Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-10

vhieh do NOT. They are, New Hampshire.
Ohio and Vermont, which have a listing
bill, and New York, Michigan and Mary
land which DO not. Now real estate open
to view, is NOT accustomed 10 escape tax
anon, bat personal properly dogs II the
personal properly is brought CIT TO vieu. .
greater percentage Of the entire TAXABLE
properly Of tire State will be personal prop
erty than where personal property escapes
taxation. Wow In rhe state Of OHIO, under
the listing bill. 30 ) 10 per cent of the en-
tire tsxabie property IS personal property
In New Hampshire, uusser the listing bill.
the personal property Is 81 3-lo per cent
In Vermont il Is 81 lilo Per cent In
New York where there is no sys-
tenn for bringing 10 light the Per
| sonai properly, the percentage OF per
souai property ia the valuation is . clio
per cent In Michigan it is 10 lilo; in
MARY land, . 10 per cent; and even IN
MARYLAND they hare law that property
which is once taxed Is KEPT upon the tax list
until the taxpayer unier oath says he has
not got H. anI If he does that, be il obliged
| to show ap hat he has got These figures
shox ths. where the listing system has been
used. i, has brought to light great deal of
| personal property that has heretofore
escaped taxation. Vernon, has very
rigid law. In 1850, before the passage OF
that Law, the personal property OF Vermont
was assessed Ut Sl1.330,i52 and in iso6,
six years after the passage of that law,
| the personal property hal risen IN yaiua-
ton to Si5 .a27 .sss7. an increase OF more
than 200 per cent in the taxable personal
property of Vermont uailer that Law. We
ciaiu1 that the enactment of such Law will
have the same Ell q in this State. that il
will bring TO light Il grea. deal Of property
| that row escapes taxation; and TO that end
we ask for TIE passage of this bill.
| Mr.. Morrill, of Gray: wani 10 ask who
can object, on fair grounds, TO the passage
of this hill. The lahoring man does no,
see ans danger in the oath part of it. Ii
| i. not thu farmer Is i,h his property in sight.
\ If any class objects to il, it is the
men who have money at interest, the
rich who get their money so placed that it
is hard TO get at hope that this bill will
receive passage.
Mr.. Adams of Bangor: | believe that
this is n pernieions, dangerous hii. My
constituents do not want it. Our farmers,
merchants and mechanics are opposed to it,
| The refore move that the bill be indeh-
nitely postponed.
i Mr.. Powers of iIoulton; The gentleman
from Bangor says the bill is pernicious and
dangerous. To whom is il pernicious and
dangerous: Is it pernicious or dangerous
to any man who Is willing to bear his fair
share of the public burlenss Does it create
any new liability to taxation! Does II
make amy property taxable that is not taxa
bic today under existing lawst Does 1t III
any way impose upon any citizen any liabil
ity that is not now imposed upon him? Can
any person, who is willing to bear his fair
share of the public burdens, complain OF
this bill? viii any person who is willing
today to inform the assessors of what he has
so that his neighbors shall not pay his tax
will he complain of this bill! 1t requires
simply that all the property of the State
shall help bear the burdens of taxation. Il
is a mid bill it imposes mild penalties.
have had gentlemen say 10 me that it vii
be wrong in taxing some small sum that the
widow or orphan may have at interest, hu
You will find that those gentlemen WHO
are so Jealous for tue widow :
mite are generally more anxiou,
to take care of their thousands and escape
taxation. | believe that the farming ele
ment if may use the term, the men wbt
own small farms and who by constant dali,
toll gain living, and who have been goinG
back Father than forwari--I believe thai
they have right to ask of this Legislature
AMI Of all Legislatures, while their prop
erty. while their farms and their stock are
taxed and open to inspection that the prop
erty of the gentlemen who live by cutting
off coupons. who live by collecting interest
who enjoy all of the privileges of our gov.
ernment, who enjoy all of the blessing
that we enjoy in this State-tha
they and their property shall equal,
contribute toward the building OF
the roads, tow ard the repair of the roads
toward the maintenance of the severa
local governments and of the State govern
ment. in fact ward all Of the expenses.
This bill. as has been said, is mild in
deed. 1t imposes no duty upon any either
that any honest citizen has not imposed
upon him by the law today. 1t does pre-
scribe that if a citizen will not come up ant
bear, as he ought, his share of the public
burdens, the assessors may add % per cent
TO the amount as penalty 1t also pro
vides that if he can show any satisfactory
reason why he did not SO come, he ma!
come in and bring in his list ant
have it changed. What fairer bill
10 you want? say that
10 man who is willing while he lives her,
in the State of Maine and enjoys all tn,
privileges that We enjoy here in Maine
and it is one of the best states in the Uncr
who is willing that his property shall con
tribute equally with yours and mine towards
the payment of all the public burdens-nt
such man can object to this bill. In short
no honest man who desires to do his duty
can b. hurt in the least. ! trust in the
| interest of fair taxation, in the inter
est of that principle which believe
will hereafter prevail in this State, and
should in all others. that no class of prop
,.rty should be taxed at the ex.
pense of another, that this bill
will receive passage. All property
should be valued as nearly just and equal
as it can. and all property holders should
/ be willing to contribute to the payment OF
the burdens of taxation. BY this bill we
| should get at some uniformity of values
| 1t is perhaps an entering wedge, it varies
very little from the existing law, but sin
cerely believe that it is a step in that di-
rection which will have a tendency to causs
the hills and valleys of Maine and the farm
ers of Maine TO return to n larger prosper
/ lty than has characterized them in former
years. Applause
/ Mr.. Woodbury. of DEER e I wish to
say very emphatically that if | were con
WINGED that the measure proposed would
| bring about any additional equality in the
matter of taxation. should be most heart
| liz in favor of it. But know that the
| farmers of this State do not desire that this
| eii~latHre should enact any legislation in
| their especial interest. All they ask is jus
tiee. | do not believe that there is any
other class of men in our State. any other
| business interest in our State, which asks
| for any special favor. ] believe the tax
payers of Maine are honorable men; be-
lieve that they stand ready to bear their
| share of the burden. and all they ask
is that our legislation shall be of
such a character that they may bear it
equally and without any class or business
distinction.
am opposed to this bill for two reasons
First, because in my judgement the history
| of that sort of legislation does not justify
us in believing that it will accomplish the
purpose that it intended, an increased State
valuation. But mind you, You may get an
increased State valuation and add to the IN
EQUITY which you say now exists. II you
could show that YOU could increase our
valuation $40, 600 600, it would not neces-
| sariIy follow that that $50, 900 900 is not
laid on the shoulders of those v no you saw
are now already over-tsxed. Ohio has
been referred to as one of the states that
has hsting bill. The fact of
the case is that within three
years time after the listing bill was passed
in Ohio the personal property returned in
the State was S32 ,0oo. 600 less than it was
when the bill was enacted. | canaot see
anything in those figures to lead me TO be-