, af course, CAUSES The fascs 10 var
according "a the place In which the hold
q 81 surh securities may I've, but pfona
hly there ate few, II any, places N the
state where the individual ls bot required
10 Ray al leasi double the amount Of taxes
paid Ia savings banks ulon identioally the
same kind at securities aud IN many
plaees the tax amounts 10 one hall OF
even more IT the income if"in such 80
eufttlss.
Why should the individual be thus die
eliminated against In favor Of the
hanksg
Why should not al mortgages, nc,cs,
etc, be taxed alike, II taxed al ally
Gladstone opposed taxing incomes N
England hrcause. he said, ~ would ere
ate q nation Of liars" DOES our unfair
aud discriminating system do loss'
III response 10 an inquiry, whether
mortgage, notes. bonds and similar 81.
enrities are taxable IN New York state,
the city clerk 81 . New York town ne
ple,l a. follows Personal property .
taxed onlt in rare eascs, Real esla'e y
our only resource for taxation,
In Minnr.oia when u mortgage u re
corded AZ the county office, recording
re IL 81 i charged f0f each $1,000 Of the
mortgage No other tax j. ever levied
upon that mortgage, regardless Of whom
the owner IL Il may be- This . fair
Treatment. II puts the individual, with
money 10 loan, un an equality with the
D. nks anil does not give those inshln'
tons which were primarily intended Tor
small savings. complete monopoly OF The
business 81 loaning money,
Moreover, when taxation al money NJ
interest amounts 20 onehalf or even one
fourth ~ the interest upon such money
il !. excessive taxation and amounts To-
cruel cxtortion when applied 10 such peo'
plc rs are compelled. by iniirnity, 20 rely
upon the income Of q little money aecu'
INFLATED Is years Of industry and econ
omy. Such taxation Is prolific Of II least
two results. II prevents many wealthy
person, from living in The state and = the
cause Of no small number Of fllsihed n
turns for taxation from those who do live
here.
Savings bank deposits aud loans Of all
kmds made outside the state. are now
made subject to taxation the same a.
loans made within the state. The con /
stitutinn II Vermont provides, That /
every member Of society hath a right to 1
be protected in the enjoyment Of life, lib /
Hrty. and property. and therefore j.
bound to contribute his portion towards
The expense OF that protection
Now Vermont cannot protect loan Of
money made outside the state any more
Than il can protect farm or building
outside the state. Therefore, If John
smith. a citizen OF Vermont, loans a sum
# money in. say. Massachusetts,. and John
Jones. also a citizen OF Vermont, uses
IN equal sum of money TO buy, as an IN.
,estment, house in Massachusetts,.
what better right has Vermont to tax
smiths loan than il has 10 tax the house
Il Jones? The state should tax what II
an protect. and nothing more.
Another reform much needed is repeal
4 the laws eSemptihg church property
rom taxation. Vermont, like other
tatcs, is burdened with vast amount Of
property which receives all
he benefits OF protection from the state
Without contributing a dollar towards lts
Import. There is no honest excuse for
his: church property should be taxed like
ther property. Both presidents Garfield
nd Grant saw. and pointed out, the
normi,y OF this wrong years ago, but
hus far their warning has been un.
eeded President Garfield. in congress,
une %, 1874. said "Thc divorce be.
ween the church and the state ought to
e absolute. II ought to be so absolute
hat no church property, anywhere, in
nv state. or in the nation. should be OK
mpted from equal taxation; for il you
Nempt the property OF any church or. =
anization, to that extent You impose a
hurch tax upon the whole community I
President Grant, in his annual message
{ 1879 recommended a constitutional I
mendment for the more complete sepa.
alton Of church and state. In this mes
,ge he said: "In connection with this y
Important question, ! would also call :,
our attention to the Importance OF cor I
,cting an evil that, if permitted to con n
nue. will probably lead to great trouble !
our land before the close of the nine. !,
,enth century. II is the accumulation of :
asst amounts Of untaxed church property. .
, 1850. | believe, the church property
/ the United States, which paid no tax, Y
unicipa or state. amounted to about =
50 600, 900 In 1860, the amount had II
cubled; in 1915 it is about 81 600, 600 u
10 Bv 1900. without check, it is safe ?
, saw this property will reach a sum ex- a
,eding $1,000 100000 So vast a sum, y
,ceivng all the protection and benefits Q
government. without bearing its pro. d
,rtion Of the burdens and expenses OF y
le same. will not be looked upon acqni- q
Gently by those who have to pay the I
lxes. Tn a growing country. where real 4
tate enhances SO RAPIDLY with time as in n
re United States, there is scarcely II
nit to the wealth that may be acquired $
7 corporations, religious or otherwise, ii q
lowed to retain real estate without taxa u
on. The contemplation of SO vast "a "
ropertv as here alluded to, without taxa r
on. may lead to senuestration without X
authority and through,
God. 7 would suggest the taxation OF all le
equally" a
We indulge in the hope that, some time b
10 Vermont legislature viii correct the o
lis we have here enumerated until Il
zen taxpayers must suffer 81
Wilmington, VT. Z, w. e
ii