Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-11
STATE HOUSE.
Cooperative Plan to Inspect
Names Supply Of Timber.
Queer Questions Asked State Asses
sors by Local Boards.
Khaki Uniforms Now Ready for Ma
tional Guard.

| The question of the preservation AM
propagation of the forests of Maine i
receiving the careful attention of Lam
Agent Ring, and, during the presen
season. much will be done in the direc
ton of advancing the interests of tn
| state in this particular Mr.. Ring i
now making arrangements to secur
detailed information concerning tn
condition of the reserved lots in TIL
plantations of the State. He will seel
to obtain from the various plantation
| assessors all facts bearing upon the
| subject. There are 81 plantations il
the State, in which are located lots o.
1000 acres each, which have been re-
served for public use, and the lane
agent desires to know whether tres
passing has been practiced upon the
land and whether fires have caused
damage thereto. He also wishes tC
know just how many feet of the Vari-
Gus kinds OF woods, as nearly as car
be estimated, are standing upon these
lots. When this information is received
and tabuIated Mr. Ring will be able tC
publish in his forthcoming report much
valuable information relating to the
reserved or school lots.
Another important matter has been
arranged by Land Agent Ring, which
when completed, cannot fail to be of
great benefit to the State. A co-Opcra-
tive plan has been perfected by which
the State and the government officials
Will combine for the purpose of inves-
timber resources of the
State Within two weeks, r. S. Hos
nier, field assistant of the United
States bureau of forestry, will come tC
Maine with a crew of assistants and
will begin explorations in the heart of
the timber country. During their stay
III the State, which will continue well
into the fall, Chief Forester Clifford
Pinehot will spend two weeks with
them andsMill carefully look into the
kNt0rk done by them. This work has
ZEN planned afq will be carried for
lard jointly by Ii nd Agent Ring, act
Fftig for the stateySf Maine, and Chief
Eoyestcr Pinchot representing the
EEAited States government.
At this time OF Y, ar the State asses
|sors are usually deluged with letters
from local assesssrs making inquiries
concerning the taxation of various
Kinds of property Just now the ques-
ton that bothers some of the local as
SCISSORS is what value shall be placed
upon automobile. While there are not
many automobies in the State, the
value of them in the aggregate is NO
incOnsiderable sum In some places the
val nj a al SI0n nm
to $1,000, according to the market value
thereof. The depreciation in value
each year ise very large, as the wear
| and tear on the machines is consider
| able. For instance. last year one town
had two automobiles. one was valued
at 800 and the other at 5000. This year
they are to be valued at $500 and $780,
respectively. The former machine was
used a good deal more than the latter
and hence the proportionate reduction
| in valuation the second year of it's life
! is greater than on the other.
One question which bothered the as
SCISSORS of one town was whether money
on deposit in a savings bank outside of
the state could be taxed against the
| person leaving it there. The State as
| SCISSORS say that citizens If Maine de-
! posting money in banks outside of the
| State must pay taxes upon il. If il
| were in Maine savings bank there
would be no tax, because such deposits
are exempt by law. There is no law
however, which czempts deposits il
| banks outside the limits of the State
Still another matter is causing more
or less difficulty 1t is tbs question OF
how to tax timber and umber. Ir
many places the rule of ocai assessors
varies somewhat and considerable
trouble is caused because there is MOI
a uniform system in vogue.
One assessor writes to know if a gro.
Gerry wagon should be valued, and ths
State assessors say it is property an(
should be included in the valuation
placed upon the business of the grocery
stock in trade, fixtures, ETC.