Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-22
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
The nd~rrYniuntion of Property nnh
Other Problems OF Vermont Towns.

CTrom the FnushurS StandardD
\ sjdc-light is thrown upon the mat
ter of real estate appraisal in Vernon
towns by the experience Of the town q
Fair Haven. where the generosity of a
coterio of citiz rs and the pubic spirit
Of the voters Of the town have made
possible the erection Of a &,6n schoo'
building.
When it came to the selection Of a
site the same condition arose that has
been experienced under similar circum-
stances in other Vermont communities.
The situation is set forth in a letter
given prominence in the editorial column
Of the last issue Of the Fair Haven Era
and reading as follows;
I'VE imagine YOU have noticed, as
some of the rest of us have, the sar-
donic grin on the faces Of the listers
of Far Haven. at the figures the prop
erty owners of this town are placing
upon the sites they are nov Offering t"
the town for the uses of the graded
school district. Memory goes back onll
n year ago to the holler that could Al
most he heard the Length and breadth
of the State over the listers valuation of
property But 1t is not one. two. three
compared to the owners valuation of the
sa me property
1t is to be presumed that the Off
cials who do the assessing of real es-
tate are taking note Of the valuations
! being placed upon certain pieces Of
| property by their owners in their efforts
TO block the school trustees and KEEP
Fair Haven from building a school house
on the site it should occupy. We ma
not get the site most desirable for the
school but we may hav. the satisfaction
Of seeing some property owners assessed
their own valuation of their holdings"
The cupiditv displayed by certain
owners u available lots. may, as tho
writer of the foregoing indicates. pre-
Vent the town from getting the site
most desirable for the contemplated
school building. but unfortunately there
is no reasonable ground to expect the
fulhllment of the expressed nope that
some property owners may he assessed
their oVn valuation Of their holdings.
If they are it will be contrary TO the
unhroEcn experience OF every Other COM
muuitv and in violation Of the universal
practice. custom and unWritten law which
prevails throughout the State.
The Bennington Banner recently called
attention to this condition in the follow
ing editorial comment
THE grand list of the town of Benning-
ton this year shows a decrease of some
three hundred dollars in srite Of the
fact tina the quadronnial appraisal was
made last Year. in spite of the fact that
the poll list indicates an increase of popu-
lation of over 400, in spite of the fact
that property values here are increasing.
and IN spite of the fact that most of the
people are prosperous. Bennington is a
larger. richer and more prosperous
town than Rrattlehoro or St. Johnsbury
but the grand list OF each OF these towns
is about half as large again as that OF
Bennlngton because their property is list
ed higher and their tax rate made lower
The sentiment here has been to keep the
grand list down even though 1t makes the
rate extremely high, and the listers are
plainly oheyiNE the will of the public In
listing property here at about 20 cents OF
1.-the dollar. 1t has always seemed to ths
Banner that IT would he wiser to make
the appraisal higher, say up to two-third'
Of value, and the tax rate lower, but the
listers cannot do 1t unless the people
demand 1t and bach them M. 1t is q
matter thai should be talked over"
To read of the listing OF property a
one-half or tWo-thirds of its value, II
the face of the law which requires tn
appraisal of taxable property Mt it's 'luS'
value in money seems strange to thos'
unfamiliar with the under-valuatlol
practice prevailing in Vermont, which II
wholly contrary to the statutes hu
which is nevertheless universally accept
ed as n part and parcel of our taxation
system.
And under a system Of valuation by
focal appraisers this custom of under
valuation may be expected to obtain in
definitely,
= Other States have found a solution o
= this question and obtained highly salts
factory results by vesting the appraisa
of property for the purpose OF taxation
in a State commission, a matter "fucl
may well have the serious considerable
of Vermont.
NO DANGER OF HOTEL
Qrom the Ludlow Tribune)
rrbo T1ipra~ uso,rtau a Nit over the flea