The Somerset reporter., 1906-12-27

Ayers Pills greatly aid the Cherry
Pectoral i'm breaking up a cold.
and as | have been informed by reliable
authority, the courts have sustained the
present law, and in const queLce the
state treasury will DO enriched by about
SIC, ZOO, 600 increase of tax from the
railroads of that state since the eractinR
of the new law; and submit as mat
ter of fairness, II one class of property
il TO be assessed on the basis OF gross
earnings, why not apply the same prin-
cip.e to all property II not, why not.
"Some of the large wild land owners
have said to us that the steam railroads
are not paying one.half the tax they
ought to pay. For several years the
Legislative committee have been trying
to secure the repeal of what is now
known as section rs chapter 8, of the
Revised statutes, which Is being used as
a cover by the manufacturing corpora
tions to escape paying the tax that they
should. The 18th United States census
fixes the amount of capital invested in
manufacturing IN Maine at 1922 9lS 826
and we find by the state assessors re-
port that the amount of capital found
for taxable purposes is S26,970 638 and
exempt from taxation, 1924 1851, making
a total of 1927. 794 900, of this capital &C
counted for. and under the law az 1t Is
used now, and like stock of railroads,
the stocks of these manufacturing cor
poratiOns may be Haunted IN the face Of
the assessors with impunlty If TO the
amount of million dollars. and without
fear, because under our law az at pre-
sent, no matter how valuable 1t may be
it ID exempted from local taxation All
these matters require your honest, earn
est. conservative action, that whatever
you may decide upon AS the proper
method in dealing with these questions,
you will net wisely, that justice may be
done to all.
THE express companies of Maine pay
only 81, 299.02 tax, and all the tele
phone companies but $25 030 33 and all
the telegraph companies but 81, 8l3.41.
Equally important TO the tax payers
is the very rapid increase of the expen
ses of the State, More than three
fourths of million dollars within few
years, without corresponding increase
of population or wealth | wish to call
your attention to these things, that you
may give to them the consideration
which yonr good judgment may prompt
AT the last session of the Maine
state grange, the order placed itself
squarely on record in favor of the init
atIve and referendum and since thai
time the National grange has endorsed
the principle During the last political
campaign in Maine both the Republic IN
and Democratic parties placed them
selves on record as IN favor of law of
thIs kind; 81 it would seem moral GER
tainty that We are to have some kind of
a movement to accomplish this, and
I place it directly in the hands of the pc"
PIE themselves to appeal from unsatis
factory decisions on legislation.
After declaring that the grange conln
not as body take sides on tbs ques ion
of resubmlssion and prohibition the
State master says:
but there is not nor can there be
any objection to the order demanding
and insisting that whi,e any law is in
exstance it shall be enforced, and |
wish here to go on record as being en-
tirely aud unrt seIvedly in favor of the
enforcement of the prohibitory law of
Nj aine Much cheap notoriety was
gained by misrepresentation OF what
l said some time ago in connection
with this matter, and that | sIandered
the State of Maine, etc, etc. | never
yet have worn any collar but my own.
nor do | feel that what few ideas |
may possess must be furnished to the or
der for me by any one without the ask
ing; nor do insist that Others shall
accept my ideas, but give to them the
same rights and privileges that | reserve
to myself.
mo person ever heard me complain
or obstTuct the enforcement Of the
liquor law. did say, and | repeat it
here for what il is worth, that 1t APP
peared to me there were more young
men in Maine that drank intoxicating
liquors than in MANY other states where
| had been in which the laws relative
to the liquor traffic wee enforced,
and with the tax enforcement to the
prohibition law in Maine | would
rather my boy would take the chances
of growing up temperate man, re-
spectacle and respected in some of
those states than in Maine under condl-
tions such as | have witnessed in re-
gard to the non-enforcement of the
law. Patrons, this was my individual
All The finely written essays or resolu-
tons of censure will not change it. Al
the same time | honor the man or men
elected to Office to enforce the laws
that do their full duty and that have no
use for those who take the oath of
Office and then become law breakers
themselves. / announce such auction as
vicious in its effects teaching disre.
gard of all laws. lowering the standard
of public morals. and leading along the
path way of anarchy 1t makes no dlf-
ference what may think is the better
way to regulate the liquor traffic. that
IN of no consequence, only az matter
of opinion; but whether 1t applies TO
high or low, prince or peasant, enforce
the law!
agriculture in Maine is not carried
on as extensively as in the great west
but we have many advantages that the
farmers of the west do not enjoy
Crops that are best suited to Maine
have the advantage of superior quail
ity, with first class markets hight at
our doors Our sweet corn stands un
rivalled in quality; Maine fruits are
not excelled in keeping or other quail
tiles, our potatoes and all kinds OF
vegetables are of the best. and with
the splendid oppo tunties for sheep
h usbandry, dairying and poultry cul
tuTe, the thousands of visitors that
flock to our state each year In largely
increased numbers, seeking health and
pleasure from our unrivalled scenery
pure water and healtbful atmosphere
make the future of the state bright