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

valued at $4,000 and Bs At $500. Their
the total valuation in that town 10 9s5CC
while the tax remains the same, $50. That
carries the rate, cent and mills. making
As tax S3&, - more than il should be, and
B's $6, - less than it should be. Now
cay ~ matter Of Law, when the assessor
does that thing ard omits to value
all property equally or To asssss the prop
erty equally. he exsmpts one man from
taxation and imposes tax upon another.
II We read this hill, ask you what there
10 in il more than the Law Of today rsquirsss ?
IL does rot require 90 full An enumeration
as the law Of today. II only requires, -
shah show you father on, that the man who
has the information shall give il under oath
20 the party Who 10 entitled to receive il.
Now the next point which wish TO con-
slider is this: IL the present law sffsctuals
Does the present Law appportion and
assess tsxes equally: Or, a. il 10 ID
ministersd. 10 the tax upon the State OF upon
the people assessed and ~ apportioued
equal according to the jast value Of the
property Without going into details, l
might call your attention to the messages
of the governors from 1874 ard dowr
through the years to 1891, and show to you
that almost every executive covering this
period Of years has stated that taxes upon
personal property were not Assessed
equally that the real estate Of the State of
Maine Was bearing unjust burdens, and
that this matter ought to be reniedied,
and the recommendation Of the governors
and the asi.asions throughout the State
eliminated in resolve which Vas unani.
mOusly passed by the legislature Of 1889
upon this question, which l desire to read
as showing TO you that the present lsw ie
not administered in an effective and proper
manner. Resolve to provide . commits
sion TO irquire into the system Of isxAtion
of The oiner states and Of this state and
report TO the Governor and council" "Re
solved, that the Governor be AID is hereby,
with The consent Of the coun ell, authorized
to emposer and appeiut commission con.
sisting OF three persons whose duty
1t snail be to inquire into the
system in other ststes. ia couuty
snd municipal tsxstion, and to provide
for more equitable aud Just system Of
taxation of ali kinds Of property in this
State for the purpose of said State. county
and municipal expenses, that shall be better
adapted TO the wants Of this State and to the
wants OF thepeople, and TO provide for =
more effectual system of assessment and
collection Of taxes in this State"
Olpsee IL of the report this commission
appointed under this resolve, after stating
how the burdens are claimed to bs placed
nnsquaily upon the people. say the com
plsint Is uuQuestionsbly wcli-fouudsd, and
there is no evidence that personal property
has escaped taxation in the State of Maine,
or elsewhere. I call attention to the figures
on page ii OF the report Of the special tax
commission 10 show the large discrepancy
between the valuation Of the State Of Maine
n presented BY our own assessors and As
taken by the United States census; and
Gov. Bodwell in his address states that he
has no doubt that the valuation of the
property ns taken BIZ the United States
census is much more nearly cor
rect than that given by our own
assessors. Now this might be evidence
enough that the taxes we're borne unequally
by the people of the State, but l hold in
my fsnd an article written by the Justice OF
the Supreme Court Of Maine, Judge Emery.
and it is the second article which he
has written upon this subject. In
former article which l do not have
at present, he stated at length the
inequalities and burdens Of taxation result.
ing from The failure Of assessors TO tind and
tax personal property. Now, IL ]
had any doubt. or il anyone did, q.
to the failure Of the assessors to tax per
sonsl property. hold in my hand
al Anonymous document which think is
perfectly conclusive that personal property
s being taxed. II So singular document
1t is House document 1877 and without
name. hsd supposed previous to this
time that the Legislative, Judicial and e1
ecu'ive were the three branches of our
government, but il seems there 10 fourth,
which should denominaie the department:
for the dislributon of anonymous literature.
This document, printed ct the expense of
the State. and circulated in the Legislature.
is very good document - showing
the fact this. personal property - not taxed.
IL the members will take pains to read il,
they will find out for themselves that this is
an article which admits that personal prop
erty is not taxed and says that IL cannot
bear the tax which other property bears and
that the assessors are exercising discretion
which he thinks they ought to continue to
exercise in regard to the taxation Of this
properly which shows conclnsively that
property Is not taxed at the present time
Now what does this inc quality mean to the
tax payer? IL means that certain tax payers
throughout the Slate are paying taxes for
their neighhors, and submit TO you, gen
temen, lhs. Ii is the real estate and bust
ness property that is subject TO this Unequal
ity. ! think it would not be denied thst
taxes are now assessed wi,bout equality.
The new law which | hold 10 my hand sim.
ply provides that the ASSESSORS of towns
shall be put under oath to do that which
the law implies they shall do. They should
do under oath as the Law provi les which is
on the statute books. |; simply conpels the
man who has property to make a sworn
ststement Of That property 10 the assessor,
and TO give to the assessor the information
which he is entitled to, AID which the as
SCISSOR cannot get in any other way. That
is everything there is in this law in addition
to whst the statute requires today.
Ny. Spears remarks will be concluded
in later issue
Mr.. STsnton Of Sagadahoc-As l made
the motion Yesterday, it may be expected
should say something further about it, but
the gentleman has g)ne over the ground 90
far IS the tax bill is concerned. lie SAYS il i.
the sim OF our tax laws, ,and ough. to be the
aim Of all tax laws to sssess our tax Laws
equally which of course is perfectly true;
and tlst, of Itself will b. assented to by
everybody, IL is simply = practical ques-
ton for this legislature 10 determine srd
FOR the Law makers TO determine whs.
Is the most equal way OF assess
log the property Of the State
Now real estate is equally assessed.
Then we come to personal pyoy-
ctty and personal property which i.
called money. Thai is the great point at
issue. Money, capital, or i's representative
Is n very difficult thing t) catch. II takes
wings on every slight alarm. and gees
you do not knor where, exscty. Now we
hsve got pretty stringent Law on our
statute books for ihs very listing system
which IL advocated here. II is 40 stiingei
that il il is not executed now, assessors
have power to the fullest ex.eat. if lists are
not brought i! in. The gentleman says the
listing system is the law Of 10 states; but
IN hos many OF those states are lis:iog sys-
tens practically operative more than In
Msines That is the question
Vermont IA the one case which
he cites, and Vernon, is not a sts.e like
l. =. -