The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-12
WOMEN VOTERS AND TAXES

WUHCeIIiS EVERY community
in the state. Accordingly when we
were requested by Mrs. Nellie S. Ma
mum of Bristol, to answer this ques-
ton, we felt it would be public SER
vice. to have the matter passed upon
by a competent public authority, and
passed it on to State Commissioner
of Taxes, Charles A. Plumley. AS
rule legal terms must be translated
for the average reader, and we believe
Commissioner Plumley's interpreted
ton of the, law will be much more in
telligible for the public than would
the details of the law itself. In his
reply Commissioner Plumley says:
''Your letter to the Free Press has
been referred to me and have been
asked to reply thereto. am sending
you copy of the law of the State of
Vermont, passed at the present SEES
sion of the legislature, approved Mar.
II, 1919, and taking effect April l.,
1919, bl the specific terms of which
a female must file written request
with the listers before the date of ex-
piration for filing tax inventories
with the lister, (on or before April
20), in order that listers may have au-
thority to set the polls of such females
in the grand list of the town wherein
such female resides.
"You will observe that the act itself
is entitled AN act to Amend Section
2,916 of the General Laws Relating to
Qualifications of Voters in Town
Meeting, Providing that Women Vot-
ers Shall Take the Freeman's Oath
and Pay a Poll Tax and from the
language of the act you will observe
that qualification heretofore existing,
namely, the ownership of real estate
and personal property, and the pay
ment of the taxes on the same no
longer qualify woman as voter but
she must take a freeman's oath and
pay poll tax. In order to pay the
poll tax she must certify in writing
her desire so to do by filing a written
request with the listers that she be as
scssed on or before April 20.
"You will find the law to be exact
ly as | state it to the listers and you
will pardon me, if 1 call your atten7
ton to the fact that you arc in error
in insisting that the Suffrage law of
the state say, that woman if she
owns real estate or personal property
and pays taxes on the same is quail
fed to vote in town meetings. They
did say that and that was the law
prior to the passage of the act, copy
of which | enclose.
"If you wish to qualify as a voter
in the town meeting you will have
to file a written request with the lis
tiers as provided by the act, take the
freeman's oath and pay your tax prior
to the 18th day of next February.
That you may own real estate or per-
sonal property, or both, and have
paid or do pay taxes on this property
cuts absolutely no figure so far as
your qualification for voting is con-
cerned, the qualifications of voters in
town meeting being determined by the
act, copy of which | enclose.
Yours very truly,
"CHARLES A. PLUMLEY,
Commissioner. /"
The new legislation is as follows:
Sec. 1916 A male or female
citizen, q years of age who has taken
the freeman's oath and whose list, in
Guiding poll, is taken in town at the
annual assessment preceding town
meeting, and whose tax or taxes due
such town were paid prior to the 18th
day of February preceding such town
meeting, or who has attained the age
of 81 years subsequent to the last
annual assessment, or who is exempt
from taxation for any cause, shall,
while residing in such town, be vot-
er in town meeting; but
such male or female citizen,
if a resident of an Incorporated
village, within such town, shall not
vote in town meeting for town road
commissioner unless at least Is per
cent of the last highway tax of such
incorporated village has been paid to
the town treasurer to be expended
upon the highways of the town out
side of such Incorporated village"
Section GIT of the genaral laws is
amended so as to read as follows;
Except as provided in Section 683,
listers shall set the polls of all male
inhabitants of the state and such fe-
males as file written request with
the listers before the date of expira-
ton for filing tax inventories with the
listers, citizens, and aliens, over FL
and under 70 years of age, in the
grand list of the town wherein such
male and female inhabitants reside on
the first day of April in each year at
So EACH"
The women of Vermont who desire
to vote have only 16 more days in
which to file a written request with
the listers. Voters cannot vote un-
less they have paid the poll tax stated
and in this respect male and female