The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-23
POLL TAX BILL
GIVEN HEARING
Four Measures Were TAX
en- Up at Legislative Hear
ing at Montpelier
SOME OPPOSITION
TO TAXING WOMEN
Problem of Catching the
Floaters One of the
Things Considered :.

The second hearing on the poll tax
bills, II. p, 20, l22 and 339, which
was held before the joint committee
on taxation at the State House last
evening, was the occasion of eonsid-
cradle interest and several participated
in, the discussion. The hearing was
presided over by Senator w W. Blod-
gett of Orleans county, chairman OF
the Senate committee. Among the
speakers was State Commissioner OF
Taxes Melvin G. Morse, who spoke at
the request of Chairman Blodgett, pre-
facing his remarks by the statement
that he came to listen and not to
speak.
A. A. Mccullough of Fayston, who
introduced H. 22,-t the present poll tax
law, which as amended would remove
the word male, said that although
some people thought it was unfair to
apply the tax measure TO both sexes,
he thought it was the natural outcome
of the ratification of equal suffrage.
He did not wish TO work any hardship
on the women of Vermont but this
was .pot Jump in the dark.
L. L. Bradley OF Swanton said he
could appropriate for lns bill tH29l
all that Mr.. Mccullough had said and
he had demonstrated that he thought
a little more of the ladies because he
had split the tax in two, making 1t
81 on the grand list. Excepting for
few of the larger, or factory, towns,
he thought there was little benefit in
early collection, the main issue put for
ward by those advocating the flat rate
measures. In other towns there was
little trouble caused by migration from
one town to another.
Il. J.. Stowell Of Windham, adyo-
eating H. l22, said he didn't care how
good a sale one had if he hadn't also
good collector Mr.. Stowell said his
bill formulated a plan for early col
lection. From $4,000 to $4,000 was
lost in poll taxes each year.
n. D. Hayden of Georgia, who in
troduced H. 1913 by request, said that
great deal of care had been taken in
drafting the bill and an attempt had
been made to have law fair to all
The bill left it to each town TO say
what its assessment should be. The
part providing for making up the cit.
izenship of the town appealed to him
the most.
Interrogsted by Mr.. Stowell as to
how he thought the law would work
out in the 90 odd fire and school dis
tricts in the state, Mr. Hayden thought
they should have the right to set the
tax in those districts.
Gould you do il under the bill?"
said Mr.. Stowell Those meetings are
held later than the town meetings. a
portion of the town would be paying
one rate and portion another.
Thirty per cent would go to your
schools, anyway" replied Mr.. Hayden,
who had no reply to the query as to
how he would like to live in a dis
trict where his neighbor got off with
SO while he was paying five.
George l. Knapp of Woodford, rep
resentatiye in the present legislature,
favored the fat rate. He came from a
small town with considerable floating
population and a few years ago an
unsuccessful attempt was made to get
the taxes from that element. He didn't
think early collection was any advan-
tage to the small town. Replying to
a query from the chairman. Mr.. Knapp
said the rate in his town was s. ON
the grand list.
Mr. Bradley stated that there were