The Somerset reporter., 1906-09-06
DEMACOCS SHOUT ABOUT WILD LANDS
But Demagogs Don't Know What They Are Howl
ing About Study the Other Side Of
Names Great Question.

| pIaDLdDOnS, ana the EAlualloD eaGh year
Is placed upon It for local taxation purs
poses, by the local assessors and for
warded by them annually TO the board
| of State assessors. The unincorpora
townships are located In eight counties
OF the State, viz. Aroostook. Franklin.
Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis. OK
ford, Somerset and washington. Tha
valuation for State tax purposes on mis-
great wilderness Is made up by the
State assessors, without the aid OF loca
assessors, once In every two years. and
on or before the first day OF December
prior to the assembling of the Legisin-
| ture, which valuation forms the basis
on which the state and county taxes are
assessed on these townships for The
! following two years. The unincorpora ted
| townships are subject to the same rate
of county and State taxation as arc the
cities and towns. and. In addition. owners
are assessed for the building and main
tenance Of all highways constructed
through the townships by the count
commissioners There is no municipal
government In the wild land townships
and therefore the total tax rate is neees-
sarily considerably less than in cities
and towns, which have fire and street
departments, paved streets, electric
lights sidewalks, paupers to support
and a multitude OF other things to pro-
vide for
Readers have undoubtedly noticed Of
late in the newspapers a number Of
references to the taxaton question. iu
which the writer or the party inter
viewed has made comparisons between
the rate OF taxation paid by cities and
towns and the rate on land in unincor-
porated townships, and that they have
invariably given the entire tax rate on
cities and towns. which included state
county and also municipal taxes, while
they give only the State tax on Wild
lands OF 2lh mills on the dollar. This is
misleading, and undoubtedly has led
some people who have not thoroughly
| investigated the matter TO believe that
the eih mills covered the entire tax paid
by the owners OF these Wild lands. Tho
unincorporated townships are subject
to the same rate of county tax as an
other property In the State and lhe
State and county rates combined RiIl
equal very closely to mills on the dollar
each year One-fourtb OF the Wild lands
are situated in towns and plantations
and the valuation Is placed upon them
every year by the local board Of asses
sors for the purpose Of local taxation
The valuation placed upon the uutu-
corporated townships by The state Vsfu
alton commission In 1870 was yalb6 80.
or an average value Of 55c per acre. iu
1880 1t was increased by them 10 ! 94s
060 an average OF 92c per acre. and u
1890 the valuation made up by The Naiu
alton Commission was ft9.i4s.46s. or an
average value per acre OF f20l. In 1881
the Legislature created the Board ~
State ASSESSOR and The first state Val
uation made by II was Ia the year 1892
The valuation on Wild lands or uulnooT
poratcd townships has been increased
81 $50 010 OF 81 per cent since }s93
while the valuation on all real estate iu
the balance AZ the State, which Includes
all cities, towns and plantations. has
brcn increased fies-3. g.. or - per cent
II has boon stated that the Hoard ~
State Assessors have under=FaIaed ta#
lands ia the uuincorporat township.
and recently one of the gentlemen Ha.
is very active I'm making such statement
stated that the Wild lands OF the state
are worth 500 DO0 900. And he also stated
that the soil In the Wild land area. AFTER
stripping OF all ms growth. would be-
worth $500 per acre within six month";
an option was given 20 person IN thls
State on over 500 900 acres. containing
some OF the best cumberland "a The state
at an average price per acre ~ a litoa
over three dollars, and few cents rer
acre only above the valuation placed ~
on 1t by The state AssessarA
II The Board OF state Assessors are 30
BE- criticized because there are men hav-
Ing no practical knowledge whatever OF
the matter who say That the uniucnrpuf
uted townships are worth s. 20 per Bere.
after being denudeI ~ their entire
growth what shall be Raad ~ the hun
drcda ~ local assessors. Hho have val
ued similar lands al least tsenty= t1
fftv per cent lower thnn The state
Board. as figures show 10 be Tho fsCtf
The state valuations ~ toe elties in he
past twelve years have been incre8 SCI
3l9 "a dda. or IL per cent The total state
value as made hY the state Assessor
for Jue year l9oi Was f31g 5ltolA and for
tHc fe7r lsge Il Was SRA 332. Isi. ~hieh
rIt0s lH increase In the total valuation
r "a H4a ID