Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-04-19
TALK ON TAXATION
By Stephen A. Royce

Prepared at the request of the Ver-
mont Commission on the Conservation
of natural Resources.
Conservation is the proper and Geo.
nomical use of things in nature winch
cannot be reproduced, like minerals,
coal and stone, and the wise husbandry'
and use of what can be restored and
reproduced, like soils and forests, anil
NAL and fish life, and capital and wealth
The conservation or equitable use OF all
material things in nature or what man
produces for his needs, his happiness
and his progress, is surely and perm a. ID
nently influenced by the government
under which he lives, its csutoms and
laws, It's ideals and activities and the
extent to which it makes practical pro-
vision for the chance on the part of
every man and woman to share III a
lust exchange or the results OF WORK.
For that makes the opportunity, first,
of obtaining a livelihood under CON-
Portable and lasting conditions and,
next, of creating some property or COM
potency for the care of old age and tie
family after death concludes their work.
RECOGNIZED PRINCIPLES. .'
Some specific, principles are now.rec
opnized as fundamental to all legisla-
ton by an equitable government
On That the workman is worthy OF
his hire.
(2) That good homes and care OF
their inmates constitute the foundation
of lasting governments.
(3) That successful government OF
any kind, especially a self-government
of the people and by the people, must
respond to the test of constantly in
creasipg its service to all the people AS
real proof that it is also government
for the people.
(4) That, inasmuch as the govern
ment obtains it's power from their con-
sent, so too the people must exercise 1T
and demand it's restoration where it has
been lost or impaired.
(5) That in concurrence, while con-
servation of material things and their
increase should be constantly sought
all causes and conditions must equally
tend as we'll to the constant progress of
mems intellectual and moral life and,
finally,
CO.. That, while great talent and hon.
est ambitions for either power or wealth
should not be stayed, yet all laws should
primarily safeguard and promote the
interests in all things of all and not OF
few.
THE BLIGHT OF DEA DIETER LAWS.
1t costs public money to place a law
upon the statute book. Ii it proves to
be a>good law, the return upon the ex-
penditure is great because everybody's
interests are conserved thereby. 1T il
proves to be bad law aud is so recog-
nized, it at least supplies public expert
ence and can be changed or recalled
when the Legislature next sits. If laws
exist, however, which are binding upor
the courts, if called upon to interpret
but which are universally ignored be.
cause they are out of date or unjust OF
really unenforceable, their continued ex
istence on the statute hook not only
teaches disrespect of law but also in the
case of some, like certain of our unen.
forced tax laws, breeds crime and
further, through inequalities in the
treatment of different classes of property
seriously interferes with their honest
acquisition and natural use, thus re-
tarding industrial development and ex-
pansion. The conservation of our pro.
gress as a state government and of our
chance to develop our natural opportuni-
ties as a state, founded upon the pros
perity of individuals, rests fundamen-
tally upon sound laws, and among these
none are of more Importance and none
will better advance conservation in
every one of its forms than proper aud
just tax laws, uniformly applied and
perfectly administered just so far as
that object can be capably achieved.