Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-04-10
Conservation and Taxation.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO

III SIt ODLaIHS It's power from LQe1r
consent. SO too the people must ex-
where it has been lost or impaired.
(5) That in concurrence. while
conservation of material things and
their increase should be constantly
sought, all causes and conditions
must equally tend as we'll to the con-
slant progress of mems intellectual
and moral life; and, finally,
| TO- That. while great talent and
honest ambitions for either power of
wealth should not be stayed, yet all
laws should primarily safeguard and
promote the interest in all things of
all and not of few.
THE BLIGHT OF DEAD LETTER
LAWS.
1t costs public money to place a law
upon the statute book. If it proves
to be good law, the return upon
the expenditure is great because
everybOdy'S interests are conserved
thereby.
If it proves to be a bad law and is
50 recognized, it at least supplies pub
| lie experience and can be changed or
recalled when the Legislature next
sits. If laws exist, however, which
are binding upon the courts, If called
upon to interpret, but which are uni
versally ignored because they are
out of date or unjust or really unen
forceable,- their continued existence
on the statute book 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
! 10 Info xxJif
their honest acquisition and natural
use, thus retarolng industrial devol
opment and expansion. The conser-
walton of our progress as a state gov
eminent and Of our chance to develop
our natural opportunities as state,
founded upon the prosperity of lnol-
vlduals, tests fundamentally upon
sound laws and among these none are
| OF more Importance and none Will
better advance conservation In every
one OF It's forms than proper and just
tax laws, uniformly applied and per-
fectly administered just SO far as
that object can be capably achieved.
The STATE LIVES UPON ITS
TAXES.
The existence OF the state rests up
on It's power TO tax ANA To collect the
tax. That fact involves the power
also to destroy or to retard the
growth OF property and the power TO
discriminate unjustly between differ
ent classes of property and groups OF
men and between lndlvldu Is and
corpora tions. When such Unfair uls-
elimination exists and when laws are
not made to compel men and proper
ty, according to opportunity and kind
and IN just proportion, to contribute
to the maintenance of government
and its legitimate public works, there
may be said to be condition which
tends to the non-cOnSerVatlVe and 40.
normal acquisition and use of proper.
ty and to a concealment of the states
sources of Income, which In the case
OF many town has lea to Its SLOW
decay. While the state taxes and the
town taxes both property aud mer
and the income and property OF COR
= poIatlUnS, 1t has done but little by
an adequate cnange IN the tax laws &c
Increase, foster and Improve the SUB
JecCs Of taxation or to create legltl
. mate and wnolly proper oddltlona
subjects of taxation. 1t ASSUME.
that these matters will take care "
themselves. when lii fact its tru,
function is to improve its own pow
and strength by enlarglng and III
ca easing the wealth, the OppOrtunlty
. the production and the thrift OF 1t:
people, since that course cOnServes
and builds up Its Ways and means
while the reverse OF chat course leads
to loss and even IN some sections Il
death and decay.
AVIATION ppOpI EMC