The Portland daily press., 1889-03-07
LEGISLATORS TALK TAXES.
Before Passing the Bill For a Com
mission on Taxation.
Especial to the Press.l

loPCSAah W bhC IASoc.l
AUGUSTA, March 6.-The resolve to raise
commission on taxation, which was drawn
and introduced In the Senate bys Senator
Haines of Waterville, and which has al
ready passed the Senate, was the subject of
an important debate in the House this fore
noon. The resolve is as follows;
Resolved-That the Governor be and and here
by Is, by and with the consent Of the council au-
thorlZed and empowered TO appoint a commission
consisting OF three persons, whose duty It shall be
TO inquire into the system adopted by other States
to raise revenue for State, county and municipal
aud equitable system of taxation OF all kinds of
property In this state. for the purposes Of said
be better adapted to the wants of this State and
reduce the rate Of taxation OF the people; and TO
provide for better and more effectual system of
Assessment and collection OF taxes in this State:
said commissioners TO be paid from any money in
the State treasury not otherwise appropriated,
such a sum for their services as shall be allowed
by the Governor and Council and for necessary
clerk hire and incidental expenses and to report
to the Governor aud Council on or before the frst
day Of October A. D. 1890; and that the Governor
shall cause their report TO be printed and dstri-
buted at the states expense, three copies Of
which shall be sent by mail or otherwise to each
member Of the present legislature to their proper
residence; and one thousand copies OF said re-
port shall be provided for the use Of the next leg
islature OF this State.
The bill was called up in the House this
lOlCuOOn Wy DdAhCA VI DduBUIy WHO
moved Its indefinite postponement. Such an
inquiry was no new thing. Hon. A. W.
Paine had been appointed commissioner in
1874, and had made an exhaustive report now
on file in the library. The valuation COM
mittee in 1880 had also made an inquiry and
their report was in the library. None of their
suggestions had ever beer carried out The
commission would be costly, and Mr.. Barker
thought we should not afford it. This resolve
was a good thing to postpone indefinitely.
Mr.. Looney Of Portland hoped the motion
of the gentleman from Bangor would not
prevail The present tax laws were inequit-
able and unjust, and bore unjustly upon the
producing classes. Men with investments
that could be secreted did not bear their
share Of the taxes. This was notorious
fact, and it was also a notorious fact that in
this respect Maine was behind other States.
Representative Barleigh Of Vassalboro
hoped the bill would not be postponed indef-
nitely. 1t was a notorious fact that one
fourth Of the property in Maine bore three
fourths Of the taxes. When the vote was
taken ne hoped it would be taken by yeas
and nays.
The vote was taken so, and the House re-
fused to indefinitely postpone by vote Of 66
to 5S
Mr.. Pattangall tried to amend the order so
that the pay of the commission should be S3
day, but the amendment was WITHDRAWN.
The House was about TO pass to vote on
the passage Of the bill to be engrossed, when
Mr.. Wakefield rose to the point of order
that the order passed this forenoon to lay
all appropriations on the table until the
finance committee shall report, would cause
this resolve to lay on the table.
Rut this DOint was not Sustained.
DIR. Grindle and Mr.. Talbot then spoke
against the bill. They thought the resolve
useless. Mr.. Pattangall replied to them.
Our present tax laws:were notoriousiy unjust
unjust to our ship owners that the owners
were being driven to Massachusetts and New
York where the laws were more just. Mr..
Pattangall said he had been an assessor, and
he knew that while the farmer was taxed on
everything he owned, the rich bond holders
were not taxed for tithe of their property.
There was also a great railroad system of
Maine that was taxed only for small part Of
its property. Mr.. Pettangall was applauded
by the House.
Mr.. Wakefield replied to the point that the
taxation of shipping had injured that branch
or industry. Other causes had led to the de-
cline Of American shipping. Mr.. Wakefield
was aware that Massachusetts taxed only the
income and not the value Of shipping, and
that New York and Philadelphia did not tax
vessel property at all But the Constitution
of Maine, as the judiciary committee had de-
cided, would not admit of such exemptions
Mr.. Warren of Castine said this was a
simple resolve. 1t asked merely for a com
mission that would not be expensive, and
from the work of that commission the people
age. The opponents of this resolve must see
something between the lines. for there was
nothing in the resolve itself that could be OBJ
jectionable. ..rs,
Mr. Barker of Bangor spoke again against
the tn bill, approving the point made by Mr..
Mr. Robie of Gorham was in favor of the
resolve. The farmers of this State were
hindered by an inequitable system Of tax
alton. Several years ago the people Of Yer
mont were burdened by just such system
and demanded justice of the legislature, and
the result was that the taxes Of that State
were shifted from the shoulders Of the farm
ers to the corporations OF the State and the
rich men. The time had now come for the
tice. Applause.]
Mr. Burleigh, Of Vassalboro, said that IL
there was any possible way whereby the
property of this State could be reached, he
hoped it would be done. He cited several
forcible instances Of injustice in taxation.
that had come under his observation as All
assessor.
Mr.. Pattangall spoke few words. He
said il seemed very strange that gentlemen
on this floor who are closely identified with
great corporations should be so anxious that
this matter should be kept out of the hands
OF the people. Was 1t possible that this leg
islature that had gone to the verge of prodt.-
gality In appropriations, should come up
against wall In this little resolve which
calls for little money for the doing of ben
efcent work for the State Of Maine?
Mr.. Cloutier. Of Lewiston, added a few
words against the resolve.
The yeas and nays were then taken on the
passage of the bill to be engrossed, and 1t
passed, II yeas ia 56 nays:
YEAs-Adams OF Belgrade, Allen Of Mercer
Brooks, Burleigh, Cain, Chadbourne. Chaplain
Clason, Closson, Cole. Cote, Dame, Dane, Dan
forth. Dingey, Edgecomb, Eells, Foster, Fox,
Frank, Frees, Clifford Goodwin, ordon, Cow
ell, Green, Hamilton, Hanley, Harrington, Heald,
Hill of Augusta, Hill of Mars Hill, Holbrook,
Linnell, Lombard. Looney; Madigan. Mallet, Mar
chaud, Mitchell, Moore, Morrill,.
Murch, NOVEL;, Osgood, Palmer, Pattan-
gall, PeDdleton, Perkins, Plummer, Pottle. Pur-
ington Robie, Ross. Sheahan, Tilton, Turner,
Warren Of Castine, Warren of Deer Isle, Went
worth, Whitten of Portland. Wing,-71.
NAYs-Achorn, Alden, Allen of Wellington, An
drews, Barker Bennett, Berry, Bird, Bither, Burn
ham, Carson, Chapman, Clark of Saco, Cloutier
Curtis of Paris, Curtis of Perkins, Doe, Emer
son, Engel, Fiske, French, Glover, Grindle Of
ins. Hinckley. Jordan Of Webster, Jordan Of
Waltham, Lamb, McCabe, Mcintyre, Man
ley, Morse, Moulton of Wales, Nealfey, New
toe OBrien, Poor, Robinson, Shaw, Smith,
Sprague, Stearns, SweetZer, Talbot Taylor, Thur
low, Tyler, Vickery. Wakefield, Weed, Wheeler,