The Portland daily press., 1901-01-10
Measures TO Improve Naviga-
tion on Songo.
rsrreIAL TO THE rREss.1

Augusta, January 9.-The taxation
Issue was brought to the front with q
rush today. Five tax bills were referred
to committees OF the Legislature while the
committee of the State Grange met the
committee of the State Board of Trade
ana talked taxation down at Hotel
North. The railroad, telegraph and ex-
press companies are the targets OF the
three nsw measures presented today.
The two which come from the last legis-
lature deal with railroad taxation. All
these bills win go to the committee on
taxation.
The railroad bills do not seek to change
the existing system OF taxation, but two
OF them materially increase the rate. the
third dealing with the manner OF raj sing
the money paid into the ssats treasury
by the railroad companies. The bill
which 1t is understood has the endorse
ment OF the Grange committee was intro
duced by Mr. Farusworth OF Pembroke,
and is amendatory of section AZ OF
chapter o. as amended by chapter I66 of
the public laws of 1873 This is the sec
ton which defines the manner OF inn
posing the excise tax based upon the
gross earnings of railroad companies.
The Grange bill proyi des that the tax
shall be ons half OF one per cent OF the
gross recaipts, when the average receipts
per mile do not exceed $1,000. three fourths
of one per cent when they do not ex-
ceed 81. 900, and SO on increasing the rate
of the tax one-quartsr of one pr cent
for each additional five hundred dollars
of average gross receipts per mile or frac-
tional part thereof, provided that the rate
snail In no event exceed 4 per cent. When
railroad kes partly within and partly
without the state, or is operated on a
part of line or systems extending be-
yond the state, the tax shall be equal to
the same proportion OF the gross receipts
in the state, as herein provided.
The present law provides tax of one
fourth of one per cent when the average
per mile Is slbc0 and increases 1T quar-
ter of one per cent for each increase OF
$3.50 on the average. with a maximum
rate of Ia per cent.
The Gardner bill, which comes over
from the last legislature, goes to work
as does the Grange bill, but IT makes
rates or its own. AS compared with the
law as 1t stands today, the Gardiner
bill makes the rate one half OF one per
cent instead of one-quarter when the
average receiptE per mile do not exceed
$500. 1t makes the rats three quarters
OF one per cent where the earnings are
from $500 to $1,000 per mile, instead OF
one-half OF one per cent where the earn
ings are from $500 to S2250, as the present
law fixes it. 1t increases the rate one
quarter Of one per cent for each addition
al $500 OF earnings per mile. The present
law makes the increase one-quarter OF
one per cent for each additional $3.50 OF
earnings. Finally. the Gardner bill
makes the maximum rate per cent In
stead of three and a quarter per cent.
In addition to the Gardiner Dill there
also comes from the last Legislature the
Of Caribou. Mr.. Kings bill did not
change the tax rate. Its purpose was 10
keep in the state treasury all the income
from the railroads by striking out tine
provision that there shall be returned to
cities and towns one psr can't or the
amount of railroad stock exempted from
taxation and held by the people OF the
cities and towns,
Having Introduced his railroad bill,
Mr.. Farnswortn presented a bill to in
orelse the taxes OF express companies.
Now the express companies pay tax of
one and one-haIf per cent on each years
gross receipts The bill raises this rate
to two per cent.
The telegraph companies were made the
subjsct of another bill introduced by
Mr.. arnsworth. This bill increases the