Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-05-23
M aine Farmers For Genuine Tax
Reform.

Within the past year there has come
to the front in Maine a political organi-
cation and issue which bids fair to do
much for the single tax movement in that
state. The active spirit of the so-called
''tax reform movement there is Mr.. l..
D. Bennett, a lawyer and farmer. now
living at Beering, one of the founders
of the state grange, the farmers organ
ization, and the farmers protective
union: the latter organization, in fact,
was formed as a direct result of his eff
forts to arouse the farmers on the sub
ject of taxation. The following extract
from the publications of the Union will
show its object:
Believing that agriculture is the foun-
dation of the state and nations wealth,
ana that the prosperity and happiness
of the people, not only those who are
directly engaged in tilting the soil, but
every citizens of our country, are af
fected thereby; and
Whereas, We, the farmers of Maine
here assembled. believe that the present
depression in agriculture, the abandon
ment of so many New England farms,
and so many of our young men leaving
the paternal acres. the home of their
boyhood. to seek other and more lucra-
tive employment. is in large measure
due to the unequal and uni ust taxation
20 which the farmers are compelled to
submit, by our present laws. which ex-
cess will amount to more than half q
million dollars annually: therefore
Resolved. That we will give our in
fuence, and earnestly support any legis-
lative measure for the equalization of
taxation. until such Il measure shall be-
come a statute law.
Mr.. bennett claims that there are
$40, 600, 600 of property in Maine timber
lands and railroads which now pay less
than $50, 900 into the treasury of the
state, which ought to pay, and would
pay if fairly taxed at the rate of even
~ per cent. (which, he says, is less
than the average), 1000, 900 per an
mum. The timber lands in the unor-
ganized townships of Maine comprise
an area larger than the whole of Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut com bined.
They pay less than $50, 900 a year into
the state treasury, being assessed at a
valuation of only 81 an acre, and, of
course. being in unorganized townships,
they have no local taxes to pay. They
should be assessed at fully Sc an acre,
say the tax reformers, and in lieu of the
heavy local taxes which all property in
organized townships pay. the state YAK
on these wild lands should be raised
from a of per cent to IL per cent.
The movement then, rests on the dis
tinct purpose to assess speculative hold
ings so as to relieve industry, both agri-
cultural and urban, from the burdens
now resting on it.
AS for the railroads, Mr.. bennett
thinks they should pay in fair assess
ment of the actual value of their tangi-
BILE property, their real estate, rolling
stock. etc, but he and the tax reform
ers oppose any attempt to tax shares of
stock or mortgage bonds: and they OPP
pose the taxing of mortgages on real
estate, which they say only increases
the interest the farmer has to pay, ad-
vocating instead the taxation of mort
gage and owner as joint tenants.
The formation of a farmers organi-
cation for the distinct purpose of tax
reform is of itself an important move
ment: but that it should be devoting
itself to securing fair assessment of
wild speculative holdings. and instead