The Portland daily press., 1901-01-22
TELEPHONE TAX
Measure introduced in
House Monday.
Provides For Tax on
Gross Receipts.
Bill Vas Formulated by Grange
Committee.
Sheriffs' Salary Bill
introduced.
Takes Away Fees From Officers
i'm Certain Counties.
Sheriffs' S alary Bill
introduced.
Takes Away Fees From Officers
i'm Certain Counties.
LAPEcraI 20 TEE IRsss.I

Augusta, January 2l.-The reas-
sembling of the legislature this afternoon
was marked by the Introduction OF two
important measures. One is the Grange
bill for the taxation of telephone and
telegraph companies. The other is the
bill, form nlated by q committee appointed
at convention OF the county commits
sioners of the state, to place the sheriffs
in csItsin counties named in the bill on
a salary. In the same line lie the order
introduced in the upper branch by MIR.
Plummer OF Penobscnt, directing the
Penobscot county delegation to inquire
into the expsdlency OF placing all the
Officers OF tnat county upon a salary.
TELEPHONE TAXES.
The bill In relation 70 the taxation of
telephone and telegraph companies was
presented by Mr.. Farnsworth OF Penn
broke and Is as follows:
An Act relating to the taxation OF
Telegraph and Telephone companies.
Strike out section IS to 81 inclusive OF
chapter six of the Revised Statutes as
amended by ohanter 154 OF the Laws OF
1873, and substitute therefore the follow
ing:
Section LIVERY corporation, company
or person operating In whole or in part a
telephone or telegraph line for toll. or
other compensation, within the state,
shall annually, between the hrft and
fifteenth DAY OF April, return TO the SEQ
retaIy OF state under oath ot'its treas
urer, II corporation, the amount OF the
capital stock of the corporation, the
mum ber and par value OF the shares, and
n compile to list OF It's shareholders, with
the places of residence and the mum her of
shares belonging TO each on said first day
of April; IL Company or individual, the
owners, or one OF them, shall make a re-
turn under oath to the secretary OF state,
between the first and fifteenth day OF
April, of the names and residences of the
owners and the relative interest each
owner has in said company en- the first
day OF April. The returns shall also con-
tain a ttatsmsnt of the assessed value in
each town OF It's real estate snd other
property taxed by municipalities and the
gross receipts within tne state for operar-
ing suoh BUSINESS during the preceding
year an1 tn1in9 April first.
Section Every corporation, company
OF person operating, in whole or in part,
a telephone or telegraph lins within the
state, for tolls, or other oompen n sation,
shall pay to the treasurer or state, for the
Il 20 or the state, an annual exoiss tax for
the priv iiege OF ccn1ucting such business
within the state, whi9h, with the tax
prov ided for in seotirn seven, Is in place
CT all taxes upon the property employed
in such business and the capital stock.
There shall be apporiionsd ani paid by
the state from the taxes collected un1eI
this act to the saveral citiss an1 towns in
which, on the first day OF Aprii in each
year, IL hsld ttook or anV such corpora.
tion, or interests of individuals, in ans
telegraph or teiephons lines orerated by
any company or psrson not . corporation
and taxed under this act, an amount
such stock ON that day as determ ined by
the state assessors, II a corporate on; and
IL not q corporation such proportion OF
the amount OF excl 70 tax paid 4nto the
state treasury as the company, person or
persons, operating such line as tbs n
terest in such line held in such town
bsars to the whole ownership, provided,
however, that the total thus appoItioned
on seeount Of such stock, shau not ex-
eeed the sum received by the state as a
tax on account OF such corporation. and
provided urther, that there shall not be
apportioned on account OF any such cor
p1ration a greater part of the whole tax
received by tho state from such corpora
tion, than the proportion which the
amount of capital stock OF such corpora
tion owned in this state bears TO the
whole amount Of the capital stock of such
corporation.
Section The amount OF such annual
excise tax shall be ascertained as follows:
When the gross receipts for the year for
which the tax Is assessed OF such corpora
tion, company or person in the operation
OF such business, exceed i've hundred anu
do not exceed one thousand dollars the
tax shall be ons quarter Of one psr cent
of the gross reoeipts; when such gross re-
ceipts exceed one thousand dollars and do
- 4.1I
shall be one half OF one per cent or the
gross receipts; and 60 ON increasing the
rata of the tax ope-quarter of one per cent
for each additional one THOUSAND doll arl
or fractional part thereof of the gross re-
eeipts until said gross receipts shall b
ten thousand dollars; when such grosi
rCcsipts excesd ten thousand dollars and