The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-06-06
POMONA GRANGE OF cUMBER-
LAND COUNTY.
Report OF Committee on Taxation
Important Facts and Figures.

Aoot' w IL Oulibl. WIZ Is lduiuuS lOT
keeping one of the very best country inns
In this part of the state, gave the grangers
the use OF his house, and there were seated
az his tables 100 the largest number he has
entertained at one time. He exhibited his
garden with evident pride, as well he might.
At the meeting. Mrs. E. c. Hall read an adj
dress Of welcome in rhyme, we'll worthy of
publication, if space permitted. Mrs. A. F.
Winter read a we'll written essay on work.
ing women's present hardships, and claimed
that the ballot is the remedy.
Miss l.. R. Cole. Miss Mary Thorpe, Miss
Hall and Miss Annie johnson gave readings,
which were well received. The Misses Lucy
and L. R. Cole sang with pleasing effect.
Speeches were made by Messrs. Barker,
Aver, Mitchell, Morrill,. W. w. Harris and
Hammond. The committee, consisting of
L.. Ii. bennett, chairman, w. W. Harris, E.
N. Jordan, A. p. Aver, and S. B. Gunnison,
appointed at the Cape Elizabeth meeting to
consider the question of taxation, reported
Mr.. s. b. Gunnison, on account of Illness,
was unable to act with the committee. The
next meeting win be at North Yarmouth,
the second "Wednesday of August. The re-
port was adopted, and vote passed instruct
ing the lecturer, w. w. Harris. to have
printed a thousand copies of the report in
the form of circular, accompanied by pc
tition to the next legislature. to be sent to
all the oranges of the state, and to the tax
payers of Maine generally for their sigma
| lures. The report is as follows:
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
=. Your committee have considered the ques-
| tion of taxation in this State and the system
| now pursued, especially in relation to GER
practically exempt from their just share of
| the public burdens, and call the attention of
the farmers of Maine, and all other taxpay-
ers similarly situated, and who would be
equally benefited by reform, to some of the
| most glaringly conspicuous instances of
| grievous injustice.
The Maine Central railroad, according to
Its last annual report 1850 has 664 miles of
road whose gross transportation income was
S3,s2o, l6l.5l, or about $4,000 per mile. Its
real estate located therein. and to the State
OF Maine on its gross mileage income was
only $79,51760.
The system of taxation adopted is SUBJ
| stantially the same as that Of the States of
| Michigan and Wisconsin with this tremen-
dous difference: In Michigan tax of three
| per cent. is levied ON roads whose gross in
come exceeds $4,000 per mile. In Wisconsin
four per cent. on roads whose gross income
exceeds $1,000. Whereas under our Maine
| Statutes tax of one quarter of one per cent
| Is collected on roads whose gross transporta-
| tion income does not exceed So, $50. per mile,
and one quarter of one per cent. on every
$3.50 mileage income above $2,250. So that
the prosperous and progressive Maine Gen.
trail railroad with gross mileage income of
$4,000 pays but one and one half per cent.
which yields the petty sum of $57, 423. 81.
Its real estate situated in towns and cities
paid in muncipal taxes $22, 093 60.
The Maine Central railroad has property
constantly increasing in value, so prosperous
that 1t pays per cent dividend on a capital
stock of SO, 6O3, 800 and interest on bonded
Indebtedness of $13,266, 700, and had q sur
plus OF some 1884. 600. Such property cannot
be considered worth less than the two sums
upon which such income is paid, amounting
to S16.870,000. Other property of equal value
In our towns and cities pays tax of one and
one nall TO TWO per cent. If one and one
average, rate throughout the State) were
assessed IT would amount to $253.050 mas
much as the individual holders of its stock
and bonds are exempt from taxation on &C.
count OF the same, justice and public policy
alike require.this great railroad to pay into
the treasury of the State round quarter of
million of dollars. All the other railroads
within the State without discrimination
should be taxed according to their actual
values. The aggregate income of such Just
OF very large portion of their present bur-
densOme State taxes.
The telegraph companies doing business
within this State are required to pay two
a ne Saasn per cent on all their property
upon which the wires are elevated. Why
the Maine Central Railroad should pay only
three and two-ffths mills on a dollar,
and the citizens owning other property from
one and half cents to two cents on dollar
and telegraph companies two and ope-half
cents may be explained, but it cannot be JUS
tilted.
The vast tracts Of timber lands situated in
the unorganized plantations of the State,
COMPRISING in the aggregate al area larger
than that OF Massachusetts and Connecticut
quarter mills on dollar, and upon an aver YER
age valuation OF about one dollar per acre !;
$4,000. -'''-
The simple statement of the fact is enough
to stagger with establishment any one even
slightly acquainted with this vast territory,
and with the immense lumber business car
ried on upon the large rivers and their tribu-
taries, perpetually. winter and summer,
without ammunition OF the magnificent sup
ply, but rather an increasing value to the
product under constantly expanding de-
mand for it. Only $4,000 to the State! A
comparison between the valuation and in
come OF our Maine farms. and the valuation
and income of the plantation timber lands
may throw some light upon the subject.
The farms of Maine according to the Cen
sus OF 1880 were valued, including the live
stock and farm implements, at $123, sos, O39.
Ihe total product Of all these farms, includ-
ing the amounts sold, consumed and on hand,
was less than $22,000,0O0. The product was
only seventeen per cent of the valuation of
the farms. The valuation of the timber
lands according to our commissioners, return
is less than $90O0,000. The same census
QSSO returns, value the product of our lum-
Der manufacturing at S7.933. 1858. Assuming
that all the logs came from the plantations
and the value of the product is eighty
per cent of the SO. 600, 900. valuation put upon
the timber lands. But deduct all that comes
from elsewhere and the per cent of the prod
uct discloses the tremendous differentiation
of these lands.
The State tax is the only tax paid by the
proprietors of these lands on account of
them. These lands are not taxed for the
support of schools, roads and other Munici
| pal purposes. On an average one hundred
acres of these lands escape with a tax hin
| OF twenty-five and one-half cents. Your
committee believes that fair average valua-
ton of these plantation timber lands will ex-
coed rather than fall short of SIS per acre.
making an aggregate Is, 691, 082 acres at All M
$43, ,410. The probable average rate of
one and one-half per cent paid In taxes by
our citizens applied to these lands would
yield an income to our State of $65I, 1881.
Our system Of taxation is entirely UNEQUAL
and therefore unjust, as between the farm
ing towns and cities so far as it relates to the
support of our public schools The citv of
Portland expended for the support of the
public schools last year according to official
report, sos, 26899. The city received from
the State, $21, 603.25, of this sum, leaving to
be raised upon taxation $76,665.74. The city
valuation for that year was upward of 1884,
100000. The per cent on the valuation for
school purposes was .00225-mills, and vet
this small percentage gave the sum of S6 80
to each of the II, $3.50 scholars between and
81 years of age. If the town of Casco with
a valuation of $265, 259 levied only that per
centage (24 mills) it could afford but S577. or
81. 10 per capita of it's scholars: difference
OF three hundred per cent. In other words.
Casco must pay three times the rate Ia get
the same amount of money per scholar.
1t is for the interest of the State that edu-
cation be universal justice and public policy
alike requires that all her children receive
substantially equal educational advantages.
The easy remedy for the existing in
equality, Is to Largely increase the sum which
Is now derived from the State. and diminish
the amount now raised by Municipal tax
alton. The amount of money raised bv
Municipal taxation for the support of our
public schools last year was $751;, 221. The
amount available from the State Treasury
was $37415 or little less than thirty-seven
per cent. The amount should be reversed.
or approximately so, 81 per cent from Munici.
pal taxation, and GO per cent from the State
In order to equalize the burdens and BENEFITS
Of our educational system.
The average length of our public schools
is but ~ weeks 1t certainly should NOT he