The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-27
A Boundary Dispute.
bennington Banner.


From the fact that Gov. Fletcher has
instructed District Attorney Dunnett
of St. J0hnsbury to bring a suit in the
federal court against the state of New
Hampshire to determine the correct
boundary line between the two states
it sure looks as if Vermont was going
to stand on its rights-or wade or sail
on them-The Advance.
The facts in this peculiar case may
not be entirely familiar on this side
of the state. New Hampshire claims
that the boundary between the two
states is the high water mark on the
west bank of the Connecticut river.
In recent years mills and other build
ings have been built along the river,
some of them even below low water
mark. The value of this property in
the aggregate is probably several hun
dred thousand dollars, a considerable
part of it being mills located on the
| island at Bellows Falls.
! Four or five years ago New Hamp-
shire started in to collect taxes on this
property The mill owenrs found them
selves caught where they had to pay
taxes twice. They supposed they were
| in Vermont and made no protest about
paving taxes to the Vermont towns.
Later on it developed that most of the
mill owners also had property in New
| Hampshire and this property would be
confscated unless they paid the taxes
assessed over there, so they paid again
under protest and the boundary dispute
has ragged with growing feeling. This
suit brought by Governor Fletcher viii
doubtless be carried to the supreme
court of the United States for final de
cision.
In connection with this case there is
another point to which the Banner
wishes to call attention. In every
campaign during late years there has
been a lot of reckless talk about doing
away with state commissions. One oi
the commissions created at a recent
session of the legislature was a boun
Diary commission to try to settle Thu;
dispute with New Hampshire.
On this commission were nance
three of the leading citizens of Yer
mont, Hon. Alexander Dunnctt of 81
) Johnsburv. Hon Frederick II. Rabbit
? of Bellows Falls and Hon. Porter II
o Dale of Island Pond. None Of thce'
= gentlemen asked for the place bu
they consented to serve without pa,
in order to help the state and huvl
) given much time and effort during th
; past two wears The state merel,
pays their necessary expenses. If Yer
mont wins the case finally it will b.
in part at least due to the investiga
s ton and effort of this commission.
This is sample of the Vernon
commissions that are SO much scolde
about by people who have not consid
crc,k the subject and are not famiIia
{ with the details relating to the matteI
a 1t occasionally happens that a useles
= or an expensive commission is appoint
, ed but in four cases out Of five a NcI
- mont commission means that the stat
gets the services OF some of its hes
( citizens without paving for the tim
which they put in.
e 1t is impossible to combine thcs
k commissions because different question
, require men of different qualification
and if several important matters wer
d saddled on one commission the wor
Il would be more than one set of me
a would undertake if they were asked t
e give their time without pay.