Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-25
sYsrEns or rAxAr1oN.
Important Letter from Hon. o. q.
Hall


Edttoys u tie Keaa<6te Journal:
The Journal Of yesterday confined ~
Irtleie over the signature of Ho7- Hiram
<no~iton. Chairman of the Valuation Com |
n -si0n, cot lining structures upon some
comments Of mine on taxation, which we're
ported in last Sundays Boston Herald I,
nag be Of very small importance 10 ths
,go ie. yet the nztefe Of the Communication
va. suen as To reqa re some nosics from ne
egardinz few Of the ~riier's statements.
10 attempting TO show how much proper
y in Maine escapes taxation, and the vide
Inference in values offered to .he same
.ia>ses of properly in different town. b.
issessors. 40 Instance vas cited as "a Hue
ration xhere s0cx OF the same KIND sss
falued In oDe town At SIS 90 PER head ard
n another near by. at sse 20 per head
he Judge says no such instance Ia. come
0 has knowisdze "in the exam nation y
f4igasion, in . large humber Of toms IL
would seem that he had not yet examined
he returns very fully. When he f,i+s be
slu fnd. az have on very slight -xanina
ion, plenty Of instances vi here Tire differ
.ac~s are even greater than thas e.tei a.
10 illustration
f. il farther stated that the valuation
.Dm mission Of 1880 dii not discover cor has
be present commission discovered ''.urh
-rckless valuation Of lands in Any case
4. at one third their value. What the cosg-
nissioners found or did NOT fad in he rs-
urns has lttls To do with the poini in Issue
Thy would have 70 mesas Of knowing
from the sssessed Valuations, ubles per
!. n4.iy acquainted with the pr-pefIy val
a ,uk n Al ii
ion The question is Il property 10
Maine. GLIDING laGds, often assessed a
iew ~ me third Of ia fair ca-n value !:
J ldse knowl'oH thinks not. What IS the
peoofs 10 the first place il may b. seliicieft
20 tile the fact Of instances uf Il der
val nations to the extent namet, TO refer to
{ common knos ledge and experience Of
oasiaass me0 Who has not known such
ca4s-f II does not necessarily imply tn
competency or improper motives "a the
part Of assessors; lt Is often from error.
# iuizme & doubtless. Yetit is very easy
t. akmol slrate that Judge X oFlfon is
much in error IN thinking that there is no
.pch ckless valuation " In late Article
IN lhr Camden Herald this undervsluaii IN
sem Is tbus referred to
"O1r towns now purport 10 have assoc
or. of taxes who nomInslly make vslua-
ions They are under oath but they APP
praise property as worth only one thru or
o e. fourth Of its real value in she market
How the tax payer can be male 10 give in
more correct and reliable llss OF hs tax
able roperty, and how the assess r. may
pe compelled to assess that property at its
full market value, is a subject worth con
Adering.
In Camden the custom has been as am
informed. to assess real property much
under its true value. But there are h gure-
winch show very concldsiyely that in Ma Z
his system "of reckless valuation largely
prevails In fact 1t has b.. n a matter OF
uufayOrable comment as furious to IN
STATE, for the last eight years, that the
property of the State is so gross y under
valued Abiding to this, Governor Bur
leigh in his Address to the last Legislature
said
II will be your duty to provide for the
valua' OF the property of the State ihich
is required by our Constitution, at leasr
once in ten years Ii doubtless give.
greater satisfaction to have board com
pn-ed of one representative from each
county, and | therefore recommend that
the board Of valuation be thus constituted
In some respects, however evil results
have followed from the zea!ou. ard ye.
proper care taken, that no section hail be
taxed more than its fair share Of the pubic
burdens. Each county seduipu-lv zqlrd-
ina it.o,,, iptara.ts ana secnri,.g 40 l..,.
valuation as possible, the result, has been
tina, the aggregate official yalu,t,on " ,ha
S,,., ba. bssn far h.Iow f.,.al v.I,. In
,his ,s.pect m, Sfa,e of Nh. ,,b.,,
nra.an,sJ IN the geometry ma s,,,,
aoenoial n,.itioo as shs ia a,titi.lt.holi =
In the year $50. whom TN. : a,e 6; ,y,.rn.
mon, said Maine vas wor.t spqs oo. onc
tho Tinted = ,stes census III, yal,,,nr
a, z5lI oOo ono NJ, Rl,inn in a, a..
nand IA Vol. of his nTwent, Var. IN
CONGRESS" refsrs IN the diff--rncs b.t,.s.r
the ossess,5 and tru, valuation "a ram.
p,iaa from the ce.,.ns r.,.r,s which IN
mi. instance. he aware "s.nac,,lIy arrn.
rat and valuable =" Maine "a ro. alone ~
T.. valn,ti,n a1thouol i, a. c,,ta,,l,
am. of thp lave, ,,lr.,i tfares aacnrti. q
t. the assessed valuations Tbp Sunrrin.
n,lent Of the Census for 1850 ref rr,n,
tho INSTRUMENTATION of faad .,vs. IN
ann. aa.r,ers the rates of a.sessrd Ia trpe
y,lu,ti,n f,lls to 40 per csot with AZ
sy.ray. for th.. whole cnnrtry Of q, nov
cont Now i; seem. to be- sanar,lv r,-,.
celed thai farm lands are assessed we'll II,
In tb.ir true value. In MANY clti.. ant
town. real estate il assessed al a far al
vain. II follows therefa,e m,,,,r a,
cnp-ss That mpch r,,I e.t,ta r.n,,;n.
"a bich e.canos a iustassassp.,nt AL tL,,, /,
~. nv rnIn,s. n sbax Ism al, =. >,
r,s nr.;o,,n ,h,t 81, s,,,o Ia,.4so.,
t,,.d a, not mar than o,e t1;ri a. tho,,
v.lus wbile in othars M, sre ,,,.,t a.
,beir mu vslue >, Judon knna.i,',
ala, tsk.s eYrention In nv st,te,,,r,
moi, =, ia so rara hint, "a ,, -,
AMI nat more ar ie,s r,o,,oy ia ra,rr,,.', =
'he assessors OF most OF tn towns m th-