Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-25

/ eAS Aohi ooSiS III lllS 5tdtS oIodiu cC
exempt from taxation, any more than
the farmers. Suppose you taxed a
farmer today ~ per cent. on his gross
| receipts-how much would you get. Is
| 1t just and fair to tax the farmer and
mechanic as we do and tax the rail-
| roads upon their gross receipts? 1 tell
you the people of this State are clam
| oring for equal taxation, and we hear
it everywhere. When this bill was SUBJ
| mitted to the railroad committee, the
| committee were favorably disposed TO-
ward it, but, for some reason or an
| other. they voted ought not to pass. l
have been little surprised that men
who say that they represent the State
Grange have been opposed to all taxa
| ton that has come before the COM
| mittee on taxation. / deny that they
| represent the Oranges of the State of
| Maine. 1 recollect, in the early part
| of this session. when / had bill In
| here before the taxation committee to
tax stocks. that the man who repre-
,sents the legislative committee of the
| Grange, denied that the Grange was IN
favor of it. l deny that these men
represent the Grange of the State
of Maine. And, in answer
to my friend, Mr.. Alden, the
senator from Kennebec, when he ex-
planned his vote in relation to the arbi-
tratioli policy, when he stated that the
oranges of the State of Maine were
unanimous in favor of it, deny it, as
a member of this grange. Do you
| think you dare to go to a subordinate
| grange, a Pomona Grange of the State
| of Maine, and tell them that you voted
to take away the right of trial by
jury: The Grange is a grand order,
| LONG a grand work. but l deny that
| they are in favor of taking away that
right. If you make a conservative es-
| innate of this matter, on basis of l L.
| per cent, you would get railroad tax
| of $1,000,000. You don't get, in the
whole State, today, but 1924 900. At !
per cent, you see what an immense
revenue it would be to the State of
| Maine. We have got to raise some
| revenue. Two years ago, there was
| compromise made and / want to say to
| that legislative committee of the
| Grange-and some of them We're here
| two years ago-a compromise was
made and the senator from Kennebec,
who belongs to the Grange, was one
who helped make it, and raised it one
| half; and the Grange seemed to be sat-
| tsfied. What was the result? One of
| the committee on taxation who sits
now upon the floor of this Senate, who
has been laboring with them for four
years thought railroads should be tax
I'd equally with any other property.
The bill which he presented, four years
ago, would have given us a vastly
greater revenue than We get today.
The Grange put in a bill, similar in
| form, but giving us a much less reve-
hue. Why was that compromise
madec That compromise was made by
| a member of the Grange who was a
member of the Maine Central Railroad.
Is there any property better adapted
and able to pay than the railroads?
Almost every other state in this union
taxes upon the only true principle of
taxation-that is, that they pay ac
.ording to their value. l believe in
equal taxation; and when we come in
| to this Senate and find ST 100000 of
property paying only one-half of one
per cent. upon the gross receipts, there
is something wrong. / plead with you
| in this matter, as honest and honorable
men, because l do not believe there is
, man upon this floor but what wants
| to do just what is right. There is
nothing which engenders discomfort
lmong the people so much as unequal
| .axati There is no politics in this,
| but it is an act of exact Justice; and
move that the bill be substituted for
he report, ought not to pass.
Mr.. GARDNER of Penobscot: Mr..
President | wish to say very briefly
| that the committee on taxation consid-
cred this matter carefully, and in our
best judgment it was thought advisable
% continue the present method of tax
| ton on the income of the railroads.
[ will say here to the distinguished SEN
,tor from knox, that if there is any
craftsmanship in this, had supposed, at
least that the party that he has the
| ,,onor to represent here in the Senate,
would at least champion the income
ak idea; and we can but say that the
| present method of taxation in this
State is upon the income-as to the
| light, I am not so clear. l can but sub
| ;tantiate his statement, and l could but
| feel ii as a personal alusion to my
| self, as to the action two years ago.
! Kill saw that. so far as the roads were
| concerned. the action of the Grange at
| that session was somewhat of disap-
| ,ointment-the legislation being in the
| nature of a compromise, whereas l
| supposed they would come in for
| higher rate. But at present it seems
| to continue the income tax on steam
railroads: and trust the report of the
| committee, ought not to pass, Will be
upheld by the Senate.
| Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi-
| lent. do not understand that the pol
| lev of the State of Maine is tax prop
orty upon income. 1t never has been
until two years ago. If that has been
the policy, the Sooner it is done away
with the better, so that they may be
i taxed upon the cash value.
| The question being put, upon the mo-
ton of the senator from Knox that the
bill be substituted for the report, the
motion was lost. The report OF the
committee ought not to pass, was
| therefore accepted.
| Reports, committee on judiciary, ma
| iority ought to pass in new draft, mi
nority ought not to pass on Dill TO IN
corporate the Messalonskee Electric
| Company, came up by assignment. Inc
| pending question was upon joining on
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