The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-09-06
DEMAC0CS SHOUT ABOUT WILD LANDS
But Demagogs Don't Know What They Are Howl
ing About Study the Other Side Of
Names Great Question

approximately 100000 acres. or 1000
square miles, Is included in towns and
plantations, and the valuation each year
is placed upon it, for local taxation pur-
poses, by the local assessors, and for
warded by them annually to the board
of State assssoFA The unincorporated
townships are located in eight counties
Of the State, viz. Aroostook, Franklin,
Hancock, Penobscot Piscataquis, Ok
ford, Somerset and Washington. The
valuation for State tax purposes on this
great wilderness is made up by the
State assessors. without the aid of local
assessors. once tn every two years, and
on or before the first day of Decemher
prior to the assembling Of the Legtsla-
tura, which valuation forms the basis
ON which the state and county taxes are
assessed on these townships for the
following two years. The unizicorpora ted
townships are subject to the same rate
Of county and State taxation as are 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 neces-
sarily considerably less than in cities
and towns, which have fire and street
departments paved streets, electric
ugQIS, SlOeWtLKS, ptiupeIS 10 SuppuIl-
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 taxation question. in
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 21a mills on the dollar. This s
misleading, and undoubtedly has led
some people who have not thorough
investigated the matter to believe that
the 81 mills covered the entire tax pad
by the owners of these wild lands The
unincorporated townships are subject
to the same rate of county tax as all
other property in the State and tho
State and county rates combined viii
equal very closely to 5 mills on the doliar
each wear. One-fourth 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 unin-
corporated townships by the State valu-
alton commission in 1870 was $5,156 1856.
or an average value of o5c per acre. IN
1880 it was Increased by them to s7,9fS
060 an average Of 92c per acre, and !"
1890 the valuation made up by the Valu.
alton Commission was $40, l46,45S, or an
average value per acre of $2Ui- In 1871
| the Legislature created the Board OF
| State Assessors, and the first State Va
| uation made by it was in the year 1882.
| The valua ton on wild lands or unincor-
| porated townships has been Increase
| 81, $50, 070, or 81 per cent. since 1882,
| while the valuation on all real estate III
! the balance of the State, which includes
| all cities, towns and plantations, has
| been increased $40, 523, 1853, or IS per cent.
| It has been stated that the Board Of
| State Assessors have under-Valued the
| lands in the unincorporated township
| and recently one of the gentlemen who
| is very active in making such staternenfs
stated that the wild lands of the Star
are worth 500 900 900. And he also state
that the soil in the wild land area, after
stripping of all its growth, would be-
worth $500 per acre Within six months
an option was given to person in TINS
| State on over 100000 acres, containing
some of the best cumberland in the State,
at an average price per acre of little
over three dollars, and few cents Pc
acre only above the valuation placed uI
on it by the State Assessors.
If the Board of State Assessors are to
be criticized because there are men hav
the matter who say that the unincorpor
| ated townships are worth $500 per acre.
| after being denuded Of their entire
| growth, what shall be said of the hun
| dreds of local assessors, who have va
| ued similar lands at least twenty-five t
| fifty per cent. lower than the Stat
| Board, as figures show to be the fact?
| The State valuations OF the cities in tile
| past twelve years have been increase
! $19, 954 $50, or Is per cent. The total Stat
value. as made by the State Assessor
| for the year 1904 was 1886 514014 and fo~
the year 1892 it was 1914 333, ISL, which
| gives an increase in the total valuation
| of the State in the past twelve years OF
| 81 1874 1888. This increase is accounted foF
as follows The towns and plantation
| in Aroostool1 County have contribute
| an increase of 5697, 662; the cities, $40
| 954 $50; the wild lands ST. $50, 070 and tbs
balance, or s14,S71, GAL, and an amount
| equal to the decrease of the valuation In
| the agricultural towns during the period
| of the past twelve years is made up from
| the increase in the State valuations Or
the manufacturing and summer resort
| towns throughout the State.
| The equalization of the valuation or
| the wild lands is one of the most per
picking matters with which the Sta
assessors have to deal They cover a"
immense territory and MANY of IL