The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-18
STATE VALUATION,
Reply from Deering.

I am glad to know that my communication
respecting the State valuation is producing dis
cussion, and By that means information will be
obtained, and good results arise therefrom.
Although n in his communication of Saturday
thinks that it is time to discuss the subject yet
the whole inference Of his article is that no
change is needed 10 the way of preparing the
State valuation, that the past system was per-
feet.
disagree with him entirely as to the method
heretofore employed in making the State
valuation. We will take the valuation of 1870
for instance. The legislature of 1869 passed a
resolve authorising State valuation, in which
it was provided shat the first meeting of the
board of commissioners for the purpose OF
organizing should be held at the Office of the
State Treasurer on the tenth day of October
and notice of the time and place of said meet
ing shall be sent by mail by the treasurer to
each of the commissioners at least one week
before the day of meeting" They were also
required to complete their list of valuation by
the first Of January 1870 Allowing seven
days after the organization for the preliminary
measures of getting to WORK, and assuming that
they worked lab1riously all the rest of the
time till January 1st; they had but sixty four
working days, in which to compare, tabulate,
foot up, count up all the tons of shipping ali
the sheep aud stock in the State, examine the
farming lands of the higher state of cultivation,
the finer heads of cattle, &C., equalizing all the
over four hundred towns and cities in this
State, shorter time than the assessors of any
of the small towns require for their local
valuation.
The idea that the work of making a state
tax of Specific classification and count that
must be done by patient hard work, debated at
every step, and hearings as in court given at
every stage of the proceedings, all this work,
labor and strain of the mental faculties CT the
gentlemen comprising the com mission" to be
done in sixty-four days; 10 be done as it is
claimed in so perfect manner that no charge
in the method is necessary requires strong
stretch of imagination.
/ have been somewhat familiar with the
manner in which State valuations are made and
L see no reason as yet to change my views COZ
corning the same. That the assessors valaa-
tons ara the basis of the State valuations, with
but very few changes, is patent to all Ii is
not generally the case that anything is added to
them, it IS more the reverse. The effort is
generally made by towns to have their valua-
ton reduced. How is it possible to obtain any
"
10 various towns, except from the valuations
of their assessors? Under the present system
no other means are provided
1t is a well known fact that the assessors in
various localities make low Valuations for the
express purpose of reducing their State tax.
You can fnd localities in this state where the
rate of taxation varies one per cent. or more,
simply on account of unequal Valuations. The
rate of taxation in those places not being of the
least importance to them while those towns
and cities who have large indebtedness, keep
their valuation up to reOuce the percentage in
order that the rate of taxation may not appear
to be so high as to repel capital and popula-
ton. The fact that the assessors OF towns aud
cities in this state, who by law were requir
to return the full fair cash value OF the estates
and property in their towns verified uuder oath,
made returns of the valuation in 1869 and In
1870 the United States censas value Of substan-
TALLY the same property was fixed at $123 000,-
900 more, shows that the property of the
state had been very much inflated within q
short time, or true value Of it could not have
been returned for the purposes of a state tax.
/ think that the sole difference bstween the
views of and those submitted by me, is this:
Hs claims that any discussion OF this impos-
tant question saould have for basis an appre-
cation of what has been done heretofore. "1f
he means by that that no Improvements are to
be made in that system, l beg leave to differ
with him. The world moves, and if in the
important questions relating to taxation, we
are not to take advantage of the benefits which
may -acrue by the adoption of the bsst methods
it would simply show obstinacy and perverse-
ness.
I am willing to accord to those gentlemen
who in the years past have faithfully served the
state in the important positions OF Valuation
commissioners, all credit for their work, which
under the system in opsr alton was done well.
But my object in these communications has
simply been to call attention to the snbjsct
with belief that change and improvement
10 the manner of state taxation Can be had
without additional expense, and for that reason
1 believe that a commission Of thee persons
would be preferable to a larger number; and a
more equitable valuation could thus be made.
A large portion of my fotmer communication
was suggestive as TO how the income of the
state could be increased. This not being alluded
to by him, presume that his views 10 that re-
spect correspond with those advanced by me-
DEERING,