The Portland daily press., 1893-02-10
TWO REPORTS,
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
East Liyermore; James W. Sewall, Old Town;
Arthur L. FarnsWorth, Portland; a. l.; turner
Robplnston; A. Fl: MerroW, YORK ,,o Jesse y.
Dexter, Auburn; William I. Hall, Rcnmono'
The Days Business.
| A bill was introduced today to amend
the law relating to school attendance SO
that every child between and is years,
| be obliged to attend school for at least 16
weeks of every year. The present law
applies to children between the ages OF
and Is years.
| A resolution authorizing the trustees
of the Madawaska Mining School to ex-
pend $1,000 in etfecting a reasonable in
| surance, was referred to the Committee
on Education.
Mr.. Lane of Augusta, presented the
petition of the city auditor of Augusta,
which is that by an error in the return to
the State Assessor. for the year 1891, the
city of Augusta was deprived Of it's just
proportion of the railroad tax assessed
| for that year, and requests that the
city be paid its proportion of the railroad
tax in that year from the state treasury.
A bill was put in to the effect that
| Highways extending through two or more
towns and established by county COM
missioners according to the provision of
chapter IS, R. S., shall be deemed county
roads and shall be maintained by the
| county.
A bill was put in to make the Gray
Park Association beneficiary under the
law for the payment of stipends to
agricultural societies.
| Vlnn frN q n
Provident Aid Society has passed to be
engrossed.
The Cumberland county convention OF
reformed men are among the petitioners
for municipal suffrage for women.
The Listing System.
The listing system had its innings to-
night, and the Senate chamber was filed
with interested auditors of the hearing
| before the taxation committee. The first
speaker was Hon. B. F. Chadbourne, who
believed that while the system was not
perfect it would bring out more taxable
property than the present system. He
| thought it should not be rejected on the
presumption that all men are liars.
Judge Hall of Augusta, who served on
the tax commission OF 1889, spoke at
length of his Investigations into the sys-
/ tenn where it is now in operation and said
the people would not object were they
all treated alike. He believed that the
tax rate in this state might be reduced
one half by "a proper equalization, He
also spoke of the valuable franchises
granted by the legislature which might
! be MADE to afford a good income. He
commended the collateral tax bill and
cited the $780, 900 obtained under simis
lar law obtained from the estate of
Jay Gould which in his lifetime had
paid taxes only on 100000.
Professor Rogers spoke in behalf OF
the State Grange. He cited New \ DIRK
laws, claiming that they furnished an ar
| gument in support of the bill.
A. L. Perry Of Gardiner spoke in oppo-
sition.
Mr.. Perry believes that tax levied upon
real estate falls in thesend upon the pub
| lie public owners of real
estate either through profits
/ obtained on the business conduct
/ ed in it, or by themselves, or through
rental, and if the real estate is leased,
they expect to get enough to secure full
/ interest and value of money invested in
addition to taxes, insurance, etc. When
/ any burden is laid upoRinterest bearing
securities interest, rates will rise just
enough to cover tax, in other words,
| holders of securities will not bear bur
den. Weather citizens are generally
| speaking voluntarily the heaviest tax
| payers, being greater buyers and consum-
/ ers. Conscientious citizens would fall
/ victims of this listing bill as it could be
| only partially enforced.
Other speeches, following the same
line of argument were made by Ware q
| Vinton of Gray, Mr., Gardiner of the ex-
i ecutive committee of the state grange,
| Mr. Merrill of the tax committee of two
years ago, and Senator Hersey, who be-
| lieyed in modified form of the bill as a
beginning.
A. L. Perry, ESQ.,, of Gardiner, made a
forcible speech in opposition.
Non-Partisan Police Boards.
An important matter likely to come
before the legislature is bill to provide
or non-partisan boards of police COM
missioners in cities having certain
number of inhabitants. While the de-
tails of the proposed bill have not been
agreed upon, it is understood that the
system contemplated would give the
boards the rights of selection Of men for
police force and perhaps general super,
vision of discipline and the rights to rec
ommend removals. The matter has been
under discus sion for some time and was
the subject of conference tonight be-
tween gentlemen from different cities,
including Portland, Bangor, Augusta
ard Biddeford. The measure has not
been finally determined upon.
Ex-Attorney General Littlefield, Seth
M. Carter and W. S. Haines were before
the taxation committee today, and advo-
Gated the taxing of trust companies in
the same manner that savings banks are
taxed.
The judiciary committee are evenly di-