Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-22

| !,
.ne other committees of this body and
their conclusions should. I be,iexa he
gwen proper and careful considerat;o,,
py this House in the determinat;or ~
this question. Committees 7 kno,,, . ~
far from infallible. but is it not raa :
sohapiy Ialr to conclude that after Civ
ing matter careful and thouehtfu,
consideration their conclusions arc
more likely to be correct than a do
cislon reached without full and cam
plete investigation. Gentlemen IN.
committee making the majority renort
ask you TO give it the considera tion
that such report deserves and he
cause we believe we are in the riobt
W ask for It, your active support.
One word in regard to the reasons
! that led the majority of the committee
to report as they did; and that reason
was that this bill was without any
question in the minds of the committee
d Dill Tor the relief of the poorer class
| who are compelled to borrow money
| LEI me Illustrate. A man is going to
raise hve hundred dollars in cash. He
| WISHES TO BUY for himself little home
or farm. What tax must he be
opilged TO pay directly and Indirectly ?
FIST, tax on his equity in that home
or farm; second, a tax on the five hum
area dollars mortgaged; and thirdly.
ana indirectly. the taxable interest paid
10 the money lender. This is in effect
d triple tax paid by the home seeker
ana the home buyer; and it seems To
me by abolishins the tax ON mort ges
the small borrower would be relieved.
ana That was one of the dominating
reasons which led us to the conclusion
/ that we reached
| 1t was said at the hearing that this
Dill would result in an injury to the
| Ioor man because it would place upon
Linn the tax from which the MORTGAGE
is relieved.
| L hope that you will give this matter
your most careful consideration and
vote for the interests of the small
| money borrower. | move that the ma
Jority report of the committee be ac-
cepted.
| l see no reason whatever for such a
result. 1t is generally believed that a
| large portion of the people vino are
| taxed on mortgages are assured by
| agreement between the assessors and
the tax payer. This being the case we
need have no fear of any reduction or
shifting of the burden
On the other hand the money lender
will still continue 10 smilingly pay his
regular tax and with a thankful heart
| that it is no more.
| Mr.. POWERS of Houltcn: Mr.. Sneak
| En- TINS is a matter of great Importance
1 tn.
when you have carefully examined il.
as l have, | believe you will come to
the same conclusion that this bill if
enat ted into law will have the effect
| of relieving the rich man from taxa
ton and place the burden upon the
poorer classes Of people throughout the
state The original bill which was in
| tr1duced here in regard to this matter
was Senate document No. %; the pres
| cnt bill is Senate document No. 146
| You Will ind that there is q vast differ
| ence between the two bills. l have
| found many members of this House be-
lieved that they We're to vote upon Sen
ate document %. They are entirely DIFF
| ferent. NoW, from WHOM does this cry
| come fer the enactment of this leeisla =
| ton" You will remember that one great
| reason for turning down woman's suf-
| fraee WAS because the women of this
stat" did not ask for it, You will also
| remember with reference. to the Ques-
ton of resubrrission that the argument
| was made that the people of the state
| If Maine did not ask for it. Who asks
| for this bill? | hold in my hand here
| p petitions. written upon the same ma
| chine. coming from the same office in
| Portland and sent out all over the
| State. Where does This cry come from.
| gentlemen? Does it come from the poor
| mort9agors all over this state? There
| are thousands ard thousands of them.
| or does it come from Portland. where
| these petitions come from accompanied
| with letter which ! wish to read to
yOu n0W because that letter contains a
| statement which is absolutely false.
| The writer OF this letter and others of
| this kind have been here trying to push
| this matter through on tie claim that
| they were the friends of the poor mort
gagor. The letter runs as follows: Your
! name has been referred to me as 4
prominent zeal estate owner in your
| section. (Eot d poor mortgagor who
| was suffering under the burdens of
| double taxation as they would have
| you undcrstandD | enclose a petition
relative to doing away with double
taxat ion of mortgaged real estate. This
petition has been signed by the lead
ing business and professional men of
this section and has the endorsements
of the boards of tradc Of the principal
towns and cities of the State" The let
ter refers to double taxation: Mr..
| JOSEF yn has told us that it was triple
| taxation This letter is signed by
| George r. Edwards of Portland for the
Portland Real Estate Association COM
mittcc on taxation. The statement that
this petition mas the endorsement of the
principal towns and cities of the State
| is absolutely without foundation. In the
list of petitions watch have come her.
there is only one board of trade. that
| Of Riddeford. outside of the board Of
| trade of Portland. If his statement
iWeie G true he would have had hundred
| endorsements from The loards of traiI
all over this State which he has not
| Instead of the endOrs nment of tn