Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-21

thereby proportionately cutting down this
inequality required. That is, it would in
crease the school mill tax laid on all the
property of the State for common pur-
pose and relieve the towns just to the
same extent of their municipal taxation
1t provides for increasing the school mill
tax from / mill on a dollar of value of
property throughout the State to 11
mills, and reduces the per capita tax from
so cents per inhabitant to IS cents per in
habitant. This does not remove all this
inequality, but it divides measure of it.
1t is step in the right direction, half
way. Now If it is right for the State to
raise one-half of IFS school money by a
common tax, it does not make it wrong
to increase the common tax SD that it
shall raise three fourths of its revenue
designed for that purpose through the
same manner. You assess tax of mill
on dollar. We ask that it be increased
to II mills. The State is raising money
| for common cause, and for that COM
mon cause, the proper course is to raise
1t through the State tax rather than
through the municipal tax.
1t may be said that there are certain
towns that through this fund received
from the State, are now receiving more
money than they are required by the State
| to pay into the State treasury in the form
of a State tax. That has nothing to do
with the case. IL this system of the State
tax and the distribution per capita is
right, then that principle would stand
right If it We're extended further. And
IT there is any error anywhere it comes
from the fact that you distribute that
money per scholar instead of ON the valua-
ton.
Mr.. Whelden of Portland moved that
the House concur in adopting Senate re
port b, the minority report. / think that
at this time after this matter has been
fully and ably Investigated by the Senate
and after the decision they have reached,
no words of mine are necessary concern
ing this matter.
Mr.. league OF Caribou said he believed
this bill was just and right. l believe it
is wrong to establish per capita tax to
support any State institution. Why not
find out by the number of inhabitants
what the amount of appropriation would
amount to per capita and then say to the
towns, "Your proportion is so much be
cause you have so many Inhabitants u
u very unjust tax. The gentleman from
Lewiston Mr.. Noble) told us the other day
that the common schools of New England
were the bulwarks of American liberty,
and that our common school system tends
to preserve the liberties and rights of the
citizens of the State Of Maine. Now the
poor people of Fort Kent and Frenchville
are paying IA or Is times as much to pre-
serve the rights and liberties of the State
of Maine as do the citizens of Portland.
1t is all wrong. My own town pays ~
mills on the dollar for the support of
schools. But why should the people of
Portland be interested in the education
of the children of Caribou or in Fort
Kent? Simply because education tends
to preserve the rights and liberties of the
State 1t has been said that my county
would be relieved more than any other
county in the State and that it would get
more money from the State than they paid
into the treasury of the State. Isn't it
because we have got more scholars there?
We pay our tax, don't we? We pay the
so per cent per capita tax and we pay the
mill tax. We should pay as much tax in
proportion as Portland or any other 10
cality
There has been an effort before that COM
mittce to excuse rich towns and rich men
from paying their taxes. They have
come before our committee and said, IF
you have this bill passed it will drive
capital out of the State" Let it go.
They are not good citizens il they arc not
willing to pay their taxes. Let them go
from the State and give place to better
D,,t Sc I,of "A a Rnnlll-
lican Legislature and we ought not to do
it. Gentlemen, that is just the reason
why we should do it. 1t is just the rea-
son why we should do something just and
right and manly, and equalize taxation. 1t
is Just the reason why representatives
here should carry OFT the resolution that
it PASSED in their State convention at
Portland, as they did two years ago, that
1--WE are in favor of just and equal taxa
ton" They say in convention that they
are in favor of that kind of taxation that
will compel each town to pay an equal tax
with every other and bear equal burdens.
They will come here and work day and
night to excuse themselves from doing
that same thing. am sorry to sec that
there is no disposition on tho part Of the
leading men, so far as i have observed,
to e9ualizc this taxation. In the in
forests of Aroostook county want to say
that we do MOI come here begging. We
ask nothing. This bill was defeated in the
Senate because they there put it on the
ground that it was an Aroostook county
bill These words were left on the desk
of one of the honorable senators: 1--WE
want you to understand that Aroostook
matters cannot pass through here with
ont opposition. That was not signed and
it was cowardly i'm the extreme. Aroostook
is growing faster than Cumberland, and
we mean to grow. The gentleman from
Waterville said the other day that farms
were being reduced in value 1t is be
cause the rich men come here and say,
Don't tax US. If You do we shall carry
our property out of the State. The farm
ers will pay the tax all right" Ship
owners come to be excused from taxation
and they are excused. Societies all over
the State come here to be excused, and
they are excused-and the farmers pay it.
No wonder we have abandoned farms. 1
want to say again that VIC in Aroostook
have more scholars. If we get more money
from the mill tax than other counties, it
is because we have got more scholars in
proportion to the population. Cumberland
county has 1882 scholars. Aroostook
county with little more than half the
Il.