Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-01-11


state; Second, fairness to the corpora
tons VINO are making these Investments.
The state is Obliged from time to time
to levy direct taxes upon the various
for the support of schools.
up-kcep OF highways, and the general
expenses of administration. Under the
present system of taxation these prop
critics are subject to as many Varied APP
praisas rs there are towns and NUM-
cipal subdivisions in which these prop
critics are located The respective boards
of listers exercise their best Judgment
in arriving at valuations of these prop
critics. but, without most expert inowl-
CG.c as to their real values there iy
bound to be "A divergence of opinion, with
the result that all state taxes assessed
are not uniformly collected Then, TOO.
the corporations find themselves SUBJ
icct t. the multifarotis me hods of vary
ing assessments and the propositions
OF being Obliged TO pay their taxes to
several different municipalities at as
many different dates
Ii my Judgment. the state. through its
method Of collecting the tax duo from
railroads. telephone companies and other
public service corporations. has solved
The problem Of taxation of these hydro
electric plants, and other water power
dcvclopmcnts These properties should
be assessed and taxed in practically the
same manner as railroads. telephone
companies. and other public service cor
rorate property is now assessed and
taxed. The state through its nachin-
cry already developed can readily ar
rive at n uniform valuation OF these
properties. Tho result will be that the
corporation will have received fair treat
nent. and the State will have received
,hc benefit of the tax to which it is en-
titled
1t may be urged that a few towns will
lose the benefit of the tax which they
are now receiving. that it must not bc
forgotten that the collection Of tax
on the part OF the state from these prop
cries will serve TO lessen by so much
the tax to be collected from the towns
for the various purposes for which the
state evies taxes. Besides, the fact that
the power developed by many of these
plants is transmitted over long transmits
sion lines to distant towns. some within
and some without the State would seem to
place this kind Of property in the same
class with railroads and telephone lines
to nc taxed directly by tho state. and
not by the town in which it is located
Under this plan, all the towns in the
state will receive equal benefit.
certain control of all these corporations
through the public service commission,
and the adoption of this plan OF taxa
ton will be entirely consistent with our
toward. all other public service
corporations, and would, in my Judgment,
lie a most satisfactory arrangement. and
neipful both 10 the corporations and to
the state.
The result may he easily arrived at,
without Il large amount of new legisla
ton Ey invoking the use of machinery
now in force in connection with the taxa
ton Of other corporations.
! earnestly recommend ina YOU give
this important subject the attention it
deserves and that you take 81, ton
as may seem best to you N order % give
the state proier control of these derel-
opments, and the CORPORATE ,us Il fair
plan of taxation.
TOWN ROADS.
! Our State aid law has automatically
divided oar roads into two classes-State
roads ana town roads. So much atten-
ton has been given during the past ten
years to improving our State roads that
scant attention has been given to the
needs of our town roads In fact the
problem has been so large that the State
has adopted the safer policy of develop
ing the plan only as fast as public sent-
ment seemed to demand. The improve
ments on our State roads have served
by way of contrast to create a demand
for better town roads. I believe the time
has come when this situation should b"
met promptly and intclligently. Let ms
direct your attention to few facts well
known to you all, no doubt. That bear
directly upon the question.
total mil Of roads IN the State
TO be maintained to-day is practically
the same as it vas ten years ago. Their
use has greatly increased during that
period; the public is demanding better
kept roads than ever before, and the
shorter hours of labor. and the increased
rate Of WAGES now prevailing has greatly
/ increased the cost OF maintenance. Ap-
prcciating these facts, some towns
| Voluntarily raise more than the - per
cent tax required by law, but ina
ioritv are satisfied to raise the minimum
legal rate. This course, together with
the wasteful expenditure sometimes
made of the funds, has resulted In a
slow but constant depreciation of tn
roads that have been subjected TO this
treatment The grand lists Of some towns
have increased while those of others have
decreased but majority have remained
practically stationary. The solution OF
/ the problem would seem to be increased
funds, and some sort of supervision OF
their expenditure. Therefore, | would
recommend. that tho law requiring towns
, to- raise and cXpcnd not less than one
! 18th Of the grand list as a town road
lax, hc amended SO as TO materially in
crease this tax to adequately meet present
conditions.
Furthermore. on account OF The growing
importance, and the increased use OF tht
town roads for automobiles, | RECON-
rlend that "A portion of the Maintenance
i Fund" be SGT apart and he available t
towns under proper restriction, for and
ing them in maintaining and improfin-
their town roads. IT, say, $500" were
appropriated from the maintenance
Fund" Cor this purpose, it would be am
/ other step in advance in our state roat
policy, making available for the toWr
roads under state roads in l"ld, thu:
extending the principal of state aid ant
state supervision to practically all the
roads in the state.
am convinced that these changes, II
made would go lorG way towards de
Welcoming a better spirit of cooperation
among all our taxpayers, and give Il.
steady, yearly improvement CT our en-
tire highway system to the advantage
alike of taxpayers and the tourist, max
ing farms and country homes accessible
hv scrViccabe highways, adding ma
teriallv TO their value, and producing
system Of earth and gravel roads thai
will he OF vast economic benefit to ou'
state and withall without mourning any
tudelt luCSS.