The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-06-19
REPUBLICAN PLEDGES REDEEMED.
The Financial Condition of the State.


Hon. Sewell p. Noble of Phillips,
chairman of the Republican State con-
yention held in Portland June 18th,
gave this clear and satisfactory show
ing of the financial condition of Maine
today:
For the year 1901 running expenses
of the State were 100, 600. OF this
amount IS ID percent, OF more than
one-third of the actual expenses, was
paid for educational purposes and about
% percent. for charitable and reforma-
tory Institutions aggregate for
these purposes representing total OF
81 LAG. 900. These items are of special
and peculiar interest to the taxpayers
of Maine. 1t should be of interest to
know that of the 81, 100000 dlsbursed
by the State i'll 1901, S6o2, 900 went
directly to the people for the support
of their various schools.
For the present year this amount
will exceed 100000, the largest amount
ever returned to the people i'll any one
year for educational purposes. Regard
less of the direct aid to academies and
high schools there were at least 200
towns in Maine last year that received
more from the school fund and mill tax
than they paid the State i'll taxes.
Where did these benefits fall? Surely
not upon the cities and larger munich
palities. for Portland paid S9l 900 more
in state taxes than it received from the
school fund and mill tax: Bangor paid
81, 900 more than it received, and
Lewiston paid $4,000 and Auburn So,
600 more than they received from the
school fund and mill tax. This S6o2,oo
then, should not be regarded strictly as
an item of expense, but rather as a col
lection and distribution Oh the part OF
the State of so much money whereby
the wealth of the corporations and
cities and larger communities is MADE
to bear its just proportion OF the eX-
penSe in training our boys and girls Tor
intelligent citizenship.
The other item for charitable and re-
formatory institutions, amounting last
year to S494, 900, is more properly and
strictly speaking an item of expense.
But it is an expense that you and |, ana
all lOyal citizens of Maine most willing
ly bear. | affords relief for the poor and
unfortunately affords protection to
our homes and society. While even this
item NAV appear large to the average
that it is more than balanced by a sin
gle item on the other side Of the ledger
viz, the $500, 900 of revenue received
10y the State from that class of people
whose money is deposited in our savings
banks.
Are we doing too much for our
schools? Surely not. nor can we so long
as our system of education is inferior
to that OF any State i'll the Mon. Are
we too liberal with our charities and
reforms? Surely not, nor can we be so
long as we have poverty. misfortune
and crime in our midst. But we should
not forget the fact that if the expense
of our schools, our charities and our
reforms, We're eliminated from the dis
easements OF the State, OF il the ex-
penSe OF these were raised by direct
municipal assessment, our present rate
OF state tax, = 81 mills, would be re-
duCed to less than one mill on every
dollar of taxable property.
The legislation of 1901, supplemented
by the wisdom and economy Of the pres
emf administrations have made 1t posi-
bic, up to the present time, to pay 1856,
600 OF our temporary loan. and on the
18TH day of next month the entire tenn
porary loan of e:}N6.000 will have been
discharged But this is not all-in the
meantime the States permanent debt
will have been reduced by $4,000,
Such then is the record of the present
Republican administration more than
half a million dollars applied to the re-
duction OF our public debt, and this
without increase in taxation.
Thus is manifest the wisdom Of the
policy which seeks to place at the head
OF the States affairs. brOad-minded and
successful business men men, too, Ell
doWed with honesty of purpose and in
tegrity of character.
In his speech accepting the nomina-