The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-02-10

The suit brought last week by the
town of Brattleboro against the Hook
err, Corser l. Mitchell company to re-
cover $4,000 alleged to be due In the
shape of back taxes has resulted IN de-
velopments this week. The company
believes that the suit has been mali
cjously brought through influence Of the
members of the Mohawk Overall COM
pany of Schenectady, N. y, who were
formerly stoc kholders in control OF the
local company, and that the selectplen
have been hoodwinked into a situation
in which the townspeoUle will not slls-
tain them. The local company insist
that the matter be laid before the citi.
zens Of the town to find out whether
il is the wish of the citizens to have
this suit prosecuted. The company
does not attempt to dispute the con.
tention that il ought to pay its lust
share of the taxes of the town, but the
men who came into the company when
the old stockholders went to Science
tady feel that they ought not to be
penalized. The company's position in
the matter is shown in the following
statement made Tuesday afternoon:
"The first knowledge that the Hook
err, Corser & Mitchell company got or
the proposed suit by the town was
through the report of salesman of the
Mohawk Overall company, who, some
thing like n month ago, was reporting
to customers through the state of Yer
mont that the town of Brattleboro was
TO sue the Hooker, Corser d Mitchell
company for $4,000. That makes 1t
certain that the town authorities were
passing the information along before
hand to the Mohawk company. We
offered to the selectmen TO let any fair
Judge or lawyer. who knew what was
legally taxable, to examine our accounts
and books and take with him any ex-
perts whom he might choose, to deter
mine whether the amount we were
taxed upon in 1910 was not, on the basis
of the appraisal of other property in
town. the full amount of property tax
to the company in 1910. The tax war.
rant, which the seleetmen signed, shows
that the company was taxed for $53, f00
in 1910, vet the selectmen in their suit
allege that we cheated and defrauded
the town because we paid taxes only
ON $4,000 in 1910. There is no prece-
dent or warrant for any such suit as is
brought, but the damage is done. so far
as the company is concerned, by pub
fishing the charge against IT. The
charge, as published by the selectmen,
IL W tHt UitsthN
of the company. 1t is simply in1urlng
the present management of the com.
pany to benefit the old management
when, in fact, the old management were
the wrong.doers. That is why we call
the suit malicious.
That the local company intends to
secure retraction of the libel which
it claims has been circulated through
the seventh count in the suit was made
manifest Tuesday morning when con.
ference was held in the selectmen s
room in the town hall building. w. II.
Proctor, Henry X. Brown, w. c, Mitch.
ell and Clarke c. Fits. stockholders of
the company, and II. G.. Barber, asso'
ciated with A. p. Carpenter, town
agent, and the selectmen, John Calvin,
A. f. Merrill and j. G.. Stafford, were
present. Mr.. Fits. speaking not only
as attorney but as stakeholder FOR
the company, strenuously. insisted that
he ought not to be made to pay the
debts of the old stockholders. His
statement was substantially the same
as contained in written statement
given by him, az attorney for the com
pany, to the selectmen. 1t is rs fol-
lows: