Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-02-25
TASAIlON

Il 4 ssiritr.i Asi.lrv.s au sssIausanlratian. IN
,sees-i fot this isJ.artrnsni - AssI.ULrvRst
butfOn. osfort nsmasFat. Parts, Ne.
TAXATION.
>incc writing my fir.t letter upon the
subject II TAXATION of farm property. the
state noarl ~ AGRICULTURE has held It,
annual session. and In unmi.takahle
terms dcclarr,l In favor of the same
action as was almel at hy the State
Snngc. To securc this the secretary
was instructed 10 appear aud represent
the Boani, as the commission raised by
The ratrOus will represent them before
the valuation AMI tax commissions.
Thus Increased infucRcc will b. thrown
Into the work. aud more will b. accom-
/ plished. While this !. true, u l. also a
fact that each aud every patron has a
measurc ~ responsibility which cannot
D. borne hy others. n rrlicf i In any
way sough, for farm property, u must
not he With the thoughi ~ Imposing un-
lust hur,lsns on ether classes. tine fact
l. everywhere rccuguifcd that farms,
and personal property thsrvon, are val
ucd altogether beyond ether property
producing Ike rvturus. >ow farm u
valuable In atio % IT, proiuctiyvncss,
and the expense II getting thu products
Whcrr cash can D. rralif-i for them.
Other Industries must D. rated In the
same manner. ro llft burdens from the
farm and throw thru upon any ether
class II securities. or form ~ taNahlc
property, Nould D. unjust. unless u can
D. .hoNn on the ons hand the farms arc
oNrrNalus,l. ani on thc other that thsrv
arr glasses which DO not pay fair pro-
portion of The taNcs. The over Nalua-
tion "a the farms l. everywhere rrcOg-
niFryi. Th.rc l. no call for a further
disCussi0a ~ that shlr of the question.
The chicf work nov b.fow the friends
20 agriculture l. to devise msans for ~
lief No arbitrary rules eau D. adopted.
NJ one man. or bo,ly of msn. can COM
prvheni the whole question. u u an
casy thing Ca fccount The evils aud call
for the r,m-,iy, bat u will require
grvat amount ot Investigation o. find aud
apply the panacca. bach aud every
cias. have equal righis, and these must
D. rvcogulfc,i. therefore u l. hle io say,
take frum the farms aud add to The Wild
lanis. shipping, mills or MANUFACTURES,
unless u can p. shawn that these do not
tcar an equal share ot the burdens.
Oue fact - apparent, that personal
property. stocks. honds, etc, escape tax
alton. 4. already shown In a prrNl"u'
letter. no Ian has yct hrcn irams,i Nhih
reached this Class ~ securities and
brought them o. light.
tn Massachusetts, the bosi"n Mer-
chants Association arr nov ~ work ui'-
on a schsme by which inNisihlc pctsonal
property shall D. taNcd BY the state,
and rial estate by thc Local asscssofs.
The L. attempted o. prvNvut uN doig-
iur. 40 cumnon in Massachusetts. Hos
thr Invisible l. o. D. bruughi o. light
docs not st appsat. ~ q large mc.ilng
lately hsld Ia lsusion, this suhicCt VA.
fully discussed aud seflrs oi rrsolu-
tions tassc,l, bat thee ouly rvhearse The
evils. anl az The legislature to enact
r,mci,. By krcplng up the discussion
of this question ln Maine Wc hopc to
have a suitable remedy to Oder Ia The
Is.sl.Iatufr. Whss that body meets neNi
January. Me haV, in Maine Commls-
.inn. composed II thru. able uicn, shose
duties are a. dr,t.s means fur eguallfing
ths bur,lrus While neither of the grn-
tirm-n constituting thi. commission y
ofhsrUiss than friendly to agriculture,
not ON. u thstn can iu.ily appreciate the
.itu.tion. t~,au.c thsy have not bcvn
constantly I'M touch With thc farmers oi
the state. ~ legal gentlemen they
mu.t NicW th~ suhtcCt frum another
standpoint. Lsucv there l. greater nccd
Tor suggestions coming from the agr'-
cultural Worksrs.
Patrons % Maine, hcrv l. a definite
line ~ work Tor the order. lIcre i i"od
fur study. and II y lusi solution i reach
e,l. The cOmpsnsations can hardly be
measured.
Inan able rr,i.s % the situation by
Judge Emery - the supreme Court oi
Nsinr. pahlish~d in IN. lewiston Jour
nal. 10 &. urged that Ne shouli aim al a
pr.etIral. rather than q theorctical equal
tv. but the learned Judge clos". hi. at
tirlr without Indicating The right step to
takr. lie deplorrs the present condl.
ton. and claims that thrvs-iourths ~
tb. money now escap-. TAXATION. lie
.urrr.t. that Il might q. bstter Ia rai.s
IT, public revenue on property which
,,nn1t h. hii. rather than rvach only
small portion - ether forms oi sesuil-
tir.. such proposition would hardly
receive the sanction of the hfmrf.' lh
.llitinn hs names AZ possible and per-
80. pr.,tIeahls. ..taNrs by the state up-
on al corporate franchise, upon legacies
ant sucrrssioas."
Ina later issue Mr.. n. q. Burleigh adj
No,ate. that taXcs q. assessed ln pf"p"t-
ton 90 the ability 20 the person io pay
hi. l. the true policy, bat the STUN
hlnr block hcrv i that no assessor hss
ever been created With second slshi
strong snough to unlock thr hlnl'"
/ treasures and reveal the h"nd.' s'"'A,'
etc. 40 that every p"rson would pay az
cor,ling o. hi. ability. fe0rls mu,t ue
dealt With a. ve ilnd them, aud 80 long
astl. considered perfectly honest 20
| hide prupsrty from the taN asses-ot' 50
/ long ~iil u D. impossible Tor law 'o
reach the ca.s. legal en1ciments are oi
prartical value Ia proportion io their en-
/ forrrmsut. aud this rcsts upon pubie
/ ..u,imsnt. Immediate relief must hc
| .oprht for IN some other direction.
Iu.ficr "a each and every class should
/ b. oar only motto. aud o. secure THIS one
| .,d. there 1. work in store for every
| p,tron. How l. Il brOthsrs In your Own
/ iouu.s Are the burdens equally plaeedf
IN, th. mill. aud shops have a just Nalu.
| ,,t,n ip comparl.On with the farmsf III
| not- n 4. in your power Ia remedy the
| evil In part AZ least, by placing on ihc
| next hoard 20 assessors, men Nho VIII
| .e.k 10 correct the wrong. WIN ma
iority of voters In so many towns, farn-
n. have 10 reason % complain, ne
valuation of farm property i retained Al
| Liyh water mark. while manufacturing
/ interests r,main az the lowest. Instead
| ~ ualting for the valuation commission
| 20 devise means. let the officers of each
I,dl,i,iuaI town equaliEe the value of All
| forms If property submitted, or exaniln-
| "a bV them. In accordance With desire
t,r Justice 10 each and every one, anu
an. CIV 81 aVer-taxailon. viii In great
measure D. hushed.
10 secure this there must b. unity
a, ,,tIon. a comlng together for business
purposes % men bound by eoh,aon .,. vusr