Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-22
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
CONTINUED from page IL

~ taxing nSn IN COlQDrOOK IN Lowell ana
= Stoneham, Oxford county.
a. An act to regulate fishing in Baska-
'egan lake aud stream and in Hol-
i. b, ook, a tributary to rhe stream and in
g Sci ,oodic Grand lake, North lake,
3 Bra ckett lake and their tributaries,
ssaudIS the waters between Schoodic,
= Gran, , lake and Chepenticook lake,
. situate d in the counties of Washington
!, ana An oostook.
An &C to prohibit the hunting of
duck on that part Of Upper Kezar pond
" situated IN Stow and Lowell, Oxford
! county.
3 An act IT, regulate fishing in West
: Carry pond in Somerset county.
An act 10 authorize the Piscataquis
Savings Banl :, of Dover, Maine, to con-
str,ct and maintain safety deposit
boxes.
j An act to amend ard extend the
1 .harter NJ he Rangciey Trust Com
i pany.,
I An act to permit the .Br;dgton Street
Railway Com pany to discontinue the
r. onaratiop of its line during certain
months Of the year.
) An act to -atify and confirm the or.
ranization of the Penokscot Valley Gas
Z Company, and to give said company
additional powers.
An act to change the name OF Caif
4 Island to Opechee Island.
Anlac to autnoriz the town OF San
gervfile to remove the bodies OF de-
ceased persons.
An act to fix the salary Of the
recorder of the Western Hancock NUM-
cipal Court.
An act to regulate the practice Of
veterinary surgery. medicine and
dentistry.
Finally Pas sed.
Resolve in favor Of t2le dairylng in
terests of the state OF NJ aine.
Resolve in favor of the Maine General
Hospital.
Resolve in favor of the Eastern
Maine General Hospital Bangor.
Resolve i'm favor OF the Augusta City
Hospital.
ResoIye in favor Of the Bangor Chill
dren'S Home.
Resolve in favor of the Saint Eliza
beth's Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum
OF Portland.
Resolve in favor of the town of Phil
lips.
Resolve in favor Of A. n. Small
Portland, Maine.
Orders Of the Day.
On motion by Mr.. Gardner OF
Penobscot, House Document a., Dill
An act in relation to the business OF
selling. giving. and delivering trading
stamps, checks, coupons ana siiniiar
devices in connection with the sale OF
articles, wares and merchandlse'
WAS taken from the table On fur
nntn a
same was referred to the committee
on Legal Affairs.
Peport of the committee on taxa
ton, on bill to tax railroads according
TO their actual value. that legislation
thereon was inexpedient came up by
special assignment.
On motion by Mr.. Staples of Knox
the bill was taken from the table. The
pending question was upon the accep-
lance of the report of the committee.
Mr. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi-
dent: | crave your indulgence for a
little, while l speak upon this matter.
which is, as it seems to me. one of
the most important that will come be-
fore this honorable body.
The question of taxation is one that
affects us all, and it has been bone
of contention from the earliest times
in our history down to the present
time. Section s. Article of the Con-
stitutiOn declares that all property
shall be taxed equally upon its value.
Our fOrefatherS, in their wisdom,
when they framed that immortal doc
ument, the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. breathed all through it the
same principle of equality; and wher-
ever the burdens of taxation do not
bear equally upon the people. there is
injustice which is contrary to the
fundamental law Of our land. The
trainers Of the Constitution Of the
United States, in their wisdom. be-
lievng in equal rights for all, said
that all property should be taxed
equally upon its value. In this State
the constitution is plain and is not
subject to any mistakes. and its words
indicate that all property should be
taxed equally upon it's just value.
In this State you know and 1 know.
we have been taxing railroads upon
their gross receipts. l state. Mr.
President. as a legal proposition, that
any other tax than that upon the ac
tual value of property is uncOnstitu
tlonal in this State; and l declare that
the taxation upon railroads in the
state of Maine, If our constitution
means anything. is unconstitutional,
and not a legal taxation. 1t has been
20 decided by some of the highest
courts of this country. that to tax
railroad in one manner and farmer
! in another manner is not equal taxa
tfon. If you tax railroads upon the
gross receipts and other propert
/. upon actual value, it is unconstitu-
tional some o. the best legal minds in
g this country have so decided.
I believe that at this time Maine is
behind other states in its generosity
towards institutions demanded by the
public welfare: and when tax rail-
st' roads upon the gross receipts. one
half of one per cent. we are not do
ing our duty to the taxpayers of this
State