Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-24
STATE HOUSE,
Big Record in the Making Of
Corporations.
Ihity-four Companies Filed Articles
3 ra During the Past Week.
2 -- b.
Program for Farmers Institutes Pre-
2 pared by Commissioner Gilman.

= The making of corporations under the
general law of Maine is increasing very
rapidly The last week witnessed the
i filing at the office of the secretary OF
State Of the largest number of articles
Of incorporation Of any week since the
law was created. Counting from Mon
day to Saturday, inclusive, the mum
Der reaches "a. The division by DAYS
is as follows: Monday. s: Tuesday =;
"Wednesday, /: Thursday. Z; Friday, =;
Saturday, 6. Total, "a. This is an av-
erage of nearly six each day.
When changes were made in the cor
poration law by the last Legislature
frar chise tax on corporations was es-
|tablished. At the time it was feared
that this measure, which has already
Brought into the State treasury. mostly
from out of the State, over $35.OOO.
would retard the growth of the busi-
ness; but the reverse has been the re-
suit In 1900, when there was no fran
chise tax. there were $50 corporations
formed. but in 1901 the number in
creased to S56. regardless of the fact
| that tax on franchises had been i'm
posed. This year. according to present
indications. there is no doubt that the
increase in the number of corporations
formed will be far beyond the most
sanguine expectations of those who ad-
vOcated the imposition of the tax.
The January business indicated that
in 1902 there would be at least 1000 COM
panies formed. In the face of the
great increase in the present month
these figures must be revised and the
prediction made that more than 100
companies will be organized this year.
The State assessors have a busy year
before them. The last Legislature, as
will be remembered. directed them to
examine into the systems Of taxation in
the various states and report such
recommendations as they may deem
advisable to the Legislature of 1903.
The assessors will begin at once on this
work.
Some of the nearby states will be Wis
iteG by them and experts on the sub
ject of taxation will be consulted. a
coed deal of the work will have to be
done through correspondence. This re-
port will be prepared so that it can be
submitted as soon as the next Legisla-
ture meets. The subject is one of great
Importance and the report cannot fail
of being of great interest. 1t will come
just at time when the people are
more than usually interested in the
question of taxation,
Another important matter which the
| board of assessors will be obliged to
consider this year is the taxation of the
| timber lands of the State. Work in this
line will be begun about the first Of
| May. Meetings with the timber land
owners will be held in all the counties
| where the wild lands are situated.
There are in Maine 9,137, 1876 acres Of
wild lands. which are valued at s19.127.-
| 4c1, the average value per acre being
$40. The largest acreage of wild lands
| is in Aroostook county. which has g
632.S54 acres, which are valued at $1..5
per acre. The next largest acreage is
1000, S06, in Piscataquis county, and the
next. 1,769,032, in Somerset county. In
| Piscataquis the valuation is 1924 per
iacre, and in Somerset county 1874.
The highest price placed on the lands
of any county are on those of Frank
lin. which are valued at $2.5S per acre.
Il There is no doubt the State assessors
do their best to get at fair and equi-
/ table value of all these lands. One of
the members Of the board says: This
matter of the taxation of the timber
lands is one of the most dfffcult with
which we have to deal. 1t is not an
easy thing to get at the desired infor-
nation on which to base a tax. have
no doubt we value some of these lands
too high, while others are too low.
Upon the whole i think we arrive at
quite good average 1t must be UNI
derstood that some Of these lands are
situated in remote parts of the State,
and even the owners themselves do not
know so very much about them. Ne
take every possible way to get. at the
truth.
of course we understand there is a
feeling, which is perhaps natural. that
the timber land owners do not pay their
prcportionate part Of the taxes. We do
our best to give this class of property
the value which ii should have, and if
We fail it is not because our intentions
are not good. In 1898 the average val
uation fof the timber lands was Sit
per acre: in 1900 it was $2.10. We can
not say until after our investigation
whether. in 1902 it will be more or less
than what 1t is now. Some of the tim
her land owners have offered to sell
their holdings at the price placed upor
them by the State assessors, and this
ought to go to show we have not placed
the value, to say the least, too low"
The programs for the farmers insti.
tutes to be held in Androscoggin an6
Oxford counties early in March have
been prepared by Commissioner A. w
Gilmen. and are as follows:
Grange Hall. Turner Center. wednes
day. March 5-10.30 A. M. "Orchardin:
for the Hill Farms New England. b.
John w. Clark. North Hadley. Mass. fol
lowed by Hay Production" by Dana Fl
Morse. Randolph. VT 100 p. NJ. Dairy
ing" by Prof. j. l.. Hills, Burlington. VT.
director of the Vermont Agricultural Eek
pertinent Station. followed by 10-minut
talks by several successful Maine dairy
men. $50 p. NJ. Fresh Thought o.
Poultry Culture by DR.. G. NJ. Twitchei
Augusta.
Norway. Thursday. March 6-10.3O A. M
'.Orcharding for the Hill Farms of Ne,
England" by John w. Clark. North Had
ley. Mass. followed by Hay Production.
by Dana III. Morse. Randolph. VT. 100
NJ. .Dairying." by Prof. ]. l.. Hills. TO
lowed by 1o-minute talks by several sut
cessfui Maine dairymen.
South Waterford. Friday. March .
II