The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-02-03
The Mill Tax.

to the notice of our Legislature at the last
session by Mr.. Superintendent johnson re-
ceiyed at that time and has since received so
little consideration that to many of our read
ers its measures and operation are entirely I'M
known.
Prior to the year 1872 the Legislature, in
compliance with the duties devolved upon it
by Art. VIII of the Constitution of the
State, required the several towns to make
certain provisions at their own expense for
the support and maintenance of public
schools" This was done by requiring each
town to raise sum proportional to the num-
Der of inhabitants, and expend the same for
school purposes. This method would seem 10
be not only in compliance with the Constltu-
ton, but right in itself, and in full accord
with principles of government well established
and approved by us all. Ifthere is any general
principle with which we are satished II is that
of local self-government Under that princi-
ple il has been the well established rule that
money raised by taxation should be spent by
those who raise it or by their accountable
agents. If the State raises mol ey for, State
purposes it is spent by the agents of the State
who are responsible to us all. If money is
raised by the county it is spent by those re-
sponsible to the county, and if raised by the
town it is expended by officers responsible to
the town; and this is wise. Any other meth
cd, any system which leads to the expendi-
ture OF money by persons not directly respon-
slble to those who pay it, must lead to waste
and carelessness. This is not matter of mere
speculation but can be tested by facts. For
merly all criminal expenses incurred by each
county were paid by tie State. The State
raised the money and the county officers
spent it. The result was large bills and much
money wasted. In 1858 the county was re-
CURED to pay its own bills in all criminal
matters. The result has been so satisfactory
that no one doubts the saving of one-third.
This, sometimes in particular cases, seems
inequitable to the small counties, but so sat
isfied have the people felt with the system as
whole, that no effort to break down the
rule, even in special cases, has been success
full, though often made.
Last year beginning was made which, if
followed up, will change our whole local sys-
tenn as far as support Of schools is concern
ed. A tax of one mill was laid upon the
whole property of the State and the proceeds
were distributed among the towns to be spent
by them at their discretion. The amount to
be raised by each town was lowered from one
dollar per capita to eighty cents. This year
it has been proposed to levy on the State
tax of five mills and lower the eighty cents to
mere nominal sum. This proposition, while
it is not likely to pass, now affords us good
opportunity to see whittier the whole matter
is tending. There is no proposition, it will
be noticed, to compel the raising of this tax
by the State, with its expenditure by the
State. No one would dare to suggest that
our time-honored way of experimenting
schools by local committee, chosen by the
towns should be abolished and he committee
and district agents appointed by the State.
And yet if, as the friends of this measure
claim, the State ought to pay for the educa-
ton of its children. it follows that the State
ought to see that what pays is properly
expended. Otherwise there will be waste
and the small sums which some towns
gam VIII NC ioSI ny Vic flClOuSilcSS Vi tuc SyS-
tenn. Every man knows, however, that our
towns will not endure to have the control of
their schools wrested from them. Even the
little encroachment involved in lessening
the power of district agents was resisted with
such hearty unanimity that the Superinten-
dent yielded without even skirmish. If,
then, the towns adhere so pertinaciousy and
IS we believe with so much good sense to the
control of their common schools, they should
be willing to pay for then. -Am they will
III they choose to examine the matter, that
the one dollar which they raise themselves
will bring better results than twice that sum
paid by somebody else.
One of the arguments urged by the friends
of the measure is this, that the property of
all ought to educate the children of all. The
answer is tina, it does So already. If it is
meant to equalize the amount to be paid al,
over the State, we say that that will be gross
injustice unless all other expenses are equal
lied. The purposes Of education are good
and its claims on property are good, and to
be recognized. But there are other things in
the world, the claims of which on property
are equally good. The preservation of life
from violence, of property from fire and rob-
berry, the support of the poor, the mainten-
ance of drainage for the preservation Of
health. and many other things are eqnally for
the advantage of society as whole. While
then the property of cities may not be taxed
as fully for education alone as that of others.
yet for all these equally good purposes to-
gether, it is more heavily taxed than the prop
erty of the smaller towns. Here in Portland,
for example, we raise for schools the large
sum of SCI, 900, or at the rate of $2.15 for
every man, woman and child. In addition to
this, pay for police, fire department, lighting
streets, &C., nearly $4,000. This sum we
must pay. In the expenses of the small
towns there are no such items at all. Our
pauper expenses are 1926, 900 per year and no
department is managed with so great econo-
my, yet this is at the rate of 80 cents for each
inhabitant While, therefore, in cities there
may be more property pro rata, there are also
more claims on it, good, substantial and
proper claims. The inference from all this
clearly is, that if the Legislature desires to
equalize one good claim on property, 1t should
take into account all the rest. And if the
taxes in Portland, Bangor, Augusta, Bath
and other cities are as large or larger than in
the interior towns, there can be no justice in
imposing more taxes upon them for the ben
eft of towns which already pay less taxes
than they do If town lines are to be disre-
garded in school matters why not in other
thngss Why have towns at all? In point
OF TACT one Of the ablest advocates of this
measure has declared that the STATE is the
ui'i' ana not the town. And here, as it
seems 70 u.s. is one of the great dangers of
tne scheme. 1t will be the beginning of the
end OF local self government in school mat
ters' as well as of local taxation. And it
will be well for our friends in the sma,,er
towns to consider what this n,o+tor
must lead to if they yield to the tern.". $50
from hope of temporary seeming advan."oa
The result may be that they will find tbs,
selves in time more thoroughly sunervisod,,
than they want to be- For if by anv mis-