Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-23
TAXATION.
ItHICfVVVO THNHTIUN,
.Speech Of Pres. Lucius TuttIe
Before Taxation Committee.
Sketches Start and Progress of Rail-
roads and Value to State.
The Roads Perfectly Willing to Bear Their
81! re o. Taxation.

I Following IS the speech in f1ll deliv-
cred by President TuttIc of tho Ro.to,
< Maine and Maine Central Railroads
: Tuesday before the Legislafurc com
/ mittec on taxation at the STATE yrouso.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the
, Committee: l wish first to express nv
| thanks FOR the courtesy Won have ev-
| tended in adjourning this hearing from
last week so | might be present ana
say q little something thar NAV he an
expression of my own views mo-, t,,is
subject, whether they have weight or
not-upon this great question Of taxa
ton. l regret exceedingly that | was
not able TO De here and listen to the
discussion OF the question by these
gentlemen who have already talked
about this matter. It would undoubt-
eddy have added TO my information.
and it would probably have saved Your
hearing from me some things that may
be a repetition of what has been said
, more ably by others.
/ understand that for some years the
revenues derived by the commonwealth
from this levy of an annual state tax
has been insufficient to meet the in
creasing expenses of carving on your
State government, ana that, at the
session of two years ago, the subject
was brought UP and discussed with
considerable intensity of feeling and
with an expression Of the desire TO
make then a radical increase in the
amount that should be received from
the State tax levy. either by changing
the method of taxation or by inc,eas-
ing the rate of assessment upon Ger
tain of the industries within your Dor
derS. The Legislature. with it's accus-
toned wisdom and fairness. decided to
postpone 4 further consideration of this
matter until this session, so that in the
intervening time there might be more
ample opportunity for temperate dis
cussion of the question than could be
given at the last end of a short LcgiS-
lative session. That action was, ]
think. wisely taken, and l think you
will all agree with me as to its wisdom
In the intervening time the discussion
has been carried on by all classes of
your citizens generally, so far as have
been able to read the reports thereof,
with an exceedingly good temper..and
with an evident desire to arrive ct a
fair and just conclusion.
l say generally There have been.
some exceptions. there have been some
who had patent processes which they
knew to be right and which would fix
the whole matter to their satisfaction
if not to that of every one else: and
the positiveness of these gentlemen has
reminded me of the case of the hus-
band and wife who. having accumu-
lated something of this worlds goods,
decided that they had outgrown their
house. and that il would be wise II
add 4 wing. so that they might have
for themselves a sitting room and bed
room where they could be free from
the Interruptions of the other members
of the family. Everything went well
and the addition Was- built. until they
came to its finishing, The architect
carried out their ideas, and everything
about il was as satisfactory as could
be- until they came TO furnishing 1t.
and then arose the question, how that
bed room and that sitting room should
be papered and the husband had very
defined ideas about the color. ana the
wife had equally defined ideas about
the color and they discussed it Owe;
and over again to such an extent that
it finally came to be matter of discus
sion in the neighborhood. At last it was
settled and the rooms were papered
and the discussion quieted down ana
the excitement ended; but at an after
noon sewing circle one of the frlends OF
the good wife said, Maria. how qua
that discussion end about the wall
napero" Well" she said, you know
John was very set in his way but we
finally COMPROMISED He wanted white
and wanted blue. and we compro-
missed on blue Laughter).
There have been reams of good paper
and gallons of good ink wasted on the
subject. but | think everyone agrees
that taxation may be defined. or taxes
NAV be defined as portion OF the pro-
duce of the land and labor of the coun-
trv placed at the disposal of its gov
eminent. All the experts VINO nave
written. all the scientific men VINO nave
written on the subject of taxes. nave
ogreed up to that point. | think they
ograe further that the true rule of tax
ation is an equitable and proportlona'e
assessment upon all persons and prop
ertv of the cost of maintaining ana
carving on the government. They
agree upon the point that it should be
eouitable, not an equal assessment.
and then they begin to disagree as TO
what IS an equitable assessment; ana
if YOU were to read what Cooley ana
Mil and Stewart and dozens of others
have written. you would come to the
conclusion that each man in practice
bel,e.es that an equitable method is
10 nut the burden of taxation on the
other fellow.
Now. ! do no appear before this COM
r1ittec with any such request in re-
gard to the two great railroads mat
I have the honor to represent. | say
at the start that the government or
YOUR commonwealth is entitled to have
an adequate sum of money from tax
alton to live well and do everything
that is necessary to give the people
of vcur State as coed a government
as it is possible to give to any people;
and | don't ccme here to ask anything
in charity for these corporations that
I IcDresent. nor do l ask anything as
n favor to them.
| simply ask what I know you Will
oil lie willing to give-Simple justice in
the reapportionment of the taxes of