Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-01
GENERAL ASSESSMENTS UPHELD,
County Commission Decides That
the City's Taxes Are Equit-
ably Assessed.

The Board of County Commissioners of
Eennebec County announced the follow
ing decision in the Edwards tax abatc-
| ment case last evening:
Asses Abate-
Mill ......................sl,G t.5l3 s156.676
Outside property 13Z,.EU 400
Personal property 800. 23l,l3f 1S.iJI.J0
Totals sl.42S.s57 s1Si,173. 50
| Value fixed by the county commission
| ers, 81 ,2ii, 1880
| Asses Abate-
| SOrS. ment,
Mill .sl,oii.5l3 sl56.67G
| Outside property ....... 49,. 40 900
| Personal property $50. 1O.6O2 6.3G7 20
| Totals .Sl.277,So5 s172. o43 30
| Value fixed by the county commission
crs, 81. l95,SlSO
These results are looked upon as a
! signal victory for the city in every way,
particularly as regards he outside VAL
uation. 1t was claimed by the peti-
TONERS that the property about thc
city. other than that owned by The Ed
| wards Co. was generally and Intention
|
.ommissionc $ :tatc plainly. they fnErd
not to Re the c.. .. Their views of the
matter are stated more in detail in their
| findings of .a"t.
| The case has been q long AMI .r.iiouS
one and has onl:' reached the county
commission crs snI q decision .lfrnr a
legal fight of several years Standing.
4 brilliant lr'av # c>iral on h2iil
sides has fought cIe.'v point f"or the
beginning to thH end. For Ill" .:itv. City
Solicitors Benedict +. Man.. w. II
Fisher and +. l.. Duston and ;be law
| finn Of William son & Burr .ig, have
lappeared. For th2 c,mlarN. Cen. Or
vile d. Baker and the law firm Of
Heath & Andrews.
| Too much credit cannot b. girrr -
| the attorneys for the city Who brought
| the ma tier to Il final dcCIS;ol. City
| Solicitor Dutton ard Joseph William
son have taken the burden of the final
fight and brought it to Il S:iuc.s sful
| tcI ninatinn.
| The contract between the city and
the Edwards Company by which their
| taxes were fixed Tor % years expired
| with The assessment for 1909. In 1905.
/
inc Edwards Go. and ia" city entered
into some negotiations. ana III" follow
| ing question WAS twice voted upon by
tic oitizrns.
| "SiIall TIA" municipal officers az tho
lefty d. Augusta bc authorized t. con
tract with The :dHardS Manufacturing
lCo. 20 lix f"r purposes nf taxation. tn
annual valuation Of said company
entire property at one million dollars
81. not .c00b. for the term 80 10 years.
beginning with tho municipal year 1895.
the same To- include AL additions or i'm
rrovcmcnts which may he made by
said company. TO its mills or PROPERTY
NECESSARILY used il connection there
with. within said period; provided. ana
| in consideration that said company will
abandon it's appeal II the supreme
| judicial court from TIC valuation ana
tax OF 1904. and will pa s;;ih tax in full
| as assessed with interest:
| The first meeting the measure was
defeated and at the last meeting II
was carried by small majority. The
city government refused to ratify the
action of the last meeting. and voted
to proceed to the collection of the tax
| After carrying the matter to the law
court which rendered decision adverse
to their claims. the Edwards Manu-
featuring Company paid the 19o4 tax
in full.
| The later history of the case Is 1resh
in the minds of all Augusta citizens
and need not be reviewed at this time.
The County Commissioners deiiberateo
eight DAYS before reaching decision.
Mayor Frederick w. Plaisted was IN
terviewed by Journal representative
| last evening and said:
Il have no statement to make. ex-
cent that 1 am satisfied with the md
ing of the commission"
CITY Solicitor Frank L. Dutton Is out
Of the city on his wedding trip and IN
his absence Messrs. Williamson ana
Burlcigh declined to make any state
ment.
Gen. Baker was reached by telephone
and while he did not talk for publica-
tion. it was gathered that the Edwards
Co. is not likely to carry the case any
further. though there are processes OF
law whereby this might be done.
There is no direct court of appeal from
the Court Of County Commissioners.