Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-19

city council rooms yesterday forenoon at t,
) O'Clock. Mayor Spear delivered his aidre
briefly slluding to the duty of the new
elected municipal officers in his ntroductio
He then treated the matter of finances, shov
ing the following standing. March lst lsss
Bondcd debt. tlcD isi1
temporary loans. l.. .>6u.
uneolleetyd taxes ecsS
Bslance against city March |, 50. tiesst6;
Bonded debt March l. IS p1 ,pi .
Bombed debt March l. sA IpN ipl Z.
Increase, slo.ov,
Mr.. Spear continued as follows
But il should be observed IN. I the increas
of the bonded debt is due TO the bonding o
portion of the large amount o
outstanding notes of previous wears
The Indebtedness exhibited by these note
is called temporary loan. that is. loan I,
take the place of the uucollected taxes o
the previous municipal wear. Ii this is true
then when the tax collector settl,s with III,
city in full the loan of the previous veal
should be fully paid and new loan creat,C
concurrent with the present uncoliectet
from year to year. All the loan 10 excess OF
the amount paid by take. AS above. whateve,
the name it goes by, becomes an intere $,
bearing debt of the city which must be car
ried along from year TO year or be paid by
future taxation.
II seems to me that this is wrong in prin.
ciple and that no city government shoul
take any pride in reducing the rate of taxa.
ton by creating a debt to meet deicienc,
caused by inadequate appropriations. And
the c ondltion of our finances doe, not require
such practice
No part of the bonded debt natures the
present year. The interest accruing on the
b1nt cd debt and the temporary lean will be
about $500, which sums should be fully
provided for. 1t would be well TO raise
$1,000 to apply to the debt becoming due
next year and thus more equally distribute
taxation. Barring unlocked for and extra.
ordinary expenditures, let us see to il that all
the obligations of the present wear are fully
met Closely allied 10 and part of the
financial system of the city are the que stions
of taxations and appropriations.
TAXATION.
The constitution of the State provides that
"all taxes upon real and personal estate
assessed by authority of this State, shall be
apportioncd and assessed equally according
to the just value thereof" This clause
means, stated in a negative way, that it does
not authorize the assessment and apportion-
mcnt of taxes with reference To its Just value
That is, if the standard of assessment
/, two-thirds value, 1t must be two-thirds the
value of all property, real and personal, not
two-thrds of the value of one mans and one
half that of another.
And the full value from which the stan
dard, tits Just value, is determined, is the
fair market value of each piece of real aud
personal property. lu determining this stan
dard il makes no difference whether property
is occupied Or unoccupied, paying An income
or not ii must have some market value in
either case, and from this the standard of
valuation should be derived.
TO comply with this requirement of the
constitution, absolutely, would require per
haps more than human judgement. But to
ignore it when its fulfillment is plainly oh.
vious, is a violation of duty and works
double injustice
First. to the individual by compelling the
party whose property is overvalucd accord
ing to the standhrd to pay the taxes of the
one whose property is undervalued. The
injustice of such discrimination usually falls
upon the smaller property owners and i'm
poses unjust burdens.
Second, to the city, by increasing the rate
of taxation and, the rate leing the test, ap-
p trently increasing the taxes. With the
present low rates of interest and small mar.
gins in business. high taxes are great OBJ
stacle TO business enterprises and consequent
ly impede the progress and prosperity of the
city, therefore any apparent increase of taxes
should be avoided, if possible.
call attention to this question not in a
spirit of criticism of what has been done but
that If mistakes have been made they may be
corrected or, if continued, continued with
full understanding of what ought to be done.
APPROPRIATION.
Appropriations mean taxation ard while
they should not be prodigal, on the other
hand, they should not be so small as to i'm
pair their own usefuuess. What is worth
doing at all, is worth doing well 1t :
neither wisdom nor prudence to do - thing
in a nigardly way ami have it wort h-lf i,s
cost, when small additional outlay vii
n ak it of full value.
know of no extraordinary expenditure
to be made during the pr,sent year.
There are only two iters of appropra-
tions which require sp' rri mention. those
for highways and continLe Il fnnd.
I le almost cor tinunUs rains Of the summer
aud fall of the past year, rendered it very
difficult to make lasting repairs on the roads
in consequence Of which larger outlay will
be required the present year to put the
streets in their usual good condition A
large outlay will also have to be made upon
the sidewalks to make them safe and con
veuient. The north side of the stream and
ward six are entitled 10 the special attention
of the Street Commissipner In this con
nection, | desire to call attention TO one
species Of damage 10 our streets, for which
the city should not be put 10 expense nor
suffer Inconvenience. that is the removal OF
the paving and sidewalks by private parties
for private purposes, and failure on their
part to replace them in proper manner. The
past is without remedy, but in the future
the Street Commissioner should see TO il that
the city and its citizens do not suffer from a
repetition.
find the average amount charged to the
contingent fund for the pa,t .iI years to be
s3.2Gl.7l. The appropriation has been
81, 900 % think It would be well for tho
finance committee TO consider the propriety
of increasing thi. appropriation.
SCHOOLS
The schools Of our city compare favorabiy
with those Of any city in the state. Ths
school buildings are all in excellent repair
except the one at the New Mills. Thi. old
unhealthy building should not be suferet
longer to remain. IL ia discredit to th'
city and believe the universal sentiment o.
the ax-payers il in favor Of a new schoo
house and ] recommend an appropriation 70
that purpose.
The Public LIBRARY.
| The Public Library is an institution il
which the city should take pride and L
which it should give its liberal support
| Founded by the hand Of private generosit
| it should not now be permitted to decline b,
an exhibition Of public Indifference. Ifw
would keep our library up to the standard o
/ the public Libraries Of the State. it ia nece.
sary that We add each year the new work
on history. biography, travels, etc, and tn
standard literature as it is issued. beiiev
liberal Appropriation is not only dut
which the city owes this institution under il
| contract, but wise economy for, as one o
the factors in the educational system Of ou
city, it will, in a series Of years, save in Ell
pense for paupe ri.m and crime more thz
the outlay.
| STREET LIGHTs,
! The lighting Of the streets during the pas
l year cost slG2l .32 for twenty two lights, Al
. g n -.