The Portland daily press., 1900-12-28

sembled, - foilowsl
Bsotion Livery telephone corporation
or association doing business in cities Of
Maine having population OF i've thou
sand or more shall annually on some day
during the last week OF March, publish
In each OF said cities In such newspaper
as the mayor OF each Of said cities shall
designate statement, subscribed and
sworn 10 BY ths local manager of said
corporations or associations showing In
eaon city the following facts relative 20
the operation In the city where the State
ment 10 published: The gross income
from operation, the total Operating ex-
penses the total amount paid as rentals
or royalties. and 20 whom paid, also In
each city the total number and value of
all poles, wires, insulators, transmittsrs,
batteries, instruments, and other apDara :
tus and property, leased and operated and
from whom leased
Section 2-In case the mayor shall fail
to designate the newspaper in which said
statement 10 to be published, said state
ment shall be published in each city In
the daily newspaper having the largest
circulation, and IL there Is no daily news
paper then In such weekly newspaper as
has the largest circulation, and for every
day said telephone corporation or associa
tion shall fail TO publish said statement
after the date named In the previous SEQ
tion said corporation or associations shall
sum OF fifty dollars to be recovered in the
name Of the city IN an action on the case.
EXPLANATION.
This order provides for the publication
In each city OF the leading facts relative
20 the local management and gives the
people q chance TO judge whether they are
paying reasonable prices for services rem
dered and IL information which the peo-
pie have right to receive from a public
corporation.
Ordered, That our representatives to
the state legislature be and are hereby re-
que steu TO ufe all honorable means to Sc
cure the enactment of the accompanying
bill or one that shall secure the same re-
suits. also that the city clerk be and here
by lie directed to send a copy OF this order
and the bill annexed to each OF our said
representatives, ana also ordered that the
city solicitor bs and hereby is directed to
appear before the committee on taxation
at the coming session OF the legislature
to urge the Recommendation OF this bill
STATE OF MAINE.
An act to amend section fifty-th OF
chapter six OF the Revised Statutes relat-
ing to the taxasicn of telephone COM
panies. BE 1t enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives in Legislature
assem- bled, as Il lows:
Section l.-Section fiftY-three of chap
ter six OF the Revised Statutes lie hershy
amended. by striking out the words ANY
property or shares OF said corporations,
companies or persons" at the end OF said
section and inserting in place thereof the
following "the shares OF stock OF said
corporation or companies but shall be
franchise tax only and the buildings,
land, poles, wires, insulators, transmit
ters, telephones, batteries, instruments.
telephonic apparatus furniture ana Tx
lures Of saiu corporations, companies and
persons are subjsct to taxation by the
cities and towns in which the same are
in, and shall be regarded as nom resident
land" SO that said section when amended
shall read as follows:
Section 63 Every such corporation,
company or person shall annually, on or
before the fifteenth day OF April, return
to the secretary of state, under the oath
of its superintendent, the amount and
value OF all the property enumerated In
the preceding section, owned by IL within |
the limits aforesaid, on the first day Of |
April annually, and the governor and
council shall determine said values and |
assess said tax thereon by the first day OF |
May annually. The secretary of state |
the treasurer of the state, who shall |
forthwith notify the several parties as
sessed. Said tax shall be paid into the |
treasury on or before the first day OF Sep |
tenn Der annually, and Is in place OF all
state or municipal taxation on the shares |
Of stock of said corporations or companies
but shall be . franchise tax only and the |
lands, poles, wires, insuIators,
telephones, batteries, in |
telephone apparatus, furniture
and fixtures OF said corporations, COM
panies and persons are subject to taxa
ton by the cities and towns In which |
tina same ara situated as other property Is |
taxed therein and shall be regarded as |
land.
EXPLANATION.
The local telephone company encumbsrs
Dur streets with It's wires and poles, re-
ceives about $40, 900 annually from regu-
lar Portland subscribers and many thou
sands more from long distance business,
but pays no tax to the city OF Portland |
except q small tax ON its Exchange street
real estate.
This com pauy PAYS state tax fer its
property ana rights in the whole state OF
! little over eight thousand dollars. The
proposed law makes this tax franchise
lax only, imposed In place OF a tax on |
he companies stock and a tax for ths i
privilege Of using the streets. but pro-
vides that the real and personal property
)f these com panies shall be taxed in the
,ities and towns where It is located.
CYPRESS TEMPLE, l.. q. Il.