Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-04-29
The VALUATION COMMISSION
What 1t Accomplished. = Some In
teresting Facts and Figures
About Maine.

Every ten years II becomes necessary in
order TO comply with the constitution and
laws, to re-assess the valuation of the State
of Maine, in order to fix fair basis of taxa
,;on for the next decade. This is a task Of
rising five hundred cities, towns and planta-
,;ons. besides thousands and thousands of
acres of wild lands much of VI ich is cover
ed with dense grewths of white pine, and very
valuable to the State. Property and popula-
ton are continually changing. Thrifty, en-.
,erprising towns are growing rich, while
their less go-ahead neighbors are standing
still or growing poor. In the carly part of
the session, an act was passed by the Legisla-
,ure authorizing Commission Of sixteen
oue from each county-to proceed with the
task of taking the valuation Of the State. The
ALLOWING gentlemen, well known and experi-
enced business men, were placed on that
Commissi ion:
treasurer of Bates College.
AroostoOk-Eben Woodbury., Houlton.
merchant and farmer: an enterprising and
.uccessful business man.
Cumberland-Hiram Knowlton, Portland.
lawyer.
Franklin-Joseph w. Fairbanks, Farming
ton merchant, and one of the trustees of the
Savings Bank in Pennington.
Hancock Sylvanus Il. Kinks, Bucksport,
for many years chairman of the assessors of
that town, and identified with the shipping in
,erests of his county. Mr.. Kinks is the
able chairman of the COMMISSIONS fortunate
selection.
Kennebec--Joseph A. Homan, Augusta.
known ali over Maine from his connection
with the Farmer; a sagacious, ar-seeing
business man, who built up fortune in the
unpromising field of journalism.
Knox-Samel Bryant, Rockland, mer-
chant.
Lincon-Geo. b. Sawyer, Wiscasset, Sec
retarv of the Commission; for sixteen years
clerk of courts, and for seven years secretary
of the State Pathological Society.
Oxford-Enoch G. Harrington, Fryeburg,
merchant and farmer.
Penobscot-Elisha w. Shaw, Newport. en-
gagged in boot and shoe manufacturing. buy
ing and selling, &c.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS w. Gilman. Fox
croft, the youngest man on the Commission;
farmer and school teacher.
Sagadahoc-Georgc A. Preble, Bath, in
spectOr of vessels, &c.
Somerset-James B. Dascomb, a promi-
nent business man of Skowhegan, formerly
Judge of probate for Somerset county.
Waldo-Nathan F. Houston, Belfast, tan
Washngton-James Pope, Whitneyvlle,
numbering.
York-John Hall, North Berwick, farmer
and lumberman
Getting Under Way.
The Commission was organized on the 10th
Of February. Fifteen clerks were employed.
who commenced about February 22d, tabu
lating the property of the State, as returned
BY the assessors of the towns. While the
Legislature was in session hearings were Civ
en- to.nany parties. The town officers, with
wonderful unanmity all over the State.
seemed to think that it was for their interest
to have the property of their town
valued at low rate as pos
sble. The work of tabulating was great
ly increased by the careessness of the asses
sors of many of the towns. In several cases
there were errors of over $1,000
Hard at 1t.
Two sessions have been held every day
except Sundays, and lately the Commission
has been working evenings. The assessors
books have been examined, and their contents
abulated in regular order. BY means of
been supplied to every member of the Com
mission for examination during adjournment.
These tabulations have been taken from the
books of the town officers, and the value of
the property of the various towns has not yet
been fixed. The shipping and bank stock
have been tabulated separately.
Careless Town Officers.
The inventories from some of the towns
we're in pencil and poorly written at that.
Hard lead on calendered paper, after having
the horny palm OF the first selectman rest
ing upon it for an hour or so, does not make
good easy reading" The inventory from
one town for 1879 was in three foolscap books
one from each assessor. Very many OF the
books show a great want of care and atten-
ton. The name of the errors is legion. In
some cases there were mistakes of thousands
OF dollars against the town; in other cases,
rice reTsd Very few towns were found
whose officers had footed up the lists OF prop
eriy accurately. There are but few towns III
Marie to which the Commission has not
had to write several times in order to get the
necessary explanations.
The SchOolmaster is Abroad.
Accompanying the tabulations have been
appended notes from town officers, some OF
which are perfect gems Of thought and feiici,
tous expression. American literature would
We euricheu should they De puDiisHe"' a.. NV
we print rerbatip, ct iiberatim, specimen
brick from an honest old Jackson democrat IN
Washington county. Daniel Pratt, george
Francis Train, and Frank NJ. Fogg will have
10 look to their laurels:
Pursuant to the first Paragraph, on the
nrst Page of this Inventory we the Assessors
ON for the year 1879. have returned A.
true list of all the Poles and Ratable Proper
y, Real and Personal. as they Stand on Tue
Assessors Books, for the years iH"-
1873 and 1879, with Each Persons fro-
portional Part of tax as near as near
a. could be got at, as set FORTH oPpo-
site their Respective Names, 1t may appear
rather Novel, to Persons, not fully Acqua,'-
led with the cases, to see the Estimate 'hant,
on Some of the Property, such as Horses: 10.
Instance. but you take A. Horse Blind o, o'ie
y eye and lame, take Another Stone BIND
Another with bone SPAWN. Another WIN !"
blood SPAWN, some with Ring Bones or se',S
as some calls them. Some with pu"p'e
loot or cracked hoof, some, inflicted with the
neaves and-Baukey, such class OF Horses
should not be. considered very valuable anu
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