Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-19

III cblnlIttt it1ujdtlfn OF lilh1e
pcssimiStic statements in the Water
Vile sc!itintl and other Democratic
decline in Mines farming industry
ana Il decrease III the value of Maine
farming property. there was recently
given out til" following interview ny
lion. George pnttle Of Lewiston a
ineIlb, IT'S Of the State Board Of Assess
| nrS N.t, knows what he is talking
about. MI. Puttlc, it may be remarked.
is 4 Democrat. nut he has no sympathy
! with tnn5" calamity hoWlcrs of his
party vino d"crE their native State and
brlittlr its splendid progress in the
hope of EaininS party capital. Mr..
Po.tlc speaks as fellows:
Maine has made good progress in
; wealth during the past ten years, and
in 10 decade during our history as q
state lave The town aseSSors' books
shown such uniform increase in valua-
ton.
Ihr assessed valuation Of tie cities,
| towns and Plantations as made by the
lur3l boards of assessors show COM
bin,'d increase Of more than $1,000. 800
sine. 1897. and the valuation of the
unrcorpGrated townships has been in
creased more than $4,000. 000. during
this period $" that We may say that the
total assessed valuation Of the state is
approximately for 1907 $4,000, 900.
greater than it was ten years ago.
TIL to,al valuation of our twenty
cities IS, in round numbers. $2T.a0".0oo
NOR" than it was in 1897; fifty six
! notwithstanding towns have gained APP
! I,rrximat"l,- $1,000. 900. OF AZ per cent.
during al" ten years: twenty-five
| towns containing our principal summer
sorts have gained over s1".o0".oo or
rs per cont. sine" 1897; seventy eight
! small towns and plantations have
gained about s. 500, 000. or about - per
cent, Most of these towns and plau-
| t#tions are only partially settled and
are practically wild land towns. and
tn" rapid increase in valuation +
| mainly on account Of the advance in
| til" value Of al kinds Of timber growth
! Three hundred and tWcnty-ninc farm
| ing towns had in 1897 total valuation
If $A6.I19 500 and for 1907 Sto0. 606.-
80. Il gain i'll ten years of Sl2,>26.563.
| or l., l,nr cent. Not all Of farming
i towns have increased in value. q few of
th,In are dwindlinS in population and
valuation. but fully four-fifths have
! gained and in some sections of the
! state. notably ATooStook, there has
been i marked increase in valuation.
! When Maine was admitted into the
| J'nicn in 1920, the total valuation
Of real and personal property was
S.0,oaN,he0; our gain during the past
ten years is nearly five times our
original valuation.
!! When Maine became Il State. we
| had rn city within cur borders and
but few towns of considerable size.
| We had no railroads then; today VIC
have more than two thousand miles
If steam railroads and about five
hundrrd mics Of street railways.
Our financial institutions have
Kept rae" With our growth and de-
! vel"rm"nt ANA are important factors
in cur prosperity. Maine is doing
we'll and win continue to grow and
prosper Cur resources are so. varied
orr advantages 80 great that s.,ample
capital will be forthcoming to = pro-
mot" and carry on our business en-
tcrprises of every kind.
| There is one thing. however. that
| ! DO not lik" T. record. and that is
that our wants seem to multiply in a
greater ratio than our increase in
wo2lth. The tendency to increase
| public expenditures is almost univer-
| sal Our average tax rate in Maine
| is higher than in any other New Eng
| land state and the demand FOR public
! improvements arc larger and appr0-
/ priations show 10 sign Of abatement.
! The average rate of municipal taxa
! ton on real and personal property in
! 1906 was $20.s1 on each 81 900 worth OF
| property Average rate for 1907, |
| estimate to be fully So 10 on the 1000
| | hope the final figures win show it Ia
! be some less, although do not look
| for it.
! When the District Of Maine was
; separated from Massachusetts and