Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-15

- 'ilc city OF Portland that
mas peen undeservedly but most gen.
eiousiy showered upon me, often has
iieu me there; and l think. Mr..
thurman, That | am within reason
Wheh say that You know and that
KNOW that 100000 will not buy in the
CITY OF Portland. the broad and sna-
clouS grounds situated where the State
rouse ought to be that would be in
me with what Portland is and what
portland will be and with what Maine
is and Maine will be-
ii IL were ever changed. Mr. Chair
man, II the time ever comes in the his
tory of Maine when We must change
we VIII l:lake the change free handed
literally and in a way that comforts
with the dignity and honor of the city
of Portland and of this grand old COM
hohWealth. We will not put it down
on any small alley in the city of Port
land where my friend. MIR. Reed. can
find a bunch of real estate for 2,.JO)
paltry dollars.
But. take his figures. correct his COM
putations add to t his real estate. view
the problem in the light Of these Off; iaI
letters that com" here to our secretary
OF State from the secretaries of state
OF other states, and you will have
among them Il circular letter of Nj
Brown and you will see that it was
purely noI-committal. non-part iSan.
calling from official information from
tho states. and when you study them
submit this proposit ion to you: That
the re is no man within the sound of
my voice that will doubt for moment
Mr.. Chairman, that when You have
bought your land and built your build
ingS and have furnished it and have u
State House in which to do business
that the State Of Maine will have in
vested at least four million Of money.
1t is a question of business for you.
What does that mean to the taxpayers
of this State? | suppose, Mr.. Chair
man, we are all familiar with the fact
that the State of Maine cannot issue
bond. We are all familiar with tn" facj
that the State OF Maine has no borrow
ing power save that of our temporary
loaning power OF s30O,0G0, which ""
cannot surrender even for state Houses
which the State treasurer always needs
between the payment of taxes. Not
one single dollar can be borrowed. E.v
cry dollar you invest in the supposed
necessity must come by taxation froa
the pockets of the people.
I have taken pains here, Mr.. Chair
man. l thought that it might not BE-
amiss-I have here taken pains to fig
ure " hat would be the proportional
part of that four million dollars. of
the towns in which each of the mem
bers of this committee live. 1t is good,
easy figuring as Scion Chase used to
I, =, hn1
of this Legislature can carry away and
apply. I have reduced it ii little. 7
have have given Portland the benefit
Of the argument a little, in order to
make the figuring approximate. Four
million dollars is something moro. Mr..
Chairman, than one per cent. of the
valuation of the state of Maine. But,
reducing the four million to three ard
nn.-half million you would then hava
one per cent. In other words You pro
pose to reach out with the strong arm
of the law and take one dollar out Of
every one hundred dollars of wealth
that there is in Maine to put int"
new stat" House in the city of Port
land. to say nothing of the abandon
ment of this millinn-doIlar building.
Here is a good, easy way to figure
II, you all KNOW ypul Nilu''tI'ii7' A''i''
one rcr cont of your valuations. or YOU
gentlemen that ar" town officers can
figure it in any other way-your stat
tax last year was onc-pu"rtcr "1 one
per cent. Multiply your state tax "i
last wear I,y four-that Is another way
to get ut it. And. if my friends ar"
right that this thing can he done Tor
two and Il half millions. scale those fig
urcs a little. TIL" difference to tn"
tax-paycr between a seal" Of two
million and-a-half basis and three
million baaiS-you can cas-
lily got At it.
Portland's share would br $Il6.1'2;
Newport (and throw off the odd dol
lars) s6OS9: Nrbleborr, $23aI2; SkoWhc-
gan, $35.1SS t.astport. $11112; E'runS-
wick. $5S,3lt: Deer Isle. $3S'2: Rlch-
mond. $40. 12S; Corinth. $i2fS, and WASH
neton, SEIZE.
Think you. gentlemen, that the p""-
pie that toll upon the hills to earn ihat
money will endorse your action.
I have figured here by counties, and
T omit the hundrcdthS and give APP
nrcxilnato figures. AndroSCOGgin'S con-
tr;bution is 500 900; Aroostook $l6o.OOO;
Cumberland $1S6.GD0; Franklin $Se.o0e,
Hancock $4,000: Kcnn"bcc $"lb,""o:
Knox s14S.00O: Lincoln $1,000; oxford
ssg 900: Penobscot $4,000: PiScataqulS
So. 600: Sagadahoc $4,000; Somerset,
sl43.0oO; Waldo 100000; Washington
sl2O.O0O York S32i,o0o.
Think you the pcopl" of those conn-
ties will endorse it? But MI. char
man. these figures are deceptive. Ia%-
alton. in weight of burdens. docs not
RIM in the state Of Maine according TO
assessed valuation. One dollar oi tax
in the country towns weighs more
heavily than two dollars in the city OF
Portland or the city of Augusta.
True my friends from Portland nav
A valuation upon the books of iiity mil
lions or q tritle over, and We nave IT,
the CITY of Augusta Il valuation "i APP
nroXimatcly seven or eight millions OF
dollars. What is the real Naludt'"u
of Portland aud % Augusta? Flfty mil
lions. more. in tn" city of Por;land that
escapes assessment. You nav" your
stocks and YOUR bonds and your paper
evidences of wealth in Portland ana N
Augusta. Out upon these hills what
eyer the farmer has Is taxed