Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-01-15

GOVERNOR OF MAINE.
THE GOVERNOR.

THE GOVERNOR.
His Annual Message to the Legislature at
Augusta
Following is the annual message of GOV
ernor Burleigh to the Legislature:
THE GONERNOK'~ ADDRESS.
G.HtieDtgH Of the >.jtote aqd Hnu>. III H,p-
rescHtatices
At the beginning Of the Important and
eXacting duties which, a the chosen rep
re-entatives Of the people of Maine. " i'll DE-
volve upon you during the ncNt few
months, it is my pleasant privilege To wei
come You to more commodious quarters
than have been enjoyed 10y our predeCe>-
sOrS.
The increased health and comfort thus
secured to YOU will ii ) hoped, 90 far to.
wards facilitating the labors Of the >cs-
sion.
FINANCIAL.
On the tr>t day of October, 1859. when
bonds were issued under the Act of l,6s,
in payment of the Municipal War Debts
- ,t' ~; hi.i 80
"'pt'"ncSs VI HaInc ieh'le" Ils HiShcS'
point, amounting at that time TO 5000,
900, Deductjng from III, the accumpla.
'.'n' ti' u ~ 'i'e ''"N'" u'Iu' aiiio"H, W =
AT lliclF par NhIue, 70 S''-,o"o, IL VIII bc
seen that the total net Indebtedness Of the
State was SIPS. $40. This debt was bear
ing interest at the rate of six per cent. per
annum, payable sem-anuually, and the
amount due for interest in $50 was Sie6,-
O5i 90.
The total bonded debt OF the State at the
present time Is - 602 800. Of this amount
Sis, 800 is drawing interest at five per
cent, $50 900 at four per cent and 50
33t, 900 at three per cent per annum, pay
able semi annually. being just onehalf the
rate which the state had been paving for
the previous twenty years. During the
past year the sum of so, 900 has been paid
on the principal Of the public debt.
Briefly stated, the financial operations
Of the State from 1869 to the present time
are as follows:
Total net bonded debt, October L.
l'dl, SIP $50
iH.nt In "e' "ohu'" "e"'' January L. ,,-,..o
Total reduction since I>". Si,.4G,o7t
In !s'9 lhc total amount al inter
bnoJ"'l dcht ,t va. ,'' "f''' .,>.oii oo
The amount Of interest To Ice pail
On The hon'ed debt during thr
l''''"' S''r ! i''''''
showing totai reduction In THE
annual interest account, -.ucc
l'''"t 9"''''''o
This interest account Will be growing
less from year to year, a. the annual pay
ments upon the principal OF the dtpt are
made under the Refunding Act Of l>N2
\ comparison Of these figures Will clear
ly sho" to the people OF Name what mas
peen accomplished during the ia~t twenty
years ana how carefully ana prudently her
hhahciai interests haFe octh managed our
Ing tha' tiile'
III 1870 the rate or taNatloi III maine
was hlteen mills on lhe dpliar OF the state
valuation ana the state tax assessed upon
the county or cumberland alone was larS-
er' oy nearly fourteen thousahu uolIaIs'
than the ehtlfe Slate TAX LOT lo'o. n
ueed' lhe State TAX lor 800 was only SI-''-
ooooo ie>s thah tne entife amount OF tht
bonded deot OF lhe Stale at the present
tline.
"ithin the iast decade 'hc rate OF taNa-
lion III Maine mas oeeh reduced from nVe
mus III 1851 10 TWO anu ohe.iharter mus
IN le'o, III we take from th's thc one nlIl
that is levieu directly py the state uhder
lhe act VI 4o' ior tle supporI ~ .oilihoh
schoois' aiiu IS dlstriouted oy tiif rea>uf-
er oi .he otate 10 the se'eral CUES lo"n>
anu piahtaliohS' there remain DuI one mill
anu quarter 10 pe useo ior S"hera' otate
expenses lne lowest state TAX that mas
oeen ie'iea curing the past thirty years
Inc taA Wouiu not De pufdeh 10 any
one were IL ialfly assesseu upon an the
properly OF the STATE at ltS luli value.
The Dement'S derived from state GoEerh-
meht' me protection OF person ana prop
erty which renders possible increased pro-
ductioh, lhrouSh lhe DIVISION OF ianor'
cannot be over-estimated Nowhere else
do we secure SO large returns from 50
small an expenditure OF money.
or all the pubic burdens resting upon
the people OF Maine, the state tax Is TO-
day the least onerous. he total amount
levied during the past year was SOL ,o9'-
Il, of which more than 100000 were re-
turned directly to the people Tor school
purposes, leaving but about Sl3O,ooo of
the amount thus assessed to be used to-
wards defraylng the expenses OF the State
government during the present year
81 towns and plantations Will receive
from the State more money on account OF
the school 1und and mil tax alone than
they pay INTO It's treasury In large
number of the remaining towns the dlt-
terence between the amount TO be pa.l the
state ana the amount 10 be received from
1t on this account, VIII be exceedingly
small
by virtue OF the act OF lo2' known
as the mill TAX law all tne properly Oh 'ne
state Is assessed one m'il upon every doi-
iar lor the support OF common schools'
ohaer TINS system OF taAatioh' "h,ch mas
given eminehliy SATISFACTORY results the
cltles ana "eaitny towns are oongeu 70
materially aio IN li9htehihS tne burdens oi
the less prosperous communities. II WIN
therefore oe reauiiy seen that .ne puroens l,
festlng upon lIe people to-uay VIII oe
- =: -.
hlclPai or Town .aAatioh anu that' ~ seen
ing ways to tighten these burdens. this i'm
DOrtant fact should not be lost sight Of
whi,o tba St.to tax for tho veorI 300 in
nv ~ o'a'e N ~, ~ t'c 80 t.. -.
cluulns the one niil ieVleu IoI the DeheuI
Of schools il only two mills and a quarter