The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-08
INTERNATIONAL GUN BooMs
MIR De Boer Addresses 300 at Bur
Iington Theatre

HNYAOH ] uSdhIC
Burlington, Dec. What was prac-
tically the opening gun OF the DE Bo-
er campaign was fred tonight when
Joseph A. De Boer, president OF the
National Life Insurance company
spoke at a rally in the Strong thea
tire. 1t is estimated that about 800
people heard the speech. There were
few out OF town people but the
crowd for the most part was compos-
ed of the business men OF this city.
Mr.. De Boer made good speech His
talk was divided into two parts. In
the first he took for his topic the III
rect primary issue, advocating the di-
rect primary method for this state.
In the second part OF his talk Mr. De-
Boer said that when he became can
didate he was told that IL was part
OF the system OF electing governors
to have a campaign manager, spend
some money and follow other various
methods which have long been con-
sidered necessary. The speaker sta
ted that he was in the campaign TO
show that these things were not es-
sential
Aside from the personal element in
Mr. De Beers talk he dealt mainly
with two issues-the recommendation
OF direct primary for Vermont, and
the discussion OF tax legislation. The
most important issue in Vermont pol
itics today, declared Mr.. De Boer is
the proposal OF change by which
men OF ability, OF patriotism, may
have equal opportunity in this state
with men OF great wealth. He said
the need OF campaign managers and
publicity bureaus, the necessity OF
great expenditure in seeking nomina-
lions was not the fault Of the men
who ran so much as of the system
which isolated the people OF the state
from the management OF their own
affairs, and deprived them OF the priv
ilege OF choosing their own governors
at their own expense. The remedy,
he intimated, lay in the institution OF
nomination By direct primaries by
which the voters would themselves
say who the nominees should be- Mr.
De Beers slogan seemed to be: SELF
government at your own expense Il
you follow your inclination" He said
he stood for the equalization OF OPP
portunity, and II that was idealsm
he would plead guilty OF IT,
On the tax question Mr.. De BoeI
had some equally positive ideas. Our
system OF taxation. he declared was
effete, inefficient and oppressive fifty
| years. Under the present system
both real and personal property Is
taxed equally. The result Is that the
tax upon low-interest securities is
conhscatory, and since people do not
take kindly TO connscation. and since
the so-called intangibles are heard C
discover, great amount OF property
OF this description is never listed
The banks OF the state are allowed
the special privilege OF paying low
tax OF seven mills. This was on the
theory that II was better to get some
thing out OF intangibles than to hav,
them entirely concealed. Competit.
ion has forced the rate Of interest
which the banks pay up to four pei
cent and In order to pay this and IN,
taxes and make fair margin of pro
iit they are forced to lend at six bel
cent. This means that II youni
man In Vermont wishes to buy /
farm or improve Il. he must pay ST,
per cent for the money he gets. Tn,
banks cannot AFFORD to lend to hin
Tor less, and inasmuoh as a mortgag,
must be listed and taxed just as ,
house and lot would be. any othel
person would better put his none,
In the bank at four per cent untaxe,
than loan IL at FIVE or Eve and one
halt Mr. De Boer proposes that W,
drop the tax on intangiblcs to a ga
rate 10y enough not to be .connsca
tory, say Eve mills for banks an,
other lenders alike.