The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-02-01
NONRESIDENT TAXES.


No argument for its continuance can bs
drawn from analogy. Il is both unnat,iru
and onerous. The State Treasurer pub
fishes notice OF sale Of the lands for tax
g In unincorporate,l places. in the loca
paper IN the county in which the lands an
located. Why not, in such cases, say the
publication in the State paper is sufficient
II is well, perhaps, to publish in both, bu
IT either is To be dispensed with, then i
would be the most natural, and IL would
certainly answer the end aimed NJ, to pub
lish in some newspaper in the county where
the lands are located. Parties owning
property in any town within the limits of I
county look for information in regard Il
their property to persons in that county Of
town. Their property may be assessed by
the County Commissioners, or the Asses
sors oftowns or plantations. and they wan
to know what amount Of tax is assessed OF
their property, by the operation Of these OF
fcials. and they write to such persons fo
the information desired. lfthcy have beer
citizens Of the county or town where thei
properly Is situated, and they have removed
TO distant part Of the State, or out Of il
they almost always take the local paper
and if the lists Of nonresident taxes ar,
Published in said paper, why, they obtnir
Just the information they want. They know
nothing about Estate paper" They can
not see, and in this they arc not to blame
why they should look to a newspaper pub
lished in Augusta or Portland, for informa
ton in regard to the taxes on their propert,
in Calais, or Eastport, or MnchiaS Il 1
competent for the Legislature to make an!
journal il plcases, the State paper; and !
may some day, possibly, make n paper no
published at the Capital, the State paper
But there Is common sense view to take
Of this question rs OF all others, and We
need not cite the law nor its usages to find
out that view. State the case Ia any intel.
lieent, unbiased person, as il presents L.
SELF and he will, in nine cases out Of ten,
say that the Treasurers Of towns should
publish the lists Of non resident taxes in
the county paper. But we can imagine an
objection, Just here, although we have new,
er heard any one make an argument in IA.
yor Of retaining the present law and there
fore cannot anticipate what may or will be
urged in its favor. That objection will he
that in most counties there are more papers
than one published; and how is person
at a distance 20 know which one Of these
journals will publish the list Of taxes? and
if left to the option Of the Treasures oil
towns. will not these officials publish where
they please, and will not this discretion les.
sen The chances Of giving the persons most
interested the information they need, and
thereby defeat the object Of publication
Perhaps 80.
but Why not give to the County Com
missioncrs authority tn designate what pa
per, published in a county, shall he the
county paper, for the time being? Their
are certain matters to he published in .
county, by the provisions Of the law, now
such as County Commissioners accounts
County Treas,ircr's Annual Statement, As
sessmcnt Of Taxes for repairs Of Highways
in unincorporated places, Petitions for lay.
ing out new roads, &C., &C., aud the publ
cation Of these is lcit at the discretion o
the County Commissioners, in part, or with
the Clerk oi the Courts, or County Treas
urer. This matter should be made fixed
for the time being, 81 that those interested
should know where To find out all about
their property. IL any good reason exist,
why there should be n State paper, the sam,
reasons will apply for having County pa
per; and if we are to have County paper
then let town authorities I've required &c
publish their lists Of nonresident taxes in
such. There is just as much reason for re
quiring the publication Of all of the officia
operations OF County Commissioners, in the
State paper, as there is TO require Town
Trcasiircrs TO publish non resident lists oil
taxes in that paper. We are not making
these remarks with reference to the fact
whether il will put few dollars into the
pockets Of the publishers Of local newspa-
pers, hut we are stating our impressions OF
the law rs il relates to the persons most in
tercsted, the owners Of property who live
away from their property. Every year
more or less Of the Town Treasures, either
write to us, or come themselves, asking il
they cannot publish in the County paper
their non- resident tar lists, and why the law
is not changed. We cannot answer the lot
ter branch Of inquiry. l.r.
The above we clip from the Ellsworth
.amaiean. We will add that there is not a
town treasurer in the State but has felt the
utter wor,hlcssness OF the publication in
the State paper. CHANGING ut the Portland
Press Of Monday, We noticed, as any one
can see in almost every paper, non resident
taxes published. or course the towns or,
obliged to pay twice for those taxes, abou,
ten dollars for each one, being q sinecur,
publication in the State paper. Mayor
Frye Of Lewiston, now a member of tn,
Judiciary committee, told us that the city
Lewiston advertised their taxes twice, one
publication in the local paper, which they
could well aforl to pay for, but the othe,
publication was money thrown away. Oul
city authorities thanked us for our articl,
published in November urging the amend
ing Of the present law, and stated the bur
den they had long felt in being obliged to
throw away the money Of the city to com.
ply with the present law. And, Us befort
remarked, we believe such is tho expert
encc OF every town outside OF Kennebes
county. We estimate that the cost to th,
taxpayers Of the State for publishing MOI
resident taxes is in the ncighborhood o.
$4,000, every cent Of which, except ,h,
amount payed by the Kennebec towns
Is MONEY THROWN AWAY, save :,
mn, finds into the noe kr,s of ,lcncn,lcncic,