The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-24
DeBoER CHANGES VIEWS
Says He No Longer Favors Abolition
of Offsets


in which he announced that he had
modified his views on the Offset ques-
ton and no longer favors the doing
away entirely with Offsets.
Mr.. DeBoer opened his speech with
a refutation Of the statement already
made that he was a purist, idealist or
aTtstoorat he told Of his peasant
birth in a small town in the Neither
lands and OF his emigration when but
seven years old to Albany, n. Y His
stepfathsr, who was a blacksmith had
ordained that the foster son should
follow the honorable occupation of
the ANVIL Until the age OF nineteen,
he also considered such course as
the only one of his destiny; but at
that age new channels of develop
ment were revealed and thence on
ward his eyes were fixed on different
ends. Working as newsboy and ex-
press messenger on the streets of
Albany, he yet found time to seek the
companionship of the English gram
mar and other literature. After mas
tering the tongue of his adopted coun-
try the opportunity for enlarging his
activities, became greater and he was
later enabled to attend secondary
schools and afterwards Dartmouth
college. In partially repudiating the
assertion that he was an aristocrat,
Mr. DeBoer said that no man had suf-
fered or sacrificed to greater degree
in acquiring an education.
In discussing the abolishing of
offsets, Mr. DeBoer said that his
views had changed some since 1908,
that he had learned that some might
profit by such action while in the in
terests of others its effect might be
directly opposite Under the law II
now is the prosperous man who has
personal property valued at $4,000,
might produce a manufacturers bill of
sale and thereby create an offset but
in such an instance it would be an
evasion. II such is truly justifiable,
why cannot a laboring man produce
a mortgage on his home and demand
an Offset? The possibilities Of such
practice are enormous; towns might
in time lose their entire grand list.
If for instance, such bill of sale
can be produced and offered to the
listers under the law, the man who
has no debt can create false debt
and thus evade the law. Just so
long as Vermont has Offsets under the
present system, Justification of values
and perjury will continue to increase,
The fault lies with the statutes and
not with the people. Even as the
practice of actually buying elections
prevails because a system allows IL
and not because some particular can
didate is guilty Of such a practice, so
are the statutes, rather than the men
who exercise the offsets. responsible
for its evil results.
Discussing the tax on intangibles,
Mr. DeBoer proceeded to define the
word and to state its origin from the
Latin derivatives in and tango-not
touchable: To support his views in
favor OF such tax, the speaker gave
several graphic illustrations of how
the law had worked out in Vermont
A man may own and occupy $4,000
mansion. furnish It lavishly at an
expense Of $4,000, operate a high-pric-
ed automobile. all apparently without
means Of support. Where is the pro
perty that the income came from? It
is ntangible-conceale
Few people get far enough ahead,
he said. to possess intangibles, but
why shouldn't the state tax intangi-
bic mortgages, bills OF sale, bank de-
posits, etc, as much as visual proper
ty? To better explain the true status
of the tax on intangibles, Mr. DeBoer
gave as an illustration. the supposed
case of a person with no means Of
support other than the income from
$4,000 invested in bonds or stocks
amounting perhaps TO $500, who
might tell the listers of the existence
OF the principal and thereby lose $3.50
as the tax on such a sum, and incid-
entally nearly one-half of the income,
or conceal the fact from the listers
and thereby commit a Justification.
In directing his discussion through
this channel. Mr.. DeBoer took occa-
sion to state his belief that II every
man guilty Of evading the taxes were
brought to an accounting, and the
laws on the statute books were en-
forced. We might be forced to call an
extra session Of the legislature to
change the laws.
The speaker dwelt at some length
on the growing need of more mutual.
ity In the division of the fruits Of
production between the laborers and
the employers. He viewed with dis
may the increasing prestige OF the
middleman, who neither produces or
plans. He believed that more young
men should be investigating the laws
at present written in the statute
books and that the better education
OF the rank and file in these pertinent
matters would assist materially in the
readjustment Of conditions.
In referring again to intangibles,
Mr., DeBoer decried the idea that a
tax Of seven mills would bring out
more intangibles and stated as his
belief that n tax OF only FIVE mills
would produce such result oftener
than a highway tax. He believed
that the fiat tax should be used for
the benefit OF the town rather than
turned into the Golfers OF the state.
The larger organization is already
favored with the corporation tax,
which from the savings banks alone
In Vermont last year contributed over
S,OOO,0OO. If there Is to be fiat
tax on lntangibles. said Mr. DeBoer
let II accrue to the benefit of the
fown