Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-03
Hon. LendaII 'Titcomb the
Principal Witness.
Submits Property Valuations on
Both Sides Of the River.
The Petitioners Will Close Their
Part OF the Case Today.

The case of the Edwards Manufac-
turing Co. in its hearing before the
county commissioners on an abate-
ment Of the 1905 and 1906 taxes upon
its mill, some personal property and
few parcels of outside real estate.
branch Of its case that has occupied
the greater part of the last few days
is the attempt to prove that other prop
crty about the city is generally under
valued by the assessors. 1t was stated
by the counsel for the corpora ton that
q couple of hours this morning would
complete the Introduction of its testi-
mOny.
Yesterday was occupied in introduce
ing lists of valuations of residential
and other property in the city and COM
PARSONS with the assessed values. The
witnesses were Lendall Titcomb, the
largest individual property holder i'll
tho city and Il recently elected director
Of the Edwards Co, Melvin S. Holway,
an attorney that has had considerable
to do with real estate and a stock
holder in the Edwards Co.: George W.
Vickery and Anne Casavant members
OF the Loan and Building Association.
The first witness called was Anne
Casavant. who was under cross-oX-
animation by Attorney Williamson
when court adjourned Thursday night.
He stated that in making the valua-
tons that he read in court he and Mr..
Vickery had worked together, some
times Mr.. Vickery's judgement was
taken. sometimes his own and at others
| they divided the difference between
4 L..:, Il
where they varied more than Il few
hundred dollars and that was on the
best properties upon which they had
been asked to place values. 1t was
their intention to place the figures a
little below. rather than above the ask
| ing price.
The witness was asked if he thought
that there had been sales enough of
property on Cushnoc heights to fix Il
| market value for property in that vi
cinity. He replied that he wasn't sure,
though more was being sold there each
year. Many of the houses are tenc-
| mcnts, but the French American nopu-
lation are thrifty and are constantly
buying homes. During the 10 years
that Mr.. Casavant has been i'm business
there has been i very large increase
in the French American population.
The a. ID. Cross homestead was dis
cussed. The assessors value it at
$500 and Mr.. Casavant's figure was
$4,000. If it was put on me market the
place would have to be bought for a
home. it would not be likely to be pur-
chased as an investment by anyone.
still the witness thought that the place
could be sold at his price. The Hiram
X. Cho2te place was similarly treated.
Concerning property on the north end
of Water street the witness said that
he was familiar with it to some extent,
but not enough to place values, trans
fers in that vicinity being rather in
frequent. As to the Edwards block. he
stated that he had occupied a store in
| it for many years. The other stores We're
also rented. one as a drug store an
other as q drygoOds store and the
fourth as Il clothing store. There are
four rents in the upper stories and they
rent readily. For his store he paid
$500 per year but he said that he did
not Know what was paid by the tenants
on the upper floors. There is a chance
to drive in the rear of the store and
there are good Easements.
George W. Vickery. who made his
valuations on Cushnoc heights i'm con-
| junction with Mr.. Casavant. was the
next witness. He was also familiar
with property on Sewall and Chapel
streets and this he valued without n
schedule and without the assessors val
uations. On the two streets Mr.. Wick
| cry judged the value of property that
| was assessed at approximately 1896. 900.
his total valuations being about s62. 600
higher. The cross examination was
| conducted by Attorney Williamson.
He was asked if he would advise
anyone living in the southern portion
of the city to hold investments on
Cushnoc heights and he replied that he
would not His advice would be to let
someone have the property who lived
| near there and who could attend to it.
| Anyone having such property ought to
get more out of it up there and that
was taken into consideration in fixing
| the values.
Mr.. Vickery was told that Mr.. Down.
ing advanced the idea that a mans
| home should be taxed for more than
| a tenement because it would have, in
| that case, an additional value to the
owner. Asked for his opinion on that
| proposition, he replied that he would
| hardly agree. Just because a house
was the home of the owner was no
| reason for additional taxation.
A few of the places that have been
| sold through the Loan and Building
| Association We're mentioned. In some
cases the selling prices were less than
the assessments. This witness was
asked of the property in general about
the city, if there had been activity
enough in sales to fix market of val
ues. He replied that men might rea-
sonably differ on the values Of property
still.
| Lendall Titcomb was the next wit
ness. His preliminary questioning
brought out the fact that he was tho