Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-17

gusta.
Papers from the Senate disposed of
in concurrence.
TAXATION OF RAILROADS.
Bill an act to amend section AZ, of
chapter 6. of the Revised Statutes. as
amended by chapter lag, Of the Public
Laws of 1893, relating to the taxation
of railroads.
This bill came from the Senate from
the committee on taxation, referred to
the next Legislature.
Mr.. GARDNER of Pattcn: ! have an
amendment ] wish to offer to that re-
port. and I also wish to move that
when the vote is taken on this amend
ment. it be taken by the yeas and nays,
and that the members of the House go
on record as voting for or against it.
l am before you to defend in a feeble
way my convictions: and ! wish to say
that this bill. introduced by me. call
ing for an increase in the taxation
rates on railroads. is not Il move to in
jure or affect or attack any one corpora
ton, but it is Il move. and my position
is that there should be an immediate
move, in the direction of increased
taxation on the public corporations of
this State. And understand me here
that by these corporations l mean the
great quasi-public corporations of the
State which have received immense
privileges and grants and concessions
from the people of this State And /
wish to say here that it is my firm be-
lief-and the more know of the mat
ter the more l am convinced of it-that
by undue and inDroDar Influence on tho
Legislature in this State. for too long
nave tnese corporations avoided pay
ing their just proportion OF the burdens
OF taxation, and too long have the peo-
PIE oil TINS State had too great a bur-
ueh Oh taxation uDon them.
mad two objects in introducing this
hili. IN singing out the railroads. First.
clam that they have practically adj
ihitted. without discussion and with
OUT any extensive INQUIRY, that the
raliroao property OF this State does not
pay FAIR proportion of the taxation:
ana without discussing that. | make
TINS statement that | believe they do
not. Ana also have another reason
Whlch mink should appeal to the
members OF TINS House. that the rail-
road corporations OF this State are the
g. 80 '''N>NA'He'' 49, e.tS III W.
pofauons that nave the most influence
on the legislation IN this State. And
my OBJECT in moving Immediately upon
some OF THESE matters, even if we do
not nave time TO attend to them all. is
tnat, as the Old story goes. bundle of
STICKS might not be broken, but one
may De and say to you that history
is very likely to repeat itself. We have
nj ut ton, ;v,t !,
state to tax the corporations. \ COM
mission was appointed at an immense
| expense, of eminent men. who investi-
gated thoroughly the system of taxa
ton IN this state and reported to the
Legislature The results you well
KNOW. Out OF all that expense and all
that inquiry, out OF all the work of all
that talent what did we get? A board
OF state assessors who simply follow
out the law, dog tax. and some slight
changes in the collateral inheritance
tax The corporations in this State
were not touched: and so far as prac-
tlcat benefit to this state went the re-
port of that commission went into the
waste basket. .-
In regard to taxing one corporation
ana IN regard to the proposition That
we have not time TO tax them all. |
wish to call your attention to one thing,
that SO soon as the assessors in town
know that person does not pay taxes
on ms property ana aumlts II. ana the
only excuse he sets tlD for not paying
it is that somebody else does not pay,
tnat excuse IS not often considered out
he is usually obliged to pay his tax.
That Is the position exactly. This Leg