The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-12

friends should be active in its behalf, for
there are signs that the opposition, what
ever may be Its numerical strength, will be
an active one. :
TIL E ADJUTANT GENERALS SALARY.
movement has been started here IN
known to General Conner. to increase the
salary of the adjutaut general from Sl50O to
$1,000. The increase in the numbers of the
militia and the improvement made in the
standing of the National Guard during the
time that General ConnoI has been at the
head of the department gives reason to be-
lieve that the legislature will see fit to vote
the increase. A member of the committee
on military affairs, said this loren DON that
during the two years that General Conner
has held the office, his expenses had cost
the state only about $50 year. This gentle
man pointed out that it did not seem just
that the head of an important department
of the state government should receive
only the pay of a clerk, especially as the
department was one in which affairs were
/ administered in a way to command univer-
sal appreciation. The gentleman added that
the report of the adjutant general. soon to
be printed, would contain in detail a state
ment of all the affairs of the department
which would be a model in the making of
reports.
THE INHERITANCE TAX.
Amendments to the law placing tax up
on collateral inheritanoes will not be entire-
ly devoted to letting light Tito the darkness
of that rather blind enactment. The present
law fixes a rate of 2 IL per cent on the
amount of collateral requests after $500 is
J,Ir Tr oil a,x
bequest OF $1,000, the state takes 2 liz per
cent of $500. There are some who believe
that it would be wise to make the rate five
per cent and also raise the amount to be
exempted to $1,000. They say that this is a
tax which falls easily upon people and for
that reason is easy of enforcement. 1t does
not of course affect in any way the Inherit
ance of deceased persons children or
other near relatives, the term collateral be-
quest describing sufficiently what is subject
to be taxed under the law. that is. property
bequeathed to persons not in the immediate
family of the deceased or to institutions.
The state assessors are confident that the
law will result in considerable revenue to
tine state. In the two years OF its operation.
from Cumberland county there have been
received reports from the register of pro-
bate showing that there are ninety estates
subject to taxation under the law up to the
present time. Of these, forty-four are Of
persons who have died in Portland. The
amount of the tax of course varies greatly
according to the size of the requests. AS
the law allows two years for the settlement
of estates, the amount of the tax paid into
the state treasury is as yet too small to in
dictate what the total will be.
Supporters of the listing bill say they
know of no authority for the statement
that that much talked of measure will not
be presented this year. They seem disposed
to maintain a discreet silence as to its
chances of success.
WANTED-A VILLAGE.
Should all the new buildings which the
state has been asked to erect be built in one
place, they would make quite village.
The Bangor hospital wants about three
structures to begin with costing $l50,C00.
Houlton and Newport want normal schools
and Few buildings areMesired for the nor
NAL schools at Gorham and Pennington.
The Central Maine General hospital at
Lewiston has asked Tor $4,000 TO help It in
building and a dormitory for the Portland
school for the deaf is very much needed and
Gorham, the recent fire there having left
the school with absolutely NJ dormitory
facilities. Then too, there is the recon-
mendation of the special hospital commits
sion for she expenditures of $4,000 at Au-
gusta. From remark made by an indu-
entail member this morning it would seem
that Bangor is likely to encounter the same
objection as that urged two years ago-that
al ho nodo rn
answer all requirements for some time.
FOR FREEMAN'S SUPPLEMENT-.
Mr.. Hill of Portland, presented to-
day an order which was referred to the
judiciary committee providing that
the sum of $500 be appropriated to pur-
chase 1850 copies of Freeman's supplement
to the Revised Statutes to be distributed
by the state librarian, the volumes to be
uniform with the Revised Statutes fur
nished by Loring, Snort and Harmon.
THE DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
Senator Hovey presented today an order
which passed the Senate directing COM
mittee on legal affairs to inquire into the
expediency of repeating The law passed at
the last session forbiddlng justices of the
Supreme court to st in the Law court when
cases they nave Ifleu at ulSl pTiuS are ue-
fore it. Today. Senator Higgins called at
tention to the order and. after stating that
the matter was one of Importance which
should be carefully considered, moved the
reconsideration of the vote passing the Or
der and that it lie on the table. 1t was so
voted.
The Passamaquoddy Indians ask for $1,000
in addition to the appropriations for 1898
and 1894.
bill to amend the charter of the
European and North American Railway
company reduces the bend of the treasurer
from s50,U00 to $4,000.
A bill to incorporate the Castine Water
company presented by Mr.. Hooper of
Castine. authorizes them to use as much of
the availa ole sources of water supply in
the town of Castine as may be necessary.
The pensions committee reported this
morning recommending that the petitions
for the exemption of soldiers and sailors
from the payments of poll tax be referred
10 the committee on taxation.
The town of Marion asks tor $3.50 for 1895,
and $3.50 for 1896 and a resolve has appeared
Apr OPERATING this amount.
The bill smentioned in the newspapers