Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-16
FARMERS TAXES.
Vigorous Expressions Regarding
Them from the Taxed.

: Shfinkise in Farm Qalnes the Interest
. Ing Topic
o. Secretary oilbsrt's Paper and tn
Theme OF Discussion that Followed.
The State Board of Agriculture met q
Room Is. At the State House. WEDNESDAY
forenoon at l. O'Clock. Alt committee
were represented with tae exception o
York, Somerset and Waldo. The follow
ing members elect to be seated at thi
meeting presented credentials: b. +
Briggs Of Auburn for Androscoggir
county II. o. Nickerson Of Readneld, fo
Waldo, and +. A. Moore of Machiaspor
for Washington. Col. Z. W. Stetson Of
Damariscotta, was reelected to represent
Lincoln county. Freeman Atwood oi
Monroe, chosen from Waldo county wa,
not present. The committee to represent
the grange befors the Valuation Commits
sion were present at this meeting. The
committee is composed of Hon. Edward
Wiggin of Presque Isle, X. W. Ellis. Esq.
Of Belfast, and DIR. G. NJ. Twitchell. Lee.
turer of the State Grange. This commit
tee will represent the grange before the
Commission on the subject Of location Of
farming lsnds.
AT the forenoon meeting Thos Daggett,
Esq. WAS chosen President and b. W. Nc
Keen Vice President. +. H. Whitmore
was reelected Messenger.
Secy Gilbert advocated the choosing Of
an executive committee in lieu of an ad-
visory committee, that this committee
might be vested with larger powers and
might act for the Board in the interim
between annual meetings Of the Board.
In accordance with this proposition il was
voted to elect an executive committee to
act in the place of the full Board in the in
term between the annual meetings, such
committee to serve for one year.
Messrs. Thos. Daggett and b. W. Nc
Keen were chosen on this committee.
Adjourned at 2 p. NJ.
ehrinkage OF Value in Farm Real
Estate.
The above was the subject of Secretary
Gilberts paper read in the Senate Chamber
at two =. NJ, before members of the Board
and the Valuation Commission. Mr.. Gil
bert began as follows;
Every one living in farming town, and
interested in farm property, whether as
owner or dealer in the same, il well aware
there has been a shrinkage in value of
farm lands and their attachments going on
for some time all over the State and
throughout New England. This made it.
self apparent a full score of years ago.
The unavoidable depression following this
alarming shrinkage of farm values has
already advanced to a stage where farms
have hardly selling value. When here
and there. by death or otherwise, a farm is
forced to 4 sale, the public estimate hardly
gives it value, and it is quite apparent
that were any considerable number in any
locality forced to sale at ore time, they
would not find purchasers. This is not a
healthy condition, and already il is plainly
showing its inevitable effects.
The farmers themselves, though all the
time cognizant of what has been coming
upon them have borne it meekly and with
out hinching. With their property shrink
ing in value day bv day a'.d year by year,
there has been little whining and no sounds
of complaint. Neither has there been
appeals for help. Too much it is charac-
teristic of farmers to accept what falls to
their lot without question. The present
crisis is such that, notwithstanding the alb.
sence of signs of embarrassment, public
attention should be directed to means of
relief.
Among the results that have contributed
to these results the Secretary gives the
following:
Inflated Values.
During the war, and the few years fol
lowing, in which the country was again be-
ing filled up with its needed products, farm
real estate. in common with everything else,
bore an inflated value 1t was then worth
the prices it bore. As prices again gradu-
ally resumed their former relations, farm
property took its place 10 the new schedule
of values. This, of course, caused q
shriukage. and was the first step in the
down grade.
Public Sentiment.
But in case of farm property the shrink
age did not stop on reaching the level Of
ordinary values. The downward tendency
thus started kept on with the farm property.
There must, then, have been other causes
affecting the problem. Public sentiment
came in here to keep up the momentum
already begun. Without stopping to trace
out how 1t came about, a western land
craze took possession of the country. In
measured areas of land were for sale, and
were advertised to everybody's attention.
Books, magazines, papers, publications of
every kind, were filed with praises of the
West, and the cheap lands there waiting an
owner. Public halls, post offices, stores,
and places of business, school houses,
fence posts, show. yards, and every place
where paste would stick was placarded with
western land for sale. Everybody and
everything has been stuffed with the idea
of the surprising value and unrivalled
chespncss of these lands. The very air
vas iohneu WIN IT, htDs1htlOn mas Deen
reared in these surroundings. The idea
has been schvoled into them that New Eng
land was played out, that its soil was old
and worn and unproductive. and that only
the golden lands of the West we're worth
the owning. Such sentiments A. these
prevailing everything. coming at a time
when, for other reasons, farm values were
already cn the down grade. had 3 powerful
effect in keeping up the momentum.
The third cause given was the draft on
the loose capital of the State by Western
speculators.
Savings Banks.
But this 10 not all. In our State there is
forty Eve millions Of money deposited in
the saving banks. A large proportion Of
this was dug out Of the soil by industrious
farmers, As soon as the frugal farmer
gets . surplus in hand. no matter IL it be
but little, it goes into the savings bank
where taxes are nominal and security sup
posed to be safe. The principal part Of
these forty-fve millions is also invested in
western securities. and adds its part to the
other uncounted millions in building up Q
competition against our home industries.
| The result Of this 10 that country towns are
drained Of their money. 1t has gone into q
western mortgage or into savings bank foi