Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-10
TAXATION BILLS,
The Revision Campaign Opened
Wednesday Morning.
congratulations to Maine Congress-
men on Great Victory.
Othcr Features OF the Wcrk Of Yesterday at lie
Capitol.

! OF DliIs, petitions and resolves, and
! then the legislators spent the rest OF
/ the DAY in brief committee meetings to
perfect organization and make a few
assignments, and in loafing about the
capitol and their hotels gossipine
over prospecting legislation. The
! taxation revision campaign is on, a
! oeGlnnlnS being made at yesterdays
session by the Introduction of three
DIS by Farnsworth of Pembroke. in
cfeasing respectively the tax on rail-
reads, on telegraph companies and on
express companies. The Gardner tax
alton bill. left over by the 18th Legis-
laturc, also appeared again and gees
INTO the hopper with the others.
| a feature Of the session was the
passage by both branches of a vote of
congratulate ton to the Maine dclcga-
! ticn on the successful outcome Of the
Wig orous and skillful fight they have
WaSed for the Burlegh rc-apportion-
| ment bill which retains for Maine its
present representation in Congress
and the electoral college. This Wash
ington victory for Names rights was
J the foremost topic of the day and
many compliments were given our
representatives and senators for their
work in bringing a decisive triumph
out of what seemed to be defeat. The
talk of dividing the State into three
congressional districts. which some
faint hearted ones had been making,
vas dropped with a dull thud.
The three taxation revision bills in
trcduCed by Representative Farms
worth, yesterday. represent the ideas
of the Maine State Grange as to the
increased tax which the railroad. tele-
graph and express companies should
pay. Other taxation bills Will doubt
less be coming in for the next few
days. Mr.. Farnsworth is Master of
the Washington County Pomona
Grange and is State deputy for his
county. He has been a member of the
State Board of Agriculture. The rail-
road tax bill provides that the excise
tax shall be ascertained thus: The
amount of the gross receipts shall be
divided by the number of miles
operated to show the average gross
receipts per mile. Where such average
receipts do not exceed $1,000 the tax
shall be one-half of one per cent. of
the gross transportation receipts.
When the average gross receipts per
mile are more than $1,000 and less than
$500 the tax should be three-fourths
of one per cent. on the gross trans
portation receipts, and so increasing
the rate of the tax one-fourth OF one
per cent. for each additional $500 pro-
vided that the rate shall never exceed
four per cent. on lines partly Witnlll
and partly without the State the tax
shall be based upon the proportion or
gross receipts within the State. Inc
present taxation law provides that
when the average gross receipts are
$500 or less per mile the tax shall be
one fourth of one per cent. on the
gross transportation receipts. For
e,th increase of $50 in the average
gross receipts per mile the rate of
taxation is increased One-fourth of one
Der cent. until the limit of three and
cnc-fourth per cent. is reached. Inc
Gardner bill which comes over from
the 69th Legislature makes almost eX-
actly the same changes in the cXlStihS
law as are provided in the Farms
worth bill introduced, yesterday Mr.
Farnsworth'S bill relating to the taxa
tiun of express companies provinces
that the tax shall be two per cent. on
tbcir gross receipts instead of one and
one half per cent as at present. Thu
telegraph tax bill provides that the
tax snail be three and one-half per
cent on their gross receipts instead
of two and one-half per cent. as at
present. Two of these bills were le-
fcrred to the committee on taxation.
The chief bill to appear IN the
Senate. Wednesday. was the one pre-
scented by Staples of Knox. abollshlnS
the arbitration clause in the standard
insurance policy. This is the same Din
that drew on warm contest. TWO
Years ago. and is certain to provoke
another this winter. The insurance
men say that they shall not fight 70
| keep the arbitration clause IN the
| policy and they hold it is for the pro-
/ lection of their patrons rather IMAM
| of themselves. They hint strongly
that the opposition comes mainly from
| LAWYERS who want to see disputed
| losses fought out in court rather lhdn
| settled by arbitration. The opponents
| of the arbitration clause say 1t WORKS
an Injustice to the insured. The state
| insurance department says IL IS d
great protection to the insured. -Ahd
there you are.
! Other new measures which appeared
/ "Wednesday. included a resolve Whlch
carries s.. 600 yearly for the Maine Eye
and Ear Infirmary. Portland. turner
/ asks for $2I2 to correct an error on the
school returns. Monmouth Academy
asks for $500 yearly for two years y
bill was introduced amending the
charter of Parsonsfeld Seminary so
that there shall be no limit 10 'he
amount of property which can De heiu
by the trustees. Beal of Bangor put Ill
a resolve carrying $1,000 yearly Tor the
Eastern Maine General Hospital
| Another resolve by Kelly or Le"lst'i''
calls for the same sum for the 1cals
! ASYLUM of Lewiston. F. G. Beai' r. u
| Moon, and f. A. Porter of Bangor "SN
to be incorporated as the PushaW Lahe
Railway Company. long pt'i'.o"
came from Norway asking ieSlsia'iol
that will relieve the municipality Vi
any expense in supporting ariiioi ie9
Verona asks for $500 to aid in repa arm
the bridge over the Penobscot river y
long petition comes from Lincoln ash-
ing for an appropriation of s2,9oo ioi
, bridge over the Penobscot. 1nere was
batch of petitions calling loi