VERMONT. 



863 



A bi-monthly steam service was established 

 between La Guayra and New York in Novem- 

 ber, 1879, the route having been shortly after- 

 ward modified via, the Island of Curacoa, with 

 which Venezuela carries on a considerable 

 trade. 



The only railway line so far in operation in 

 the republic is that from Tucacas to the mines 

 of Aroa, about seventy miles. Among the 

 additional lines projected are those from La 

 Guayra to Caracas, from Puerto Cabello to 

 Valencia, and from the head of Lake Mara- 

 caibo to a point in the neighboring republic of 

 Colombia. " Should these lines be completed," 

 says United States Consul Barnes,* from whose 

 dispatches to the Department of State the fore- 

 going statistics have mainly been drawn, " it is 

 likely that the foreign commerce of Venezuela 

 would be considerably increased, and her rela- 

 tions with the world bettered." 



VERMONT. Among the laws of general 

 interest passed by the Legislature of Vermont 

 at the session of 1881, the most important is 

 considered to be the " Act to equalize taxa- 

 tion." The results of its provisions are con- 

 fidently expected to greatly increase the reve- 

 nue. The valuation of real estate heretofore 

 has been exceedingly unequal, and varied from 

 one quarter to three quarters of its value ; 

 also above threo fourths of what is termed 

 personal property are said to have escaped 

 taxation entirely. The new law requires as- 

 sessors to appraise real estate at its cash value, 

 namely, not at what it could be sold for at 

 auction, or at a forced sale, but at what it 

 might easily be sold for at a private sale. This 

 must be fixed by the judgment of the assess- 

 ors, and may for that reason differ in different 

 localities. This, with the owner's statement 

 under oath, will constitute the basis of valua- 

 tion. The rate of State taxation is fixed by 

 the act at seventeen cents on the hundred dol- 

 lars, or at $1.70 on every thousand dollars. 



The grand list of Vermont for 1881, made 

 up of complete returns received from all the 

 towns in the State by August 1st, in accord- 

 ance with the provisions of the new law, and 

 filed in the Secretary's office, was as follows : 



7 :/.H polls, at $2, Is $14,729,600 



i:.-:i! estate appraised at 102,437.102 



Personal property 4,896,96T 



Total polls and property valuation. . . $161,063,669 



In 1880 the total valuation of polls was 

 $14,491,200; of real estate, $71,017,981; of 

 personal property, $15,376,533 ; total, $100,- 

 350,009. 



The increased polls and property valuation 

 in the State is as follows : On polls, $701,600 ; 

 on real estate, $31,419,121 ; on personal prop- 

 erty, $31,521,434; total gain, $63,702,155. 

 This is an appreciation in the appraised per- 

 sonal property of the State under the new law 

 of nearly 300 per cent, and of the real estate 

 of about 45 per cent. 



* Formerly commercial aj?ent at La Goayra, and afterward 

 appointed consul to Curacoa. 



The State finances for the year ending July 

 81, 1881, were as follows: Receipts, including 

 cash in the Treasury and in bank on August 1, 

 1880, $519,360.95; expenditures, $414,548.89 ; 

 leaving in the Treasury, on August 1, 1881, a 

 cash balance of $104,712.06. 



The assets of the State then were : 



Cash on hand and on deposit $104,712 06 



Deduct due towns uud bonds overdue.. 12,610 00 



Leaving cash available $92,102 96 



Add State tax on list of Issl 270,000 00 



Total available assets $302,102 06 



The liabilities of the State consist of $155,- 

 500, represented by State bonds of Agricult- 

 ural College fund to the amount of $135,500, 

 and $20,000 in outstanding checks for United 

 States surplus fund due towns. The court 

 orders drawn have been reduced from $83,- 

 826.85 to $43,714.88 in 1881. Fines and costs 

 paid into the Treasury have increased from 

 $14,089.53 in 1877, to $33,067.58 in 1881. 

 The net court expenses have been reduced 

 from $113,237.12 in 1877, to $47,586.16 in 

 1881. 



The material interests of Vermont, espe- 

 cially the agricultural, industrial, and manufact- 

 uring, are reported to have been " exception- 

 ally prosperous" in 1881. The industrial and 

 manufacturing establishments in the State have 

 been run to their fullest capacity during the 

 year, and have done a much larger business in 

 their various kinds than ever before. Respect- 

 ing the products of the soil and the industries 

 connected with it, several among them are stat- 

 ed in detail as follows : " The winter months 

 (January to March) were favorable for lum- 

 bering, and a largo quantity of spruce, hem- 

 lock, maple, and pine was cut in the forests. 

 The maple-sugar production was the largest 

 for several years, and is estimated to have ap- 

 proximated 12,000,000 pounds, and to have 

 brought an average price of nine cents per 

 pound, or over $1,000,000. The hay-crop was 

 about an average one, taking the State as a 

 whole, and fair prices were realized. The 

 crop doubtless exceeded 1,000,000 tons, valued 

 at $10,000,000. The pasturage was excellent 

 up to December, and even in that month many 

 farmers turned their cattle out to grazing. 

 The cereal crop was the largest harvested for 

 many years, and is said to have exceeded 

 8,000,000 bushels, approximating $5,000,000 

 in value. The potato-crop was good, and 

 prices ranged high. The yield of this vege- 

 table was about 4,500,000 bushels, and at an 

 average price of sixty cents a bushel would 

 bring $2,760,000. The production of butter 

 was large, and commanded good prices. The 

 yield of apples in the Champlain Valley was 

 unusually large, but in other sections tlu-ro 

 was not a full crop. Tho wool clipped in Ver- 

 mont was about an average amount 2,500,000 

 pounds. Miscellaneous articles of farm prod- 

 uce have done well, and brought remunerative 

 prices. 



