St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-12-06

or in part within this state. used in
part for the generation of motive
power for the operation of said rail
road, or il such person or corporation
Is the owner or possessor Of one or
more transmission lines located in
whole or in part within this state,
used in part for motive power for the
transmission of such railroad, each
power plant, and such lines, or so
much thereof as are located within
this state, is by said commissioner
appraised at their fair and just value.
In the event of such an appraisal he
determines the aggregate amount of
electrical energy produced by any and
all such plants used in the operation
of the railroad, and used for other
purposes, and apportiOns the taxes as
sessed upon the appraised valuation
of such power plants and lines be-
tween the towns in the state wherein
the plants and lines are located.
He formulates and furnishes blanks
for the use of national banks, saw
ings banks and trust companies, rail
roads, telephone, telegraph, trans
portation, and insurance companies,
for their use in connection with the
franchise, annual license tax, premium
or gross earnings, tax returns which
they are required by law to make, and
collects the taxes based On such re-
turns, which includes all Vermont
corporations and foreign corporations
doing business in this state; formu-
lates and furnishes necessary blanks.
and has supervision of issuing state
licenses for circus exhibitions
With the state treasurer and bank
fccf - &c hi Al1fN "
TO appraise at its fair and just value
the stock in all banks and banking
Institutions doing business in thei
State of Vermont, and such appraisal
having been made and established, it
is the duty of the commissioner of
taxes to certify the same to the listers
and town clerks throughout the state.
In conjunction with the secretary of
state, he is a commissioner of foreign
corporations, having in charge the
matter of issuing certificates to for
eign corporations licensing them to
do business in the state; has general
supervision of the registration of
partnerships and persons doing bust
ness under a name other than their
own.
In conjunction with the state treas
urer, it is the duty of the commits
sioner of taxes, annually, on or before
the 18th day of April, to file with the
secretary of state a certificate con-
tanning the name of every corpora
ton that has filed its annual license
tax returns and paid its annual license
tax; also the name of every corpora
ton for which q special charter has
been granted, or for which articles
of association have been filed under
xxrbio Il
incidentally it becomes the duty of
the commissioner of taxes to notify
corporations of the revocation of their
charters for failure to file the annual
license tax returns, and to pay the
annual license tax for the fiscal year |
Now, Mr.. Reader. how many duties
enumerated above do you find that
competent clerk, at salary of from
$1,000 to $1,000 a year, under the
supervision of the state treasurer,
could not perform? What duties are
there aside from those the clerk could |
do that the state treasurer could not |
perform as well as a special officer? |
We do not discover any.
Let us look at the cost of the office
in its present form. Section 6152 of
the Public Statutes of Vermont fixed |
the salary of the commissioner at
$4,000 a year and clerical assistance
not to exceed 5000 per year. For the
five years 1907 to 1911 inclusive, when
this salary was in force, the cost of |
the office was $27, 1863, or an aver
age of $5,557.2S per year. At the
session of 1910 the salary of the
commissioner was made $4,000 per
year and he was furnished offices.
furniture, appliances, apparatus. tele-
phone and supplies and could employ |
"at the expense of the state such L
necessary assistance, subject to the
approval of the governor, as the du-
ties Of his office shall require" I'm
der this salary the expense of the
office for the five years from 1912 to
1916 inclusive, has been $56,87O.42, or
an average of $11,S74.OS per year.
We do not know but Mr.. Plumley is
a satisfactory manner, but we feel
that the office has become a very ex-
pensive one; and that the assessment
and collection of state taxes can be
done just as we'll at much less ex
pense. For this reason we advocate
the adjustment of the office, regard
less of who holds if, and putting the
business of the office into the hands
of tho state traa II