Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-02

Inc state HOUSE WdS visited, Monday,
by the special commission on taxation
of railroads, which was appointed by
the provincial Parliament of Ontario
last winter to Investigate the methods
followed by the several States of the
Union in taxing railroad corporations.
The commission has already visited
five Western States, Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin. MINNESOTA and Indiana.
Maine is the first of the Eastern States
which they have been in. but they will
visit Massachusetts. New York, Penn
syvania, New Jersey and Washington,
u. G.
At the state House they visited both
the offices of the railroad commission
ers and of the State assessors, spending
considerable time in each office. Both
Col. Harrington. clerk for the commits
sioners, and Clerk James Plummer, of
the board of assessors. made every eff
fort to give the visitors all the Informal
ton on the subject possible, showing
them the way in which returns were
made by the companies, how the tax
was assessed and then giving them an
idea of how the people of the State
ltlI toNdIdS tIt IOddS VII tit
other hand. the means the management
of the roads took to keep the people
friendly towards them. 1t was a source
of surprise to the members of the COM
mission that the commissioners had
never been called upon to take action
looking to the regulation of either
freight or passenger rates.
After completing their business at the
Capitol, the commission visited the
Togus home. returning to the city in
time to leave at 3.55 for Boston, where
they will be today.
The commission consists of the fol-
lowing gentlemen: II. j. Pettypierce.
member Ontario Legislature, from
Forest, Chairman; Prof. Adam Short,
Queens University, Kingston; Aich
Bell. county Judge. Chatham; w. b.
Wilkinson, law CLERK Ontario Legisla-
ture, Toronto. secretary of commission,
and A. f. Semple, private secretary to
premier of Ontario, Toronto, official
stenographer to commission. Judge
Bell was not with party, yesterday.
As was stated some days ago. Labor
Commissioner Matthews is to investi-
gate the potato business of the State
this year and have the result of his re-
search printed in his next annual re-
port Some may have an idea that
this means only the potato business of
Aroostook county, bue such is not the
case. as he will investigate the BUSH
ness in other parts of the State. On
Monday he sent out circular letter to
the railroad station agents outside of
Aroostook county, asking the following
questions:
Number of bushels of potatoes Of
the crop of 1908 shipped from your sta
tion not including tho$e coming to you
by rail from other stations.
Number Of bushels shipped out of
the State.
Number of bushels intended for
consumption within the State"
The regular meetingIo of the State as
SCISSORS for the MONTH of July will be
held today in their office at the State
House.
The railroad commissioners have or
dered the hearing OnI petition of the
Moosehead Telephone Company in re-
gard to where on the right Of way of
the Canadian Pacific. Railway it shall
construct a line from, Greenville juno
ton to Holeb, for "Wednesday, Aug 81,
at 10 A. NJ, i'm the office of the COM
missioners i'll Augusta1
A photograph of Mrs. NJ. G. Benson,
of Wells has been forwarded to- st.
Louis to be hung among the pictures
of the other Daughters of the Revplu.
ton at the exposition. Mrs. Benson is
the daughter of Golf Moore, who was
a son of Col. John Moore, of Revolu-
tionary fame. Col Moore took part in
the battle of Bunker Hill.
These new corporations have filed
certificates at the office of the secre-
tary of State:
Monticello Steamship Co., organ