Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-27
STATE HOUSE.
important Facts Which State
Assessors Figures Show.
But Few Miles of Railroad Have Been
Built, This Year.
SIX FITCH OF RAILROAD COMMITS.
SIONER PARKER SPOFFORp

The figures of the State assessors
show that there are 9, towns in the
State which have 4 valuation of over
a million. The list is made up as fol-
lows: Lisbon. Caribou. Fort Fairfield.
louiton. Presque Isle, Bridgton.
brunswick. Falmouth. Freenort. Cor
ham, New Gloucester, Yarmouth.
Pennington. jay, Bucksport. Eden,
Ninslow. Winthrop. Camden. Rock
port. Thomaston. Norway. Paris. Rum
ford, Dexter. Orono. Richmond. TOPS
ham. Fairfield, Madison. Pittstield,
Skowhegan, Kennebunkport. Kenne-
bunk. sanford South Berwick and
York.
The average valuation for the en-
tire 81 is high. reaching nearly one and
threc-Quartcrs millions. Brunswick
has the highest valuation of all her
total standing little better than
three and onc-half million. Eden,
which includes gilt-edgc Ear Harbor,
comes next. SkovheGan ranks third
and Sanford stands fourth.
There are So towns which have a
valuation of from $500 Geo to Il million
The % cities OF Maine represent 1i5
million of the valuations: the % towns
first mentioned. 30 million: the %
towns. IS million. and the remaining
3a36 towns and IS plantations represent
but u per cent. of the total valuation.
If there is one thing which these
figures show more strongly than any
thing else said Hon. George Pottle of
the board. lit is the effect which
manufacturing has had on the valua
ton of the State. You look Over that
list OF 81 towns and you will find that
with few exceptions they are manu-
featuring towns. IN the list hcrc are
some notable examples Of this. Take
the town OF RUmford. In 1850 it was
only a quiet litt!c agricultural! town
with Il modest valuauon of $2S2 900.
Today we list il at 81 $50 600. the result
entirely of the great manufacturing
plants which have been established
there. Then there il the town If Wins
low. Ten years ago it had Il valuation
Of $-1,32 coo. Today it lists II $500. 600.
And it must he borne in mind that it's
valuation would ne much greater if it
were not just across the river from
Waterville, for many Of the people
who are employed in the paper mills
titt'l' lin e 'lI li!'' W 'ttt'i ' itli Sl'4t
What is true OF the 3. towns, is
also true Of the %. 1t is clearly
shown that the manufacturing towns
ar1 largely IN the lead. In that uum-
Der We find: East LiVcrmore. Webster.
Nndh2m. Wilton. Monmouth. Oak
land. Nassalboro. Warren. Ninahavcn.
Waldnboro. Bcthcl, Fryeburg. Hamp-
den. Newport, Dover, Foycroft. Gull
ford. S;lngerville, Chcrryfield. Lubee
North i:erVick and 4 number of minor
towns which depend on manufacturing
to less degree. These figures all
show that Names future depends on
her industries and not on her farms
and that the bulk Of her valuation
comes from the manufactures and not
the rural portions
The Maine farmer cannot compete
with the broad-gauge farming of the
West. but when you tackle the state
on manufac curing you find where
the strength OF the Pine Tree lies
The big plant Of the Great Northern
Paper. 60. at Miilinocket does not FIG
ure in the foregoing figures. for the
reason that the town of Millino"ket has
vet to be incorporated. This is some
will be probably be asked Ia do, for
as il is now the town can have no
police force Of its own and has to de-
pend entirely on the strong right arm
Of the sheriff and his deputies. Just
how large the town is likely to be is a
question 1t is thought by some that
the promoters Of the Great Northern
would like to have it take in just the
thousand acres lying close round the
mills, but whether the Legislature
would agree u this is doubtful. 1t is
prohablc that they will include the
who'll. town Of GOO acres.
At the present time the entire plant
is in the wild land country and the
township is taxed at timDerhnd rates
without regard to the improvements
which have been made. This is i'll ac-
cordance with the law. hut the law
makes the provision that once in five
years the county commissioners shall
see that every township having 20 or
more population shall be Incorporated,
so the period of exemption is neces-
Sarily short.