The Ordway new era., 1907-09-20
FREAK CORPORATIONS
STATE OF MAINE FOSTERS
GROWTH OF ODD CONCERNS.
List Of Those Which Have Died Late
iy Through Failure to Pay Taxes
Shows Some Organized for
Peculiar Purposes.

Portland, Me.-Do you want com
pany TO supply the people OF Mars
with steam shovels 10 dig their ca
nails? Do YOU want to form company
to raise bananas in Alaskag Do you
desire a concern TO trade in the spir'
its of the heroes OF the pasty Well. II
| YOU do. come to Maine and hle your
| papers. You can form n corporation
with capital limit only exceeded by
the skyline and II won't cost you
enough to set you back very material
ly either.
For years Maine has been the Mecca
for those who wished 10 launch com
panles. The fees for granting a charter
are merely nominal. The taxes are
still more so. something like an annu-
al franchise tax OF IS on $4,000 CAPT
talization. Almost no questions are
asked. and II is as easy for company
with any object whatever. and few
dollars TO pay the necessary fees and
printing. to get full-nedGed charter
as It is for a man to get a drink in
the city OF BanEor-and no man who
ever went TO that city and wanted the
stuff that cheers but inebriates ever
went very dry either.
All sorts OF fanciful corporations are
fled in the Office OF the secretary OF
state in Augusta, and gaudily printed
shares OF the stock are offered to the
public. You need not limit your capi'
talizatiou-to be sure, the more cspi-
tai you have the more tax you are sup
posed to pay. but after you have dis
posed OF your shares you probably
won't icy your tax anyway. and viii
let the charter Of the company expire.
The rihcr day a list OF delinquent
corporations was published, corpora
tions whose charters were to expire
on account OF unpaid taxes. 1t filled
two pages in nonpareil type. with close |
spacing at that But hundreds OF 9th
ers are surmed every month. so a few
more or less aren't missed very much. |
All kinds Of companies are being |
foated all the time.
Companies to dig tunnels in regions |
where tlayel is absolutely nil. com. |
panies to raise mussels and put them
on the market: companies dealing in
oil: companies dealing in assurance
tabout all Of them have plenty OF this
for their stock in trade. although it is
more CON monty known as galD: com
panies dealing in patent medicines Of
all kinds: in synthetic coal" II any.
one knows what that Is In amuse.
ments and wumen's wear; In rJaher.
paving stones, engines. foods
and land are only too common.
The most interesting ones are the
freak ones. They abound from the
Of cats to the saving OF
souls. Among few In the advertised
list which haven't paid their taxes are
the Baldwin Airship company, the Ar
ustic Display company. the Blue
Blazes Heater company. the College
OF PhysioBnomy and Sublime Wisdom
Of Life. the Boston Exploration com.
pany. the Beacon Ethical union. the |
Conscience Law corporation tone cor
poration evidently has a conscienceD.
a concern organized up in Kittery. for |
the purpose OF dealing in bananas. a |
company known simply as the Super.
latiye company, which didn't appear to
have any business at all: n company
for the development OF two republics.
according to Its title, and so on ad in.
finitum ct ad nauseam.