Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-15
THE BICYCLE TAX.
Bicycles Of the State Valued in 1898
at $324,42O.
They Pay Larger Tax Than the IeIeoranh
and Telephone Companies.

Bicyclists should study the last re-.
| port Of the State assessors in order :,
ascertain what sort of a figure tbay ON,
In the State valuation, and also to sc,
what part of the taxes they pay into
the town, city and State treasures nc
| compared with other articles and
vehicles.
1t has been said by someone who did
not favor bicycling. that the tax the
bicyclists paid did not amount to anv-
thlng. consultation of the figures
that cannot lie. shows that the BICYCLES
pay into the State, either to the town
or to the State, nearly as much as the
electric railroads pay 20 the State of
Maine. Furthermore the value of the
bicycles of the State is within $1,000 of
the value of the street railway prop
erty of the State, and is almost one
eighth of the value of the steam rail
road property. This. of course. does
not include the rolling stock. 1t is one
fourth as large as the value of all the
carriages of the State.
recaptulation of the value of the
properties assessed by both the local
and the State assessors shows that the
bicycles of Maine are valued at 1924, APO
Estimating AT the average rate of tax
alton that is paid in the State, which
is supposed to be about two and one
half per cent it is found that at the
present time the bicycle owners are
paying $Slo0.5O in taxes. OF this
amount the State of Maine is receiv-
ing 1892 so as its share. The rest can
be used for town purposes.
The bicyclists might use for argu-
ment the fact that the owners Of car
riages pay only four times as much tax
as they, and in consequence as the BIZ
cyclists demand but a nominal sum in
seem right they should have them.
The taxes assessed on the several
telegraph ana telephone companies Of
the State is but SS6S96l. The tax upon
the express companies is but $495055.
So it will be seen that the tax derived
by the state, for whether it goes into
the State treasury or into the town
treasury it is the same, all for the good
of the commonwealth, from bicycles
cuts quite a figure.
In regard To the electric railroad
companies for whom everyone is will
ing to give so many privileges. on ac-
count Of their great convenience, they
pay but SG955.SG into the State treasury.
The only other tax that they are
obliged to pay is the tax on the prop
erty that they may chance TO hold in
gusta this amounts To practically moth
ing. but in the whole State it amounts
to about the same as the bicycle tax.
The number of riders, according to
the assessment, was about $4,000, but
the returns of the assessors show that
in many towns there is no tax on
wheels. and in other cases it is plainly
evident that all are not taxed. These
with the great addition to the army,
this year, makes large number of
citizens and women demanding good
roads.
In the last assessment Augusta had
333 bicycles valued at $S235. The re-
turns of the present year ought to show
a greater number and larger valua-
ton. The tax on these brought Au-
grsta over $500, last year. Gardiner
and Hallowell's wheels combined, make
but 1925 worth of property. 1t would
seems as though the Hallowell as
SCISSORS did not value all wheels, as
they reported only IS valued at $460.
Gardiner reported ia at a value of
s3O65.