Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-20
The State is Honest.

| The Lewiston Morning News takes up
the parrot cry: Shall the State OF Main.
| be honest?" To he sure it shall be and
| is. Who are these that seek tn cast dis
credit on the State OF Maine? 1t IS a
| dirty bird that hefouls its own nest
When they ask if the State shall be hon
| est, they imply that it j. dishonest. That
| is reflection on the government OF
Maine i'll its threefold departments Of
| legislature. executive and judicial. But
they do not specify: they keep tn gem
oralities and inunendocs. The News be
gins:
| Is it honest to the people and tax-pay-
crS of the State to increase the State
| s. 2i.elD.92 in 1865
Legislature made the appropriations. No
money can he spent out of the public
treasury without the warrant of the Leg
| islature. Has Lewiston been sending dis
honest men to A,Gnst!. or.men suspected
| Of dishonesty. We, should be sorry TO
with regard to either IL vision. or
ar cry nir f@ TT he given KbHl'f tha
News are supposedly the amount OF 4p-
preparations for the r"Epect!v" years: it
| is 50 for the current year at all events
although the New has placed tn"
amount $4,000 too low Was it honest Il
That depends on the purpose of the "v-
lpenditl1raS and whether th"y could he af-
forded-although the question Of wheths T
they could be afforded would h" cues
| ton of pxtrava -auce rather than Of hon
-Sty. But what = there dishonest about
lit? Name n single item If YOU can. AC-
cording t. the figures as given Their" was
| an increase in expenditures in ten years
| of S5SS. no6-call it $4,000 year for good
| measure. The implication is that it was
dishonest. or cXtrayaGdnt, or c"nS1rahle
| or something. to exact 50 much NOR" in
| taxes from III" people; that III" I'GiSla, ,
| turo and the executive have been bad ard
unjust stewards. The answer to that Is
| that NOR" taxes have not been 'Nacted.
! The taAabl" wealth Of tn" peopt" has in
creased. but tn" ret" Of ttXatInn mas not
The larger part Ut the increased revenue
| has come from taxes on corporations.
which exceeded 4 million dollars in 1919
! and We're twice as mu"h as in 1921. There
| is then no ground ri grievance ~ |" taN-
alton. or any ground for the charge of as
honesty in that respect 1t fails back
therefore on the question whether th"r"
has been eNlrlvaEance. mii..anProprlhu.n,n.
hurd"n of proof is on th"s" who make tn"
charge. or rather iusinuation. They arc
challenge to specify.
The N"WS continues:
* il honest to tn" propl" and taN-paN-
| "rs nf the Stat" t. tax III" vast areas 81
wild lands in the STATE" agGrrC 'tinG 1E.r
| able land within our borders, an av"raE"
! If something li<r tiv" mill. "n tn dollar
| 81 low valuation. while tn Other prop
| crty in the state, including thu farms and
money invested in mrrchantlc manu-
| featuring and household establishments.
| IS assessed an average oi more imam
To that il may be said that by ~"
biennial .-al1ation of 1S9i the wild lands
| of the State were assessed Si1,"N.00H. and
by the valuation of 1!ht the value was
placed Al s29oNoO'N. 1t may he reCapitu-
lated also that the last legislature apnro-
nriatcd 5000 FIR verifying ana perfcct!nG
| rs far as practicable a proper desc lrtl"n
Of e3rh Parcel or tract OF Wild land. ara
the individual or c1rporote OWNERSHIP
thereof" ana "alSo for tn" employment
| If a competent person ~ persons To as
| Sist the board in making SPECIAL cNriort-
| tons in Wild land townships I" ascertain
for taxation purposes their JUST and far
value" Whit is thcr" wrong about that
Moreover the Republican plat 'rm pro
rnunC"s for equalization 81 IN" burdens
Of taxation. Very likely the wild lands
arc valued too low. but the frst thlng :
tn ascertain for taxation purposes thcir
Just and fair value and that is what
tho legislature has provided for
PAYERS OF the State to rav wealthy ana
prosperous railroad corporation. under
the Suise of n contract for CARRYING i'm
agn@ry troops in war th2l mas nc.
vr- heen declared and the runblinG OF
whose ''r,lmors'' has not vet been heard.
tho sum Of sixty thousand dollars, as an
outright Cift?
This means the Bangor & Aroostook.
1sut is this an honest way OF putting Il
When the corporation was seeking the
wealthy nor prosperous. 1t had noJ
foot of track or a cent of income: it
had great expectations. hut they are not
acceptable at the bank as collateral. It
needed the helr that was Elren, and the
State gave it willingly. 1t was not a po-
RrnuhIicars alike Supported fhe rebate.
ou,. If tNr pa,pnC-l-S in the I.ocislatur"
MI 1851 v.as Cherries IT. Osroa'l nf I,aw:s-
! ton He was a member OF the railroad