Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-21


es1ai ard presr proportion there would
be go corpiains amorg The pscpae- The
grieyxs &c xsises in . large part from the
ins quality Of taxation and the Inequality
afises in large part from the err9fs in
valuxtiou.e Ia 1883 Gov. Bufieish said {:
.sOur own State valuation finds to large
. pfoporfion Of our property in the farms
OF The Sssss and makes The farmer psy ~
undue shsre OF the general taxes. II there
should be closer inquiry irto Other forms
Of property the real estate taxation could
be more eqaitAbly disfsioased
and more exsc. jastice could
be 6one % ell citizens alike Again
10 1891 Gov. Barieish says: "Fof
. member Of years the opinien has prevailed
that The tax Laws Of the State are not sqair-
able in their operations. Ii viii be you.
duty 10 examine into The whole sysfem OF
ssxaiisn, AID a<csfssin what sources Of rev
enue are available an whether any class Of
Pre- party i, bearing less than fair share Of
thu pablic burden, al d il 90 to spply what
ever remedy may in your Judgment sppear
best"
Now, gentlemen, for II years the Cav
sraors Of thi, State. irrespective OF party,
have taken the same view Of this subject,
ard their Recommendations have been
nnani N 1usiy 10 the same line. Il 1859 the
I.ssi.ls,ute passed resolve for q commits
son whose GUY it should be TO Inquire in
10 the system Of rsxstion in other states
ard report to the Governor AMI Council.
Agreeable to this resolve commission OF
three was al 1intsd consisting Of Oliver g
Hall, SausgJ Anderson and Joha l.. Cdtler.
The COMMISSION entered upon its work
in DE- cember 1889. They invited discussion
through the press Of the State; they cores
oondei ard had interviews vitn persons
whom they thought hal experience in The
mstts Of taxation, and b. circulars OF ia
terogations TO boards of assessors sought to
inform themselves 10 relation to this matter
they also made personal visits TO New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,. Con-
oee,icur, Rhode Island and New York.
After this exhaustive research this corclu-
sion is reached, aud l quite their own
words: That all taxable properly 10 not
.quslly assessed uoder cur present Laws,
AID that land and houses and cattle, visib e
and tangible properly are bearing an I'M
EQUAL ,hsre OF the public burdens. and that
farmers esps cisliy," As q prominent stock
rsissr cor cisely puts it are ''dravis &
at the short end OF the yoke" There il a
majority and m n0rity report before this
Senate one of which will Of cours be &C.
cepted. The majority sack to present q
method which sh. al place on the assessors
list all the taxable property of the State to
the end that the business of taxation may
be equally borne, of tie merits or demeIi 8
Of this report have only to say that you
bave the bes, efforts o! those whose names
are attached to it. In presenting this
report The committee feel that they are
followin9 the suggestions of the Governors
for the last II years. They feel that they
are in unison With the Legislature Of 1883
which ordered q commission. They feel
that this is in harmony with the
report of the commission and the
constitution and laws of our
State They feel tia. they are
schoing the words Of the fsthers who
de clared that all men were born free ard
equal. They feel that they have endaavorej
to satisfy the demands Of the 20, Coo granz-
era and 5000 PETIT, ners who are earnestly
calling for sn equalization Of The burdens OF
taxation. / admit grDtiemen that much OF
this complaint come. from The smaller aod
poorer towns adm that large proper
ton of the sianer, of these petitions are
men in the humble walks Of life, men with
large families and small means, men who
earn their bread by the sweat Of their brow.
But they are industrious. humble aud intel.
ligept men. Ttey are American citizens
and as such are the peers of aoybody, and
by their petitions are here today Gas
they have risht 10 be) and what
are they demanding? EQu.iity that is ALL
Gentlemen Of Senate ask yru 10 consider
the high chsrscier OF the men whose names
have mentioned. ask you to consider
the high positions they have occupied.
ask you to RENE mber that these word, were
uttered after Candid c1Dsideration and due
deliberstion. | ask you to consider the
grange and the elements Of which ii is COM
posed. Consider It's history for the pas;
20 years and its stAu'iog il this and ether
states. ask you to consider the character
Of these 5000 petitioners and then xsk you
to consider the demands shat they make and
The chsraes which they prefer They
demand al equal cation of taxation ard
they srrai2n the town with u just tax
aion and an unequal di.trihu'inn
OF the public burdens AMI these
charges which they prefer They
demand an equ slization Of tsxstion AMI
they arraign the lsw with unjust taxation
and An equal distribution of the public
burdens, and these charges if true are
nothing more nor less than lagslizsd rob
berry. And are these charges true? What
say you, honorable Senator'S to these
charges ard these witnsssee? Have you
posed - satisfy all these demands and
ii Ill 80.
inexoedient, are the two magical words
which are TO be sent out to the labo-ipg
men Of this Safe az their part of the bene-
aeial eusctnsn.s of the Legislature of
1891. Salaries have been rsised, the vari-
aus Institutions have been endowed, legis.
lrive Halls have been sumptucu-ly
furnished, State Indebtedness ha,
been increased, the burdens of taxation
will be increased, all this aud much more
in the SANE direction has been done. But
when the workirgmsn calls for an equal
distribution of the burdens, the answer is,
Legislation iuexpe1iens
Gcnt'e men, these petitioners feel
that in the body polite they are importan.
factors. They feel that on their farms or
ia their shops or mills, their services, the
resu o. their labor, are Indispensable to
the welfare Of this government, and from
their farms ard shops they denand the
same recognition Of the same dispens alton
OF the principles of justice and equality as
- accorded to the ban ker the merchant or
the millionaire. Gentlemen the wei
fare OF the State demands that
something be done. Dissatisfaction
and di,canteut sre not elements
U In
parity of nation. THIS Legislature is
in which it sppropriales money. Msny ap-
proprlad ms hsvF beeG made, some useful.
come useless. Rom appearances mich
more money is t, be appropriated, whether
for useful or useless purposes remains to
be seen Appropriation means taxation.
LEI 1t come alike to all Geo,lemen, it 10
expediens to do right. II is inexpedieut 10
d. wrong.
Mr.. Hsines of Kennehec spoke in favor
Of the msjority report.
The question being put upsn the substi-
tuition OF the minority report for the
majority report resulted IS follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Adams. Gile.. Gilmore. Grindle.
II srpe,, Libby of Cumberland. Msliett. N core,
N \, fetisng gill, smith. swanton. thatcher and
Wilbur IA
NAfs.-Messrs. Haines. HUNT, Libby OF An
droscogRiD, Mehsu, Sutting. Poor, Powers,
Rogers, Ryder, Sherman, spear, Stewart, Wadlin,
Warren-H.
The vote being tie was declared lost.
On motion by Mr.. Thatcher of Penob-
scot. laid on the table; Tuesday assigned
On motion by Mr.. Mallet Of Cumberland.
Adjourned.
H0Ueb