The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-21
HE FAV0RS CHANGES
IN TAX LAWS.
Continued from first page.l

| connection Win bne nDhinhtioh- ~
believed at that time and now that II
was direct call to service from thu
people and his plain duty was to com
ply with their wishes. incidental t.
these remarks, Mr. DeBoer said that W
to the present time he had spoken t.
some 800 people in Montpelier, Bur.
lington, Westminster Milton, Morris
I.villt or other towns and that to date
his campaign expenses. had hardly
reached the sum OF $ll.
In discussing the abolishing of off
ksets, 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 interests of Others
its effect might be directly opposite.
| Under the law as it now is the pros
porous man who has personal property
valued at $4,000, might produce a man
ufacturer's bill of sale and thereby
create an Offset, but in such an instance
it would be an evasion. II such is truly
| iustifable, why cannot laboring man
produce mortgage on his home and
demand an offset! The possibilities of
such a 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 eyade the law. Just so long as
| Vermont has offsets under the present
| system, Justification of values and per-
jury will continue to increase. The
fault lies with the statutes and not with
the people. Even as the practice of
actually buying elections prevails be-
cause system allows it and not be-
c1use some particular candidate is gull
ty of such practice, so are the statutes,
rather than the men who exercise the
offsets, responsible for its evil results.
Discussed Taxation.
Discussing the tax on intangibles, Mr..
DeBoer proceeded to define the word and
to state its origin from the Latin de-
rivatives in and tango-not touchable.
To support his views in favor of such
a 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 IL Law
ishly at an expense of $4,000 operate
a high-priced automobile, all apparent
ly without means of support. Where
il the property that the income came
FRONT 1t is tangible-eoneealed.
Few people get far enough ahead, he
said, to possess intangibles, but why
shouldn't the state tax intangible mort
gages, bills Of sale, bank deposits, etc,
as much as visual property To better
explain the true status of the tax on
intangibles, Mr.. DeBoer gave as an IL
La Sro hn
son 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 there
b. lose 800 as the tax on such sum,
and incidentally nearly one-half of the
income, or conceal the fact from the
listers and thereby commit a falsifica-
ton.
In directing his discussion through this
channel, Mr.. DeBoer took occasion to
state his belief that if every man gull |
ty of evading the taxes were brought |
to an accounting, and the laws on the |
statute books were enforced, 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 mutually in
the division OF the fruits of production |
between the laborers and the employers. |
He viewed with dismay 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 stat
ute books and that the better educa-
i'm. NJ fha ,-anE aud H1a -, +l,nen nor
tinent matters would assist materially
in the readiustment of conditions
In referring again to intangibles. Mr..
DeBoer decried the idea that a tax of /
seven mills would bring out more in.
taGgibles and stated as his belief that
a tax of only FIVE mills would produce
such result oftener than a higher 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
Il 100000. Ii there is to be a fiat tax
On intangibles, said Mr. DeBoer, let il
accrue to the benefit of the town. /
Toward the close of his remarks, Mr.. i,
OcBoer devoted few moments to !
'orsideration of the direct primary. He 1
heartily commended il to the voters and /,
aid that it would do away with the |
.ostly system now existing. especially j;
n the election of governors. There are !
men elected in many town caucuses who
ire financially unable to lose their time i
II addition TO defraying their expenses
o the convention city and return. The /
iEce. should always be under the con-
liberation of the community and then I
when the time for election arrived
itizens should go to the nearest polling q
lace and register their choice with one I
alIot.
There is still necessity for com G
nittees and convention, but the con- G
ention should be called or the pur-
ose of framing platform and that y
latform should be carried out accord 7
ny to promise. i
In closing, Mr.. DeBoer took occa-
ion to thank the audience for the close a
ttention accorded him during the course t
{ his remarks. p