Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-28
For Somerset taxpayers.

| ury IS being spent unwisely and eX-
travagantly under the Republican adj
minstration of State affairs. On this
page we publish this morning two
tables which we hope every reader of
the journal in Somerset county will
study with care. They show the
amount of money paid by each Somer-
set county town and plantation in the
! form of State taxes, and the money re
ceived back by each town and planta-
ton from the State treasury for vari-
| Gus purposes. With the local tax of
these towns the table has nothing to
do. That is their own affair and is not
affected one way or the other by the
| political complexion or policy of the
| state administration. 1t is their State
| tax which we are discussing, and it Is
| this tax which the Democratic leaders
| are trying to convince the intelligent
| people Of Somerset county is a great
| and unjust burden upon them.
What d" the tables show? Here are
the straight facts and figures taken
| from the official records, and no Demo-
| Crat will venture to question them
They show that in 1905 the 80 towns
| and organized plantations Of Somerset
| county paid into the State treasury
So. SIS 50 in state taxes, while in the
| same year these same towns and
| plantations received back from the
| poses, State roads. support of paupers.
| burial expenses of soldiers and sailors.
public libraries. state pensions, etc.
| the total of s56.771.39. This leaves a
| balance in favor Of the county of $40
! 94270. No fewer than SO of the 80
| towns and organized plantations in
Somerset county received back from
the state treasury last year more than
they paid into it,
In view of these facts which cannot
he disputed, what becomes Of the
burden Of State taxation upon Som
rrsct county. How foolish appear the
lurid lies with which the Democratic
managers have been attempting to de-
ceive the people of Somerset county!
In the desperation Of their attempt to
get their own hands into the State
treasury they have tried this method of
bamboozling the voters. What do the
people of Somerset county think of it?
Is there any "cxtravagance' in the
| $50 771.39 which the State paid to SOM
crSct county last year. a total which is
almost 81 900 larger than the sum paid
| by the county into the State treasury
| in the form of State taxes? Where
would the Democrats use that knife of
| ''rctrenchmcnt" which they are fond of
talking Of. though always in such
| vague fashion? Would they cut down
the school money? Would they refuse
| the dead soldiers decent burial? Would
| they close the public libraries? Would
| they re fuse to assist in the improve
| nIcnt of the highways? Would they
|
paid to the old soldiers and those de-
| pendent upon them? These pensions.
it Will he observed. have increased
| from less than 81 nOO in 1880 to over
81. 600 in 1905. The Democracy Is chal-
lenGed to name one misrepresentation
one instance of extravaganza in the
caso of tho money paid to Somerset
| county out of the state treasury. a
sum Of money almost 1000 in 1905
| payers of Somerset county paid into
| the state treasury in the same year.
How l. it. some will ask, that Somer-
| set county gets back 50 much more
| from the state than its taxpayers pay
| into tn" state treasury? How can this
he true of nearly every county in the
state? The explanation is simple
enough. and in it is found the wisdom
of Republican Legislation in the inter-
ests Of the masses and the welfare of
| the state. The state is getting
constantly Increasing part Of its reve-
nue. from taxes on corporations. In
spite of Names increasing wealth and
population. in spite Of the increasing
needs Of the State, the State tax which
the people are called upon to pay is
growing smaller and smaller. In 1905
il was s9IS.17f. which is $4,000 less
than the year before. and $4,000 less
than it vas p years ago. Where the
state tax rate WAS AZ mills a quarter
Of a century ago it is now only ~
mills, and yet in that time the State
debt has been cut from si.17S.175 to ST.
IL. 900. and there is today s250.00O in
Names treasury seeking state bonds
for purchase before maturity.
Under Republican rule in the state
Of Maine the taxable wealth of the
people is rapidly increasing. but the
rate of taxation has been lowered. 1t
is the lowest now that it has been for