Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-11
HOUSE-MORNING.


Devotional exercises were conducted
by the chaplain.
SENATE BILLS REFERRED.
S. lol, IN act to provide for repairs and
alterations to the county buildings of
Washington county. To special COM
mittce If members from Washington
county.
II. i", an act relating to vehicles carry
ing lights at night on public highways.
Amended by the substitution of n. 81.
Mr.. Jackson of Jericho and Mr.. Ward
of st. Adams town opposed the bill. Mr..
Sweet of Lowell moved to dismiss .he
bill and Mr.. Berry of Milton called for
the yeas and nays, which resulted: Yeas
l27, nays Sc. and the bill was dismissed.
ORDERED TO LIE.
ii. ZIG. an act to amend section . OF
No. 23 of the acts of 1912, entitled AN
act to codify and amend the laws relat.
ing to PROBATION"
II. 426, by Mr.. Chalmers of Rutland
city, an act to require the furnishing
of a bond to secure the paymen of
board Of any person committed to Jail
on mesne process or execution rendered
in a civil cause. Creditor must furnish
keeper of Jail bond, within 4S hours.)
To judiciary committee.
Fl. AZ. from Joint committee on game
and fisheries. an act to amend section
81 Of No. POI Of the acts OF 1912. as amend
ed by an act of the General Assembly Of
1915. entitled an act to amend section
n OF No. 2l of the acts of 1912. relating
to the open season for wild ducks, ap-
proved February %. 1915. (September l5
to January 15) Ordered to lie and be
printed.
SPECIAL ORDER.
II. 3S, an act relating to the taxa
ton Of intangible personal property and
to deductions for debts owing. Taken up
as a special order. the pending question
being an amendment moved by Mr.. Dem
erritt Of DuXbury that a new section be
inserted to be numbered section Ii, as fol-
lows: "In towns having Incorporated
villages. school districts or fire districts,
or one or more of the same, said villages
or districts shall receive such a proper
ton Of the amount received from the in
tangible tax as such amount so received
bears to the total amount Of taxes re-
ceived from the polls. realty and tangi-
bic property in said towns" Mr.. Morse
Of Hardwick opposed the amendment as
an unfair and unjust method OF division.
Mr.. Demeritt Of Duxbury considered 1t
as a method as equitable as any that
could he devised. The proposal of amend
ment was defeated
Mr.. Wilson of Chelsea moved to amend,
first, by striking out section one: second,
by striking out the word "tangtble'' in
section two, line two; third, in the same
line of the same section. by inserting
after the word estate" the words "a
taxpayer; fourth. in line nine of the
same section by striking out the word
"tangible"; fifth. by REMEMBERING the
section.
Mr.. Wilson explained that ne took a
test of his town at town meeting and
found a desire to go back to the old
system of offsets with additional safe
guards provided. which his amendment
provided for. He recognized the abuse
of the offsets in past wears. He would
strike out the provisions relating to the
seven-tenths of one per cent. tax on in
tangible property.
In reply to a request Of MIR. sweet OF
Lowell for a definition Of intangible prop
erty Mr.. Demeritt explained that intan-
gibles were property that might be con-
cealed, such as money, votes, stocks,
bonds, etc.
Mr.. Fairchild of Fairfield proposed
to amend the first proposal Of amend
ment by inserting the following
Money loaned within the state at a
rate of interest not to exceed five pei
cent. per annum, evidenced by a prom
issory note mortgage on real estate OF
any part thereof. Of real estate oil
tangible personal estate within the
State. sold or transferred. evidenced
by a promissory note. mortgage OF
land bearing a rate Of interest not ex
ceeding five per cent, per annum, shall
be exempt from taxation"
Mr.. Stacey of Hartford opposed thu
amendments offered by Mr.. Wilson
MIR. Fairchild of Fairfield advocated
his proposal Of amendment HI
thought there was need of relief from
the burdens Of taxation. He favore
five per cent. money and limited Off
sets. He Thought such a law AS tina
proposed would not change human
nature. People would not bring for
ward intangible property which has
escaped taxation until they were SURE
Of a permanent State policy. He would
avoid the charge of legislating for tn,
rich man.
Mr.. Demerritt argued for the fla
rate feature of the bin. He said tina
money has a fixed income. hxed by Law
at six per cent, Tangible propert,
has not n fixed income but may carr
what its owner can make It earn, Oh
intangible property there is no need fol
a fixed Outg Persons will not sub
init to taxation hat confiscates a con
siderable portion of their income. Al
attempt to impose such a rate OF tax
alton will result In one of three things
1t will be driven into hiding. or driver
into the banks, or driven out of tn
State.
He asked how new industrie.
could be built up to make a create
Vermont if money should he taxed IA
the property rate, Vermont none!
going out of the State to develop tn
Industries of other States. lie believed
Vermont never would grow material,
under the present system OF taxation
Mr.. Soule OF Alburg said a certain
, amount must he raised by taxation
the rate on intangibles, the more yo,
must pay on tangibles.
In reply to a query of Mr.. Proeto
Of Proctor. Mr.. Fairchild Of Fairnel
explained that the purpose Of hi
~amsndmsnt was TO enlarge a featur
OF the law of 1917. 1t was not hi
purpose to extend the provisions Of tn
act to banks.