The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-17
News bv Latest Mails.


Joseph Pidgeon was crushed to death Wed.
nesday night while Stacking cars at Lowell
depot in Boston. !
The inhabitants of Holmes H ole in public
meeting unanimously voted in favor of chang
ing the name of that place to Vineyard Haven.
Willis and Warner who were serving sem
teuce for burglary escaped from the State Pris-
on at Wethersfield Conn, Thursday They
jumped into the doctors sleigh at the door and
drove away'but were overhauled by the warden
and clerk of the prison about mile away and
returned to their quarters.
In New York Thursday there were sixteen
bids for government gold amounting to 81
A5, 600 varying from 111.55 to Ill So. The
award was one million at 111.15 to III 81.
The Jury failed to agree in the Bowen biga-
my case after being out all night and were
discharged. They stood eleven for conviction
and one for acquitted.
Admiral Lee telegraphs from Key West that
he believes the Tennessee to be all right. All
the officers in the Brooklyn navy yard have no
fears for her safety.
Steamship Riga cleared at New York We'd
nesday for Bordeaux with munitions of war
valued at $40 600.
A proposition to annex Newcastle, N. H., to
Portsmouth is opposed by the heavy tax-pay-
ers of the latter town.
The Frenehman of San Francisco raised
$l20OO Wednesday night for the French relief
fund, making 1892, 600 since the war begun.
The despatch boat Tallapoosa sailed Tuesday
for Hampton Roads where she will await the
arrival of the San Domingo Commissioners
and convey them to Washington with des-
patch so that they can report before Congress
adjourns
Polk, the diver at the scene of the New Ham
burg disaster has brought up the engineers
cushion. He thinks he saw part of body i'm
bedded in the pile of rubbish. The cushion
was buried four feet deep in the mud and he
sunk in thelmud to his waist.
A block of business houses at Helena, Ark
was destroyed by fire Wednesday. Loss $685.
600; insurance $4,000
The Republicans of the fourth Connecticut
district have nominated George Coffin Of Sails
bury for Congress. v.LIa To
| The French relief fund in New York now
amounts to nearly $4,000. ,-le
Mr.. DAVID A. WELLS REPORT ON STATE
| TAxATIoN-Mr Wells show in his report or
| State taxation in many ways and by numer
Gus cases First, That State or municipal tax
alton is now, in all of the States, unsystematic
needlessly interfering with industry, uncertain
of collection, in many cases oppressive, and
often, certainly in New York State, SO burden
some as to drive away capital and make many
industrial enterprises impossible. Second
That among the chief causes for these vices Ii
| the attempt made to subject personal property
| of every kind to taxation. Third, The attemp
to tax personal property has everywhere failed
because OF the evasions Of capital, and that i
has therefore been the form Of taxation mos
injurious to industry where it was actually
| levied but partial, and thus unjust in its bear
| ing because it could not be collected fairly anG
| generally. Fourth, He exhibits different anG
contrary decisions of courts in different States
| concerning the place where personal estate
| may be rightly taxed, showing an astonishing
degree of confusion. Fifth, He shows The
practice OF other countries in not attempting
| to tax personal estate and exhibits the impor
tant results of such exemption in favor of the
industries of such countries against our own
Mr.. Wells suggests two outline codes to carry
out the provisions recommended for securing
personal property. The first of these provide.
that the capital stock and property of any cor.
poration of this State organized as trust com
Dany, ferry, plank road or turnpike company
savings bank, fire or marine insurance compan,
and bank or company to receive deposits o.
| make loans and shares in such banks and al
foreign insurance companies doing business il
| the State shall be taxed as at present, and tina
private bankers shall be taxed on their capita
| employed and on no less a sum than one fourtl
of their average depos IS, but that no othe
personal property shall be taxed. All land
shall be assessed at one half OF their value ant
all buildings at their full value. The seconl
outline OF q code provides that the companies
named in the previous code shall be taxed Al
heretofore, except that such companies may
deduct from the total of their capital and re-
serve the assessed value of their real estate
Occupeis of real estate are to be assessed The
sum equal to three times the annual renta
value or the premises. This sum is to be added
to their personal assessment and the tax upor
it to be collected in the same manper as otbe
personal taxes, but no other personal property
shall he taxed - =