Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-02-24

MAS Sfss TIE AHiVuHt PAsV
TO Ssasc BY same. Sls.s6u.
The amount pail to the State for charges.
SGD. ssskisg total income of SsS,S.5.
This Vi IS \ lsstie n-orc than the amount NJ
n ise,i ,lls- sireyiois years, but the ratio Of
Increase iias ne, i.,ea KEPT up because of
tisss incrsssS. rs,lairssl TO he paid. In iSae
The number ii corporations doing hasiaess
ia Maine was lsse, the an,ouat pal to the
State by saaie, Sis+ia. Number of corpor-
atoms doing business outside of Maine.
SIS; amount pail 10 the State by same for
organization. SOS $50 Amonnt psi9 TO the
State for charges. $50, The whole amount
paid by A@;ns corporations in four years
was Sia 49, tta, aYacanl paid By outside
corporations. a7t..&.s Whole amount
paid feF increase vas Slslo, making the
toiai amount received frosai the CORPORATIONS
I IN foar years, So iii1.
/ The larger part Of Ills revenue has come
| frem corporations which have been orgau-
/ lied ont Of the Siate, This meaas no tax
upon any psisoa wto lives in the State,
! This maa,.y somss easier - Us tasn any
money ~, r, cgs,e, | b l;eye, tina, ii this
I hill should .,,.s'nRle q law. that YOU VIII
/ drive a~sy i isfgr part of these corpora
/ tieas which eolae 10 as from out of the
/ State. ana iaforele.I by the attorney
general tha, about half rs many corpora
| lions 60 out of existence each year as are
organized, 50 that the cry that there are Sd
many corporations organized shat never ia
| tend to do business does not affect as, an
/ even If thes do, We take their money. Lei
MS not enact laws that viii reducs
oar revenues from this source. If this bill
I should pass | believe there viii be II large
hess of revenue.
Again there are certain corporation,
which are exempt from this franchise ta'
! of S25. Mining corporations are exempt
( If any corporations or organizations in tbs
State ought to be taxed they are the minns
corporations. uf all wildcat schemes intro
duced here, the mining corporations ar
the worst Then again this bill would Ia,
every Masonic and Odd FELLOWS hall il
the State. The tax will be laid on some OF
our small corporations. l move that th'
bill be indefinitely postponed.
/ Mr. Lane of Augusta: The committee
were not entirely agreed upon all the pro
visions of this bill but they did not see fit Il
To make minority report. In order tina
this bill may be amended to meet the ohlec
lions of any one, or if the committee so de
eide that no bill be reported at all, | NOV
that the bill be recommitted to the commit
tee on taxation, and think if the bill agaii
comes before the House, it will come IL
such shape that no member of this ilous
will object to it.. The committee has no de
sire to report any measure which would no
meet with the approval of the House, and
is on this ground alone that ask the Hous
to have the bill recommitted to the commit
tee on taxation.
Mr.. Emerson of Portland: | sincerei,
hope that the proposition to recommit, o
the gentleman from Augusta, will not pre-
vail. The committee on taxation has has
this matter under consideration for SOM
time it has duly reported; and time 70
consideration has been duly assigned. TIN
Legislature has been in session now TO
seven weeks. 1t strikes me it is time t,
cease recommitiing; it is time to ceas
tabling it is time to do something. An'
speaking as a member of the committee oil
the business of the House, and speakin,
for majority of that committee, | hop
that this bill will not be recommittea, bu
passed or defeated here and now.
Mr.. Bird of Portland; There is no ques
ton in my mind but that the House is nov
ready to act upon this bill. 1t has beef
before the House and printed for man.
days. The committee has taken no actor
to have the bill recommitted to them AM
having failed to do so think this IIous
owes them no consideration in that particu
lar and we can decide upon the matter now
| am therefore opposed to the motion t.
recommit.
The question being on the motion I.
recommit the bill to the committee ON taxa
ton, the motion was lost.
Mr.. Roberts of Norway: This matte
was before the committee for number o
weeks. That committee gave a hearing
and some of the ablest attorneys of III,
State appeared in the interest of these cor
porations which will be taxed by this bill
We heard them patiently and submit tina
their arguments were to this effect, that i
You tax these corporations they will leav,
the State. That is all the argument the,
brought against this bill. They did not dis
pute the justice of the bill Then it re
solves itself into question of expediency
it is question of whether they will leav,
the State or will not. If these corprrA,i M
already organized, some 1000 in number
and those which intend to organize III til,
future are to be driven from the State ,ther
am opposed to this bill. If the,
are not, / am in favor of it. Where ur,
they going? The people who come in her,
to organize these corporations come from
all the neighboring states, and why? Be
cause our corporation laws are loose. :,
corporation is organized with capital stocl
of perhaps 500 900, and there is no,hin:
paid in. If corporation is organized il
Massachusetts or in other states, they mus
pay in something. II is for this loosenes
| of our corporation laws that these corpora
iions come in here TO be incorporated. Tn,
fact that there is small tax upon then
will not drive them away. The ger tlemci
before the committee told us that these cor
porations would 90 to West Virgins, but
find that the laws of West Virginia impos,
a tax of $50, and al. we ask is So s,
they viii not go 10 West Virginia,
We have about 1000 corporations in thin
State that will come under the eject o.
this bill and will give us revenue OF
nearly $50, 900. These corporations have
already been chartered and they will no
! withdraw from this State and go to West
Virginia and pay double the tax thtt they
will here Then it was said that they woulf
90 TO Virginia; hut ! understand that there
the law requires a heavier tax upon the en-
rollmeut of the charter than we have in
this State. All the states are putting OF
these taxes, and if there is one Stat. where
! there il not an annual tax, W hen these cor
poraiions 70 there they are liable To NEE,
with the same fate. We do not increase tho
| enrolment tax-tbat remains the same, but
we wish 10 tax the corporations already in
here which will give us a large revenue
and we need it. 1T has been suggested tina,
there are some corporations included in TIL:
/ bill which ought not TO be taxed We are
willing to receive amendments; but we
| hope that the House will vote in favor vf
/ the S2j tax
/ Mr.. Powers of Ilonlton claim TO he of
those who are taxed. and think should
I favor any bill that was reasonable and inst
/ for taxing any property. People do not
/ complain SO much of excessive taxation as
| they do that taxation Is unnecessary and
unjust. Il seems 10 me that we are getting
no small aum at present from
/ these corporations. have not
I investigated ii,bnt gentlemen who have and
| upon whose judgment can rely assure me
| that ano change vii proba " result in our
getting less from those corporations. 10
not understand that orr corporation laws
are loose; ! understand that it IL from two
reasons that we get this large revenue which
costs Us nothing: first, we do not require
the capital sock to he paid in: second. we
are charging sneh a sum shat il inluces cor
porations To come here AMI organize. 1t is
/ 4 question vt cost ami expense. The money
We receive costs US nothing. There is no
pretence that We are not collecting n fair
sUna from them. We have all read the ia
| bic of the hen thai laid the golden esg and
how. by AMI by, all the revenue wa.
destroyed. tsink the tax committee in
Ills case are moving sornewliat in that line
| hejirve slafI sustain the measures I IN