Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-19

equity ana fairness. TIC Stat" board OF
assessors says. 'They are as fairly val
ued as property in cities and towns. dad
vet the Great Northern PAPER Company
RAYS $tGO0O for lGo@O acres o: wild
land rs an investment which is s.. 50 per
acre more than the lands are valued 1T
by the board
hlv" iErl ii sait 10 me by Il large wild
land owner. that the owners had ad
vanced the atumpagc price one dollar per
thousand to the lumbcrmcn, and mas
much as since the present value had
Ian liN,"i. dt"N. :%"cI3) the selling price OF
lumber had advanced by from 80 10 10,
PER cent. and that lumber could be
bought ut tnat time for ST. per thousand,
| cann"t he had now for less than So. If
this is not evidence of increased value.
what is it, And we personally know OF
many farms thar sold the lumber stand
ing on them. Tor more than til" farms
would have brought 10 years ago. Again.
the last legislature reduced the rate of
tax by On"-fourth mill. ana III rOnS"-
uucnce of this reduction til" wild lands
pay Si,JS7.2' less state tax than they did
before. The State rate Of taxation at the
rate in the State would pay $E,2-
present time is two and one-half mills.
The aNtraS" rate in The state according
to the Stl;e assessors. IS y aud a-lW.
and The Wild lands ut the present vallIa-
ton S2>,:O.Gl2. and by applying The rate
of two and nn"-half mills We find the
wild lands pay a tax to the State of S72,-
43l.!.'. Wnil" other property of the same
valu" that pays the average rate of taxi
ton which prevails in the State would
pay 5000, if2.e. Or S5;1,0ld.74 more than the
! wild lands pay.
/ have no figures before me as to the
amount of county tax assessed on theS"
wild lands, but have seen statements that
il amounts to about $4,000, but call i.
Si'.mD II You l,le;isc. and then property
rae III the State would pay SE2.-
G1o.14 NOR" than these wild lands pay.
ard We contend this is not equal taxation
within the meaning Of the constitution Of
u T.
reads: "Al! taxes upon real and personal
estate a'SrSscd by authority of this Stat.
snail h apportipr"d and assessed equally
according tn tn" jus: va,ur thereof. -
This section does not provide that all
property shall bc taxed, but simply that
what is taxed shall he auportioncd and
assessed equally. Personally q" not be
licvc that changing the constitution 50
that wild lands would be required to pay
the av"rag" rae of taxation IT. the Stat"
would be equal taxation. for do not
think taxing property in on. part Of the
Stat" for purely local benefits in another
mart OF the Stat" would be equal taxa
ti"n- bcliev" that when the rate Of
taxation in q city or town is made higher
by reason OF that town having fire de-
partn"ntS. polio" protection, water
works. street lighting. public libraries,
| or any other Improvements that are
purely local, the prOucity of those towns
should b" assessed to pay for same. on
the oth"' hand "" believe that all proper
" sh"uld be assessed for all public benc-
highways: car" of III" poor and unfortlI-
nate. and in fact for :tlI expenses that
are for general public b' II. fits. To bring
this about would of necessity increase the
Safe tax. but at tn" same time il would
decrease the local taxes in many of The
cities and towns Of Maine Should .hs
principle prevail. | believe W" would get
| under the constitution as it now is. as
near to equality IN tho tax levy az we
can reasonably expect. We do not BE-
live that h" wild lands represent all
the property of Maine that is not paying
its full and equal part Of the public az
pC nSeS. While statistics are not afrlv-
absolutely correct, yet they are relatively
correct
Tn" 'nt"d States census places the
value Of the steam railroads of Maine at
sS0.T",10. which if correct and this prop
ertY was taxed on the basis of value. a.
o. "t ne, ~, properly is 'axcd. it would pay
cents on III" dollar. but if this value is
too hig!! cut i down - per cent and
on value Of sGn 100000 yom would get in
taxes $l.2tl $500 from these roads The
Grange in. Michigan for several years
on Their E aarninHs h 2am Ta'ir as IS
done IN Maine. but finally won ont on the
fight and securrh'a law to tax on tn"
Value of The property. Thr railroads ap-
pe:tl"d to the courts, and, as | have been
informed by reliable authority. the courts
have sustained the present law and in
consequence the state treasury Will BE-
enriched by about SI0.00A.G1 increase, of
tax from the railroads of tho STAT.
since the enacting of the new Law: and |
submit as matter of fairness. if one
class OF property Is to be assessed on the
basis OF gross earnings. why not apply
the same principle to all propnrty? If
not. why nos?
some Of tn" larg" wild land owners
hay" said to us that the steam railroads
are not paving One-half the. tax they
ought 10 pay. For several wears the lngis-
ia'lNe committee hav" been trying to
h.. OF
as section -. chapter Q. of the Revised
statutes. which is being used as :, cover
by III" mountaineering corporal tons to
escape having the tax that they should
The Eth United States census fixes the
amount of caDhal invested in manu-
f fac,n hi in Main" at S1229lS S26 and
ma ny the state aSSeSSOrS' repOrt that
the amount of caDital found for taxable
purposes is $2f.910G:,S and exen,p; from
-aX1rlon: SA24.:%l. making total of ST.
i!4.e". of tins capital accounted for ana
under the law as it is used now. and like
STOCK OF railroads. the stocks Of these
naniifarturing corporations may be
haunted in the face Of the assessors with
immunity If to til" amoun' of II million
holiilIS and without fear. beca,,Sc under
our law rs at prescr1. no matter how
valuable il may he. is il eypnutnd from
iu"al taxation. All these matters require
V"nT honest. earnest. consarvitivc
action. that whatever Won NAV Crcid
on as the proper method in dealing with
these questions. Won will act wisely. that
J' zee nl'tN ne Gone 10 all
The express companies Of Maine nav
eniy Eli O2 tax. and all the tclophonn
companies but s. O3o 90. and all the t,le
phone companies but - Sl3 H.
Equally important 70 the tax paycrs
IS inc very fanid Increase Of tho cy-
DenSeS of he state. More than three
Ifour;hS 81 million dollars within a few
years. without Il corresponding increase
"i population or wealth ! wish to c1lI
Your attention to these things that you
may give TO them the consideration which
your good judgment may prompt.
INITIATIVE, AND REFERENDI-N
At the last session of tho Maine State
orange. tn" order placed itself SaIarcIv
on record IN favor of the movcm. Mt anil
since That time tho National Grange has
endorsed the principle. During the last
n"ltlcal campaign in Maine. both the
k'phhllcan ana Democratic parties
IEffd themselves on record as N favor
OF a law of this kind: 50 il would scom ,
moral certainty that we are Ia have some
krnd OF a movement to accomplish ,his
anu hlar" II directly in the hands Or tia
rre",ht themselves To appeal from unsatiS-
i'rthfy decisions on legislation |
IN" question has been discussed 90 l
generally. ' IL not feel ID necessary IN |
S'V NOR" than that I am heartily in |
laFor oi IN" movement and truS, you will /
give II your undivided siInnorf
lher" seems to b.. tgvc distinct tbaorios
~ government. ON on" theory the p..lfl |
are subjects: on the other they 1re SOY