The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-23
HOTEL EXEMPTION
BEING DISCUSSED
Some People Object to Favorable Vote
on Ground That 1t Will Be Contrary to
Precedent, While Others Think New
Hotel Would Be Fine Thing for City.

Hotel Would Be Fine Thing for City.
On Friday night the voters of Barre
meet in special city meeting to consider
a number of articles that may have al
important bearing on the conduct of city
affairs i'll years to come. Among Others
there are propositions that have a vita
bearing on the policy of school expan.
sion and the maintenance of educational
features that are already in operation
They have their own place in the warn.
ing for the meeting and the interest that
has been aroused in such articles will
undoubtedly influence many voters to
attend. But much of the interest an.
pears to center around the proposal to
exempt from taxation for a period oil
five years the hotel which the recently
incorporated Barre Hotel company pro-
poses to erect the coming summer II
their offer is favorably received by the
voters at large.
For fortnight now the article relat-
ing to the hotel exemption has been I'M
der discussion and pretty much all OF
the evidence for and against the prop
osition has been presented. The bulk OF
this evidence has been reviewed at va
lrious times in the columns of this paper
Men in all walks of life to-day are
found favoring the exemption. By the
same sign voters among all classes may
be discovered who question the wisdom
of extending the exemption feature to
any investors in the city real estate.
Expressions of sentiment from various
men have been reported from time to
time, but thus far no names have been
connected with personal views as pre-
sented for publication. To-day The
Times prints number of opinions from
a list which readers will recognize as
representative men in the community.
Secretary Fred w. Suitor of the Quar-
ryworkers' International association is
inclined to favor the exemption plan.
First and last he is for the working
class, he says, but the hotel project
promises work for the laboring man, al
though its patronage is not to be drawn
from the workingmen. He is heartily
in accord with the request of the So
clalist city central committee that only
local union carpenters be employed on
the building. He corrects the impression
said to exist among a few that exemp-
ton viii mean higher taxes for every
one. He subscribes to the incontrover-
tible fact that exemption will have no
effect whatsoever on the tax rate
Il am unalterably opposed to exemp-
tion in any form" This statement
comes from prominent business man
who requests that his name be withheld.
He adds: "The very theory of the thing
is founded on fallacy. 1t is subsidy,
a special privilege that has no justifiea-
tion whatsoever. In times past private
enterprises have applied for exemption
and the requests have been refused in
yarably. There are fewer manufactur-
ing concerns in Barre as result of this
attitude on exemption. Positively, let
me say ! am against exemption"
His opinion is echoed by leading
physician, who questions the wisdom of
establishing precedent in the matter
of property exemption. He makes the
point that private capital now doing
business in Barre has always paid its
taxes and will continue to do SO until
the end
Among the strong supporters of the
exemption article is F. G.. Rowland He
He declares that the progress and civic
vigor OF community is nowhere more
forcibly illustrated than in its positive
attitude on any move that will bring
within its confines modern hotel. He
holds that q long-sought opportunity
may be grasped by voting for exemption
at the polls Friday night. Mr.. How
lands views coincide with those of a
well known merchant who has been Civ
ing the hotel his moral support from
the very outset, He believes that bus
mess along all lines will surely be bene-
flied by a new hotel and he is ready to
pledge his faith in the hotel by urging
his friends to vote in its behalf to-mor-
row evening.
"There has been no hesitancy on my
part in paying taxes, why should others
seek subsidy from the city in a purely
business proposition ?" This is the query
made by one man well up in real estate
circles. He claims that the eity's at
titude on exemption is firmly fixed by
precedent. Always it has refused re-
quests of this nature and he sees no
reason why the precedent should be
shattered.
One of the wheel horses in the labor
movement says he believes he is repre-
senting at least fair following of la
Dor when he expresses himself in favor
of exemption. A new hotel cannot pos
HiDly HuIL Jne idDOTnE man, ne urges, !
and it may accrue to his benefit John
T. Callaghan, a member of the city cen
trail committee of the Socialist party,
and a prominent man in that propag-
anda, sees no reason why the exemption
article should not receive favorable ac-
ton. Exemption would not increase the
taxes of any man, he contends, and it
might be the means of giving work to
union men. Mr.. Callaghan says that
sentiment on the exemption proposal
is divided among the Socialists.
A statement issued at the Socialist |
headquarters to-day speaks for itself:
"The city central committee of the
Socialist local of Barre, at its last regu
lar meeting, discussed the question of |
tax exemption of the proposed hotel |
property. Apart from the main ques-
tion, tire following resolution was adopt |
ed, which will be offered in the city |
meeting Friday night. We are urging |
all workers of Barre to attend the meet |
ing and to support this resolutions:
Whereas, although the workers of /
America pay their taxes and everything |
else, indirectly, the question of taxation /
as such is not distinctly a working class
issue, since the bulk of our workers do
not own even their own homes;
"And, whereas, the exemption of the /
hotel property in this city is essentially
an issue among the capitalists of the
city since our workers cannot afford to /