Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-03-08
SUGGESTIONS Oh rAxA1Ios.
Shall We Level Up. or Down?

Edssors Of Tie Kessetee JosynaI:-
I notice in the Lewiston Journal Of last
Saturday . Communication from Hon
Y cholzs Fsssentien, . member Of the State
Valuation Comms sion. In which hs sid:
Regarding ,his question Of vaiusfioa
and taxation. The true obtecs to be STAINED.
a. yies II, Ia tvofoid. eqaaiissd valuation
sad the losee taxation pessible--so reach
these ends two general theories sse sdvsnc-
ed. Oae 10 illustrated by the testimony Of
q certain witness before the valuation com
msssL,s, and quote his words. We want
permanent commission to level dom vaia-
stious every two years Nov. II 70 level
down Valuations 10 also 70 level down taxes
there. nothing more 70 be said. but | con-
fess am not able TO reach such concls-
sion. On The contrary hold that the true
cause 10 ~ level up vaiustions.'
remember this - my language before
the Commissioner II Augusta when speak
ing OF the condition Of vsssaioofo and
stAtiag tina. The State valuation vas 81 u.s.
600 and the town valuation vas eo74 600
making difference Of about three hun
drea aud tf,y thousand dollars between the
old State valuafion and the present town
valuation. both Of which are nov in force
As called the stteation Of the Com
missioHers in my remarks. U the condition
Of yassalboro l wiii again take Vasssl
boro 10 illustrate my position. i stated
that the valuation Of Vassalboro for the
present year az by the town assessors VS.
a fair valuxton, hut for = basis for State
valuation there should be . deduct on OF
twenty hve per cent. 10 make II strictl,
cash valuation on which 10 assess State
tax. came 10 this conclusion from the
assessors valuation of property known ~
the estate of Emily II. Abbott and occu
pied by myself, and other property in the
vicinity.
Nov admitting that the Commissioners
tske the valuation ~ determined by the
Town Assessors for their line OF values,
when they come to this line Of 1881 made
by the Commissioners with this wide differ
once, hat will they do. Wait for the men
with sharp tools at the bottom to level up
with e ID and bring all to the upper liner
think no., but they will Immediately put
steam shovels at work and level down TO
tie line Of demarcation and when TIE pickers
find all the gold let them bring IL up to the
line and have it taxed. | have no doubt
but what there is a. much or more work to
Dt iiDbt ptipW tHc iilt - ooONNs ShA shes
is what intended to be understood o. say
ing when the gentleman asked me IL would
sfmit of leveling up As well ~ down.
He says -
"bnt let Us see. The situation 10 prac'
ticsily this, Town property, because wis.,
BILE, while not overvalued, 10 valued more
nearly at It's fair value than any other class
Of property, and stands at the top end OF
the string; money, because invisible, 10 I'M
dervaiued and At the same time placed the
very tarthest from its fair value and stands
at thu. bottom end of the same string-while
bet Eeen the two are ranged ali other class
of property--eaca after its kind. Now
commence to level down; first level down
the farm valuation, then with due regard to
the equities of the system. level down the
valuation Of the others, and when all have
been equalized downward to the money
level will taxes Of any sort be less, BY res
son of it. or will such an equalization give
any permanent relief? 1t would seem ~ If
there could be but one opinion. On the
other hand, If all other valuations can be
leveled up to the farm property standard,
which is not too high in the abstract, will
not such a movement produce At one and
the same time q ust equalization and .
lower taxi"
am at u loss to determine from the
above which the gentleman means, & town
Or State valuation. II q town, 1t makes
no difference for municipal purposes if the
valuation ia high or low, if all property 10
valued at a certain per cent, for the amount
TO be raised determines the Per cent. and
there is no difference in high or low val
uation, for municipal purposes but ii makss
a di ference in this, the lower the valuation
of farms and houses aud all other property
the more tax money has to bear, for the
rate per cent is higher. II will affect some
towns but little, and some it will affect con-
si.lerably So when towns increase their
valuation they relieve the money men and
put the tax on the farm property, and in
crease their State and County tax, as from
nee ssity the State valuation is determined
largely by the town valuation.
made complaint to one assessor In
Vassalboro that our valuation was too high.
His reply was that sit did not make much
difference for we get il back in the mill
tax" At the last U. s. census the enum-
orator called on me and asked the usual
question of values. I replied that it was
impossible for me TO determine values
HIS reply was: well. be sure to make
them hi sh enough for we want to have
vss-alboro make good showing" So il
We are proud and wish 10 hire money We
must level up our valuation, aud have q
big State and County tax
II. G. ABBOTT
NORTH VAssALBoRo. March 5, 1890.