The Republican journal., 1892-05-12
Maine News and Gossip.
THE FINANCES OF MAINE.


An important bulletin of forty one
broad pages has just been issued by the
L. S. Census Bureau devoted to the tinan-
ces of Maine, the work having been pre-
special agents of the Bureau. 1t is ar
Hanged under the several heads of valua-
ton and taxation Indebtedness, and re-
ceipts and expenditures; the tables being
very full and comprehensive and the re-
marks based thereupon conveying in
condensed form complete epitome OF the
financial condition of the State. In his
introduction to Mr.. Upton report, Hon.
X. p. Porter, superintendent of the census,
says: ''lt will be seen that of So, So, 9O5
ordinary receipts, the taxes paid upon
personal and real estate property for 1890.
amounted to 50. O95, $685. the receipts from
all other sources being less than 81, O0O,
900, including S445, 9O5 State taxes upon
banks. railroads, and other corporations
1t will all also be noted that by far the
greatest item of expenditures, aside from
miscellaneous. was for educational pur-
poses. the next being that for interest on
State. county, and municipal debt. The
total ordinary expenditures were So. 1873,
$50. a per capita of 50. IS To the total
ordinary expenditures add 81, $50, 613 the
excess of amount paid for loans and
funds and transfers over amount re-
ceived on those accounts, and the grand
total of moneys paid by State, counties.
and municipalities of Maine for the CEN
sus year 1890 for public purposes, not
national, was $3.50, 443, a per capita of
S12.06, of which 50, OBS, 500, or a per
capita of I'll, was paid by taxes on real
and personal property. The attention OF
students of municipal finance is especially
called to this bulletin, with an invitation
to criticise the figures the classification,
and the general arrangement of the eN-
hibits. Ten years ago we took a decided
cal inquiry, but the results obtained for
the eleventh are decidedly in advance of
those published by the tenth census. In
telligent criticism from persons capable
of Judging will perfect the work and en-
able the census Office to fully and accu
rately set forth the nations growth in
wealth. its burden of local and State tau
alton. and its indebtedness. \ compare
son of these results with those procured
in 1880, will place within the reach of
students of this class of statistics the
necessary data for a correct diagnosis of
the tendency of State and local financial
legislation.'
PROHIBITION AS SEEN THROUGH LEG Al
sPECTACLE~.
\ correspondent of the Bangor Com
mercial in reporting the proceedings of
the recent term Of the Supreme Court in
Belfast after noting the three liquor in
dictments found by the grand jury says:
Your correspondent asked a prominent
AZ off h.. t.,,i f,,,.
few indictments for liquor selling, and re-
ceived reply that prohibtory liquor laws
such as are now in force in this state are
the only laws known in any civilized coun-
try by which a person may be indicted and
punished four times fer one and the same
act. and that il the prohibitiOp;sts could
only succeed in adding another form of
Indictment with additional penalty, ii
would make it SO much more difficult to
tind indictments shat the effect OF the
severity of the law would soon defeat it
altogether. Now ii this gentleman : the
DRY is correct, is it not about time to be
gin to try some other means for prevent
ing drunkenness in this State? If the So
called prohibltory laws do not and cannot
prohibit the safe of Intoxicating liquors,
is it not well to Try something that will
regulate the sale i'll the hands OF jlldcious
sellers of the dangerous stuff? 1t would
not be a wise law that should undertake
to wholly trohih1 the sale of gunpowder
or OF poisonous drugs, found in every
we'll furnished drug store, though danger
Gus to health and destructive of life, the
sale of which is and should be, regulated.
1t is a strong argument il favor OF the
abolishment of capital punishment for the
crime ri murder. that conviction and pun
shment for those guilty OF that crime. are
more easily procured under the penalty OF
life imprisonment shan under the death
penalty. The sale of Intoxicating liquors
is not in itself natural crime: it is only
made an offence 10y statute tnactmentS.
Whether it is d real offence ornot depends
upon To- whom it is sold and for what puI-
pose. And is it ut All strange that a Law
should find difficulty ut enforcement hich
makes an Intelligent conscientious. and
well meaning druggist. rs guilty, by the
and most ignorant and MOST reckless rum
seller in the state?
THE ftEENTIEiD COAL NINE.
A. D. Campbell formerly OF the Cape
Breton coal fields, has been to Greenfield
to examine the vein of alleged coal dis
covered there, for John A. Freese Of
Bangor. and others. Mr.. Campbell is an
expert coal miner, and thoroughly posted
on all indications Of probable deposits.
He thinks that the prospects for a paying
vein in Greenville ave good. The coal
there is bituminous and suitable for
steaming purposes He found the out
crop of the vein about half mile from
where it was first discovered by Mr.. Mad
den of Greenfield, while digging well.
The vein was at first supposed to be
graphite The coal seam crops out of the
brow of long, high elevation of land.
covered with sandstone ledge and gravel
soil. Near the place is a well of copperas
water, which is considered a reliable indi-
cation of coal deposits. The land where
the discovery was made is owned by Mr..
Hall, who has leased the property TO the
gentlemen interested in the enterprise.
Mr.. Campbell is well posted on matters
connected with opening a coal mine, and
will superintend the works in this one A
strong force of men will he put to work,
opening up the vein and making prepare
tions for mining on AN elaborate scale.
Greenfield is Il miles east If Milford, in
Penobscot county.
BOAT BUILDING AT BATH.
Perkins 4 Blaisdell, of Bath are build
ING for Capt. George Wiggin, OF Bootlbay
Halbor. a sloop yacht % feet long, Is. 3
/ beam, Is - deep. She will spread 300