Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-05-17
The Valuation of Maine

Speaking the other day OF the valuation
OF Msine as returned-n the census reports,
the Advertiser suggested that the valuation
OF 1850, being an estimate Of the true
value based on the assessed value, might
have been too large, and that this might
account for the apparent decrease of the
wealth OF Maine between 1850 aud 1890.
This view is borne out By letter from
Senator Hale TO the EeHae1ec iourRdI
The senator says
The full returns show very tliNrunt result.
and the mlsa pprchcnston aFi-e= from thc mcth,Si
IN which the lI-t- Of what werc -raiicI True
Valuations for all the stsEe- wcrc made Gp
under the census Of is>0.
The true test a. applied not only 10 Maine but
10 other states Il In the 'a-sc-,ssi valuation ''
which WAS accurately taken. or a. nearly so a,
might hc IN iS~o and i-aa. TAe census returns
OF assessed valuation for Maine IN i->i, -hpWci
n valuation Of s55, -. .-l6 The same rcturn- Of
asscssed valuation for Maine IN l-.o -how,d a
valuation - sSs iea,lal, an increA.c 81 s7SI-.t,
lSS
At the same time IN both year- the crn-u.
offioc made an estimate Of What wa called thr
true valuation. but, Ia is~i ttis wa not much
better than guess WORK, aA Will t~ -es-n ~ tiir
hgurrs, mot ouiy for Maine but A}l thS uthyr
slAies. The sum. are given under ihe bead nf
true estimated" valuation, and til. gave ;ha
estimate" stmply Tor Maine a. s5ii,"t"" II
was undoubtedly too lars" hUs Wa never tn.
tended t. ls considered more than an estimate "
have letter from Hon Carroll u Mright,
acting superintendcnt Of the rensus la whira he
say- that under the census of -s.. no -Grh SHve-
work was rrsorted TO. but that CAREFUL inquiries
were made. through the a-zc--or- % thc different
cities towns ami plantation, and that under tLl7
method the actual valuation OF Maine. n Tar A.
II could lie gather~l from such suur'g- Wa-
hs9. ia. l2- The difference between these figures
and the estimate, or tie guess Sorh Of !'>' y
whzi has given rise TO tho statement iat Maine r.
valuation has fallen OF, In tic last ten years
more THAI al .QssN Nsl.
setting asids what !. az estimate of true Naiua
Lhp rtsat Il n ~
tion which Il the Assessed valuation az tls. two
years. The real valuation ~. of csur-~. Hurh
larger IL each year hu; anies- tte -ABc method
Of estimating that could le applied. foth e. ls~'
and lssn. any estimate would be utisiradiu- A-
Anordins comparison 81 tHc valuation ~ iFc
Stat" at the two periods
These facts show beyond doubt that lhr
.idrsrtiser was right iu IL suggestion tha;
there Was too much guess work IN the 4 :
innate OF 1850. They also settle ii that
the wealth OF Maine 50 far from dtcrc4>-
ing. as some have tried 10 make uut from
the census bulletin. has increased largely
To those conyerssnt with the progress Of
the Stale In manufacturing and trausp ,rta
tion aud along other Industrial lines. the
census showing seemed incredible on it-
face. 1t WAS absurd Of course 10 suppose
that the total wealth should fail of c3l.-
600 600 ana the taxable wesith grow e.3.-
O0o 900. all within the same decade. kut
II this comparison is not convincing. other
statistics given by Mr. Hale must be lie
points out that deposits In the Maine saw
logs banks grew from S23 900 .OOU in round
numbers Ia 1850, to s+1 900 600 iu l>90-l
gain of more than 100 per cent that the
capital invested 10 the manufacture Of T. X
tile fabrics grew from $4,000 600 and
more 10 lss0 10 exceeding $50 900 Ocp in
1890; and that according 10 a previous
census bulletin on the finances OF Maine
| the vslue of real estate had Increased "a Sc
per cent in the decade. and the value Of
personal property Il 02 per cent. The per
centage of gain on the sum total Of val
| uation is stated In the same bulletin al 81
per cent. That is very different from the
alleged decrease of over four per cent in
the same. The error i evidently not The
fault of the census agcats OF 1880, but il
proceeds from the exagg ggerated estimate OF
| 1880 That is the amount of IL, aud II IS
important that the facts should be under
stood and false impression not allowed
TO get abroad.