Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-30
INSTRUCTION FOR LISTERS
Three Counties of State Repre-
scented at Local Session.
State Tux Commissioner Pluinley Talks
on Vermont Assessment Laws
reference to OTscts-vote on
Tax officials Association.

Charles 4. Pluplev of Northfn,d. State
hx commissioner, met about $50 tax
listers at the city hal In this city last
Thursday afternoon for session OF in
struction and the entire afternoon
from one to six o'clock was Ia
ken up with ta'ns 10y Commits
eirncr Plu;nley and Amos J. Eaton
of South Royalton, men,Hcr OF the
State board of forestry, who spoke on
forestry taxation. The listers who met
for tho instruction m Burlington last
Thursday Represented Chttenden and
Grand isle coufrtes ard part of Lavnoille
county
Mr. P1umley's .nlk was Of a very in
formal nature and he was interrupted
many times TO answer questions put to
him by the listers. The lister, he said.
In the y!.oat important official in the whole
acheme Of general property taxation and
rs Office requires tho exercise Of i'm
partjality and good judgment. Every
effort 10 benefit the system should be
concentrated On him and his work. The
germ of Negotiable taxation finds it's
orig1l in the local assessment and every
etcp taken outside the path as marked
by the statutes leads to greater in
CAPABILITIES Tho law p-escrbes the stand
ard OF value, the plan to be followed. and
the lister is armed and equipped the
iE'c directs. While he does not make nor
IS responsible for the law, he has taken
his oath to enforce L, and If a law is
tnequi.abe or unjust the surest way to
get it corrected is t. enforce 1. I'M
partially. 1t IS the listers duty to see
that he who has been paying too much
pays less and he who has not been pay
ing enough pays his foil share.
five per cent. indebtedness does not
entitle a man to claim the benefit of an
offset. 1t is only Indebtedness on which
six per cent. or over is paid that entities
the taxpayer to an offset Mr. Plumley
went over with the listers illustrative
examples covering the matter of offsets
involving the particular problems which
the listers will be apt to encounter in
their work. These examples. copies of
which were distributed among the listers,
are based on section four of number "a
Of the acts of 1915 and will greatly
simplify the work of the listers if fol-
lowed.
Commissioner Plumley distributed n
bulletin showing the number of pedders'
licenses now issued in the state, the law
relating to them and the disposition made
trfbuted among the various towns "for
the purpose of equalizing opportunity in
the public educational system" Mr..
Plumley has drawn a bill for introduction
at the next session of the Legislature
which places the granting of licenses of
peddlers under the supervision OF the tax
department and provides that no local
license can be granted except up pres
entation to the local authorities of a
State license. Mr.. Plumley also discussed
changes made in the tax laws through
legislation.
Steps were taken toward the forma
ton Of the Tax Offlcals' association Of
Vermont. The tentative constitution Of
such an association had been distributed
and cards were given out which gave
each Of the listers present an opportunity
70 vote for against the constitution
and the four principle officers who would
serve until the annual neeting is held
The association is formed for the dis.
semination of Information concerning
and a better understanding of tax laws
and administration and enforcement OF