Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-09
VOICES OF rHn PRESS.
The Governors Message.
Portland Adysrtiser.1

UoSetuot addresses himeeif pAruculxriy.
ln regard to revision Of the tax laws.
Governor Burleigh properly insists that
full, uniform and frequent valuation 10 es-
sental to adequate reform Of the system.
and be advises biennial valuation by Q
non partsan State board Of as
SCISSORS. He clearly points out the
faultiness of the present plan Of decennial
valuations aud truly says that justice to all
can be done only by frequent adjustment
Of values. which are continually changing.
His suggestion 10 pertinent, that = sreciAl
committee should be appointed to consider
this important subject
The Governors endorsement Of the se-
cret ballot leaves nothing on his part to be
desired. II am firmly convinced" he says,
| THAT the time has come for Maine to
! adopt the Australian system Of voting" He
points out that the method has passed IL.
experimental stage, that it has been adopt.
ed by the more than third of
the States and that these unanimously agree
that il is the best method yet devised to
secure good candidates for political office
and maintain the purity Of the ballot. Its
wisdom has been clearly established" This
being the case. the Governor heartily com.
mends the system and urges its adoption in
Maine. The ballot reformers have reason
to congratulate themselves on this impor-
tant addition to their forces.
| The address speaks in cheerful tone Of
material conditions and prospects. For one
thing, the savings banks show an increase
approaching four millions in deposits the
past year, and An increase Of over lac. .O00
in the number Of depositors. This
is significant A State that 10 able
to add four millions to its savings
in year is surely not going back.
ward. Emigration has been checked.
Maine people are awakening to the rcalizs-
ton that they can do As well or better by
stay ing at home, capital 10 seeking invest
ment in domestic enterprises, new indus
tries are being established, natural resources
are being developed and labor is finding
| better opportunities of employment
| The evident growth Of the manufae-
turing interests of the State the Governor
considers encouraging to the farmers, since
it will tend to increase the demand
for farm products. Altogether he
thinks that "at no time since the war has
| the future of Maine looked brighter"
| Such hopeful words As these should silence
the croakers and reassure the good citizens
| who have faith in their State and its future.
Other points of particular interest In the
address relate to the preservation of for.
| ests, fish and game, to the State board of
| health, prohibition, State reformatory for
women the Columbian exposition aud the
proposed constitutional amendment BY
the constitution the legislature elects the
adj itant general. Governor Bnrleigh
considers this an anomaly, and that by
rights the commsnder-in -chief should be
allowed to appoint bis chief OF staff. This
seems reasonable, and unless good reason
should appear 10 the contrary there will
probably be little opposition 20 making the
propos.d change. OOe very important re-
| commentator is that official r. gistration of
births and deaths should be in,tituted Itap.
pears that Maine is behi I'D other States in this
regard, which ought not to be, and 1t Is plain
that without Official registration no vital
statistics of value can be obtained. The
| expense would probably not be large 10
proportion to the benefit conferred. Gov.
ernOr Burleigh's corcluding words are wor-
thy of particular attention: 1--WE are not
here as the representatives. of any spe cial in
ferests or sections of the State, but as the
representatives. Of all Interests and all Sec
tons. Let us act fearlessly and conscien-
tlously for the furtherence of Whatever, in
our judgment, may be for the highest good
Of the whole State" This is good advice,
and should be needed.
Lewiston journal
For the mast two vear. ,be,a b.. b,ar
profitable sy;tst;on ~ ia, rafo,n ;,sna. IN
Maine. and the nece,.ity of a mo,o oo,,i1
table system of raising tho whe,ewi,hai +,
run the public mscbne,v has boan ,,ri-
yersaIy recovp,z.d U,s E,csiianc,,
Governor Burleiyb in hi. comnact and a.,
cellent address, 10 the I.o,;sla,nra nov !,
session. cal, a,tention IN the recs,.,,v ~
a full and fair valuation ss a b.si. 90, tho
tax-equity that i, so slow in com;oo No,
because people dislike ius,ice in tbs ab.
stract. hut because the onlv man who
thinks he isp't already oveytsY.a died ami
was caponized many yea,. 400
His Exeellepcy makes a significant r..
mark when he calls attention IN IN. fact
that twice as much property ia found he the
United States census takers in Maioc as nv
the town and city as.es,ors Wbv2 I.yue-
ly becsu,e it has been the p-act;ce NOR.
or less, to underyalue property. .l,bouuh
by so doing the rate per cent i.
carried up Yet many folks seem tn for
get that a Piece of proper,v worth and
rated at 81. .OOO at | per cen, rate pav. n,
more tax than the same prono,tv a.sa..ad
at 81, 900 at 2 per cent rate. The iniu.-
uce comes not in n 80 or 75 ney cen. basis
Of valuation operating generally tbrouuh.
out a town, but in the fact that in different
towns different standards exist. For or.
ample. last year in a certain town
as correspondent informs ma
the agitation of tgx reform led the
assessors to make n new raid ON p,orey-
tv. largely. as il turned ont. on real e.ta,e
they carried up the valuation of real 90
tate considerably. which rise was conuratu.
la,orily footed up as the discovery of new
properly. ihey were, accordingly, enabled
body shook hands with eyervboiy
else over An era Of reform Put
when the refoymers got their III.
tie tax bills thew found fo-.oo,h tina,
their tax was higher tha, II v..
ssn,a ,nAoh en- ia,.lne psr oen'', p,opoiuolt