The Portland daily press., 1891-01-09
the MAINE ST.rp pppSs
GOVERNOR BURLEIGH'S MESSAGE.

uut1hNuh DukltlGhS MESSAGE,
| reSentdtiUes: 'F
Attn beginning of the important and ex.
acting duties which, as the chosen represen-
tatives of the people of Maine, will deyolye
upon you during the next few months. it is
my pleasant privilege to welcome you to
| more commodious and convenient quarters
than have been enjoyed by your predecessors
The increased health and comfort thus Sc
cured to you will. it is hoped, go far towards
facilitating the labors of the session.
FINANCIAL
On the first day Of October 1869. when
bonds were issued under the Act of 1868, In
payment of the Municipal War Debts as
sumed by the State, the total bonded indebt-
edness OF Maine reached its highest point,
amounting at that time to $S.lO0,90O. De-
Quoting from this the accumulations then in
the Sinking Fund, amounting, at their par
value, to $972,530. 1t will be seen that the
total net Indebtedness of the State was ST.
128,370. This debt was bearing interest at
the rate OF six per cent. per annum, payable
semi-annually, and the amount due for in
The total bonded debt of the State at the
present time is $2,602,3O0. OF this amount
S1l8,300 Is drawing interest at five per cent.
$4,000 at four per cent. and $2,334, 900 at
three per cent, per annum, payable semi-an-
ually, being just half the rate which the
State had been paying for the previous
twenty years. During the past year the sum
of $50 900 has been paid on the principal of
the public debt.
Briefly stated. the financial operations of
AI.A 20 FEnsr 20 kIa "a
as follows
Total net bonded debt, october i,
1862. ........ S7,12S,S7O
Total net bonded debt, January !,
1891 .......................... 2,6O2,3OO
Total reduction since $780,. s4,52e,o 7o
In 1870 the total amount Of interest
ed debt was. -. -. s4se, o54.oo
the bonded debt during the pres
ent year .....-...-................ ol,9o5.OO
Showing total reduction In the an
nua interest account, since lS69,oi $4O4, IL 800
This interest account will be growing less
from year to year, as the annual payments
upon the principal of the debt are made
under tue Refunding Act of 1889.
A comparison of these figures will clearly
show to the people of Maine what has been
accomplished during the last twenty years,
and how carefully and prudently her finan.
cial interests have been managed during that
time.
In 1865 the rate of taxation in Maine was
fifteen mills on the dollar of the State valua-
ti0n, andthe State tax assessed upon the COun-
ty of Cumberland alone was larger, by nearly
fourteen thousand dollars, than the entire
State tax for 1890. Indeed, the State tax for
1865 was only S126.000 less than the entire
amount of the bonded debt Of the State at
the present time. Within the last decade
the rate of taxation in Maine has been re-
duced from five mills in 1880 to two and one
quarter mills in 1890. Ii we take from this
the one mill that is levied directly by the
State, under the Act of 1872, for the support
of Common Schools, aud is distributed by
the Treasurer OF State TO the several cities.
towns and plantations, there remain but
one mill and quarter TO be used for general
State expenseS,-the lowest State tax that
has been levied during the past thirty years.
This tax would not be burden to any
one, were it fairly assessed upon all the
property IF the State, at its full value. The
benefits derived from State Government,
the protection OF person aud property which
renders possible increased production,
through the division of labor. cannot be
over-estimated. Nowhere else do we secure
so large returns from so small an expendi-
tura Of money.
OF all the public burdens resting upon the
people of Maine the State tax Is to-day the
least onerous. The total amount levied dur
ing the past year was 1851, 697 17.of which
the people for school purposes, leaving about
$4,000 of the amount thus assessed to be
USED toward detraylng the expenses OF the
State Government. During the present year
2S7 towns and plantations will receive from
the State more money on account of the
School Fund and Mill Tax alone than they
pay into its Treasury. In large number Of
tue remaining towns the difference between
the amount to be paid the State, and the
amount to be received from it on this account
Will be exceedingly small.
Bv virtue OF the Act of 1872, known as the
Mill Tax law all the property of the State is
assessed one mill upon every dollar for the
support Of Common Schools. Under this
system of taxation, which has given eminent
ly satisfactory results, the cities and veal
thy towns are obliged to materially aid in
tightening the burdens of the less prosper
GUS communities. 1t will therefore be read
lily seen that the burdens resting upon the
people to-day will be found largely in what
may be termed municipal or town taxation
ana that, in seeking ways to tighten these
burdens, this important factshould not be lost
sight of. While the State tax for the year 1890.
including the one mill levied for the benefit
OF schools, is only two mills and quarter on
dollar, or twenty-five and one half cents
on one hundred dollars of the State Valua-
ton, the municinal or town taxes, levied for
all purposes, average one aud seventy-One
hnndredths cents upon the dollar OF assessed
valuation, aud are always. outside of certain
absolute requirements. just what towns or
municipalities may themselves determine
and authorize.
In my address two years ago, l expressed
the opinion that the State tax might safely
be reduced in 1890 from two and tnree quar-
t-rS to two aud one quarter mills upon the
dollar of the State valuation, thus lifting an
annual burden of S117,799 "a fro u the tax
pay ers of Maine. An order directing such
reduction passed the House of Representa-
tives on the thirteenth dav of February, one
month before the final adjournment of the
Legislature. Subsequent to the passage of
this order. the following appropriations were
made entirely outside the usual items oil
State expenditure.
Railroad Tax equitably due certain
towns for the years 1884. 1885 and
1886. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. S22, 900 OC
Enlargement OF State House.......... $4,000 70
pitaI. Observation-Disclosures. 100 900 oC
Eastern Maine Insane Hospital...... $4,000 OF
New Building and Farm at Reform
school,. Observation-Disclosures. $4,000 or
Valuation commissioners and Clerks 1900 oC
Tax Commissioners. ............>..... 5000 OF
Settlers la Madawaska Territory. 10000 OC
Permanent Muster Ground..... go. $500 o.
IoIdl........ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. S36l 400 OF
While there was very general agreement
among the members of the last Legislature
as to the necessity and justice of these ap
preparations, 1t is altogether probable that
further decrease of taxation would not hav,
| been voted had their number aud scope beer
| clearly foreseen when the order for such re
ductiOn was given passage The l'reasur