Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-04-29
Was Nv he very fat:~

Ell, my boy. if he was so xe-r So. -.
"iae IS not worth anything, "'s
ssv Son.. " .hink OF it, returned the how
after all.'' % very Id fat
Ill. II man could go over Maine and INV
nrono-..' us az me low figure which many
| tered al me, Wish their holdings to be en-
| - anu 'ien dispose of them AT their trna
'aiae. he would be many times a m;Il;o,.-
by the operation. '''iiiiohaire
me commission found upon examination
very marked difference in the valuation nf
81 y, anhe *. Hind OF property by the assessors
| -. "e ullereht towns. Sheep are valued
rom Si.'o to S.; hogs from 81 70 $40
n nolses from 50 upwards: cows from sra 70
10 Inc lnventories are taken by the asses
sos' some at full cash value, others at full
oo cue at forced sale; and some at 10. so. and
~ per cent. OF what the assessors regard "a
ne easn value In these latter cases all the
owns whose valuations was returned at los
.han cash have been carefully raised IN , Gosh
| basis '"i'su 10 d cash
Is Maine Going Down Hill:
10 hear the fusion papers talk one wouId
think that the State was bankrunt and ,ha
people paupers. What pessimists these oreen-
PACK orators are. Despite the hard times of
! tne terrible ten years that are over. desnite
.ne emigration OF her young blood TO the
"est, Name has actually increased in wealth
anu possibly In population. from ls7Oto lsSO
Zen years ago the valuation of Maine was a
little less than 1925 0OO. 900. Since tben
there has been satisfactory increase. The
counties that have prospered the most are
Aroosto"k, Androscoggin, Cumberland. SOM
erset, kennebec and Franklin The seaboard
towns ana coast counties have suffered the
must Cause-raIlroads and English bot
flI tI..r. L,,L
and capital to the collaborating regions of the
stare. The towns and cities which show a
decided increase in manufacturing and in the
number of polls, are Deering, Cape Elizabeth.
estbrook, Lisbon, Lewiston Auburn. Wat
erville, and few others. The ice business
mas increased hundred fold since 1870. and
promises to be one Of the greatest industries
OF Maine. But the most satisfactory increase
IN wealth and material prosperity comes from
the quarter from which it was least expected
from the farms. The business depression
drove many back to the soil. Farming in
Maine is getting to be more and more scien
tihc, and less an assault and battery on Nature
Improved machinery is taking the Course"
OF. Then, again, we have better markets than
the Westerners. There has been a decided
improvement in the grade of stock kept on
farms. This is especially marked in the case
of sheep
Hearings.
The Commission heard such parties during
the session Of the Legislature and since. as de-
sired to be heard, in every case advising
them that hearing after the tabulation was
completed was preferable 1t seemed to be
chronic with assessors to complain that the
property ntheir particular locality was valued
much higher than it ought to be, and much
higher than in surrounding towns. The Com
mic t,a, II
tiently. and has endeav ored to do the fair and
square thing by all the towns. 1t would
have been better if many of the assessors
had remained at home, for they only sue
ceeded in convincing the Commission that
their towns valuation was already too low,
and should be increased.
The Tnbulation and its Results.
Every important species of property has
been separated into classes. and many of
these classes have been subdividcd. In each
important class of property the average
value has been taken,-the property being
first raised to a cash basis. 1t must be kept in
mind, however, thatthe ultimate value of the
property has not yet been determined upon,
and will not be affixed until the Commission
meets again in September. The Commission
has been very thorough in its work
1t has gone to the bottom of things
of previous bodies of this kind, we
are convinced that Maine has never had more
searching and exhaustive scrutiny into her
property. When the work is finished, the ul
innate value affixed will be reduced to
mathematical certainty as the true worth OF
the property of the State. Many towns omit
ted to return certain classes ofproperty which
other towns taxed at full value, as, musical
instruments, household furniture, carriages,
etc In such cases dilligent inquiries were
made about the missing property, and thous-
ands of dollars thereby added to the valuation
There are several million dollars in
Maine ''salted down in Government bonds
These bonds, are, of course, exempt from
taxation.
The Legislature appropriated $4,000 to
defray the expenses of the Commission. Up
TO date less than half that sum has been ex-
pented The wisdom of having the
Commission consist of sixteen members
instead of seven, as first pro
nosed. is obvious at a glance. There was
certain amount of work to be done. The
amount allowed per day for the members
was so low (S3) that seven men could nor
afford to spend their time In making thor-
ough and searching investigation and exam
nation. os the resources of the State. Every
understood the value of property in tnat
county. The pay of the members stops whiie
they are adjourned: but great deal OF work
will be done in the interim, nevertheless
RAINY DAVIS and Sundays the members VIII be
noring over the tabulations, making cor
roct;on here and an addition there.
Some Figures.
w. nuhlish below statistics showing the
amount of property. real and personal IN
each county. taken from the valuation DOCKS
of the assessors of the towns: nnmoer Oh
tons of shipping. so far as possible to ascer-
tain: number of polls. etc. .,o
ASnsoscoGGIN. Total valuation, si''-
oo3. l25; polls. 1882; oxen, l.5.9; CONS oso.
500: Young cattle, gal; horses 9'oZ9;
colts. 702; sheep, l2,151; swine, 80 10 o-o.
AroosrooK.-TOtal valuation MS, ST. a "a:
nolls. 1927; oxen, l,5s'; cows, 800
rounq cattle 1885; horses, $3.50 coi's'
, :, "aI, sheep. 3, 203: swine, 5,5ls.
-'CrvprRlaxp.-Total valuation soz'ouo
800 tons of shipping, s2.ss4; value OF snip atl
ming. sI,6lo.5ls: polls, 81, $50; oven -,.oo'
cows. 1902; young cattle. s,$Ss; norSes'
Ky. colts, 1872; sheep, ll,l'o; s"'"e' D.