Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-20

| DeSH al C$ioC IA NNiusAlicii VA ouS d
the state, but is convinced that the
report does not tell the truth about it
1t holds that the valuation OF many
kinds of property is nothing less than
| a farce anyway" 1t even suspects that
the report is made rosy to influence the
coming State election. All of which
demonstrates that dyspepsia Of the in
tellectuals is distressing affliction.
But the vicious thing, the character
istic demagoguery. of the Sentinefs
comment on the report of the State as
SCISSORS is it's deliberate confusion of
| State and municipal taxation. II is the
same Democratic game which was so
| thoroughly exposed and which failed
so completely in the campaign of 1895.
The Sentinel would like to have its in
nocent readers believe that the State
administration regulates local taxes
and handles all the money which the
| taxpayer turns over to the town or city
collector. Ii seeks to give the i'm
preston that somehow by our system
| of State taxation "a horde of grafters"
| are getting money out of the State
| treasury which has been eXtorted from
1.-The farmer and the small property
holder" OF course this is slopdoodle
and nincOmpOopery of the most tommy
rotic type, but the Sentinel readers are
accustomed TO that diet.
| Here is an extract from the Sentiners
editorial.
"Wild lands have escaped an equit-
able valuation and an equitable rate,
and corporations have enjoyed the
| privilege of doing business, realizing
! large profits and seeing the farmer and
the small property holder taxed for the
whole thing"
Now let US look at the figures.
| Where the wild lands We're taxed $4S.1T9
! in 1891. they were taxed S1l2.67S in 1877
Where the corporations paid taxes OF
S6o3,o1S in 1871. they paid taxes Of ST.
$685. in 1907 Tho tax on wild lands
is over twice as large and the corpora
ton taxes almost three times as large
as they were a decade ago. How about
"the farmer and the small property
holder" Plainly they are not taxed
for the whole thing" as the Sentinel
asserts. The only way to get at their
part is to note the tax paid into the
State treasury by the towns and cities
Of course 81" farmer ana small
property holder" do not contribute all
OF this, hut their part is included in this
| somew here. In 1897 the towns and
cities paid sS55,1qS; in 1900 they paid
$l,G7l,520. Thus while the wild lands
| pay over twice as much ard the corpor-
10 years ago. the towns and cities pay
| but ono and one-fourth the amount
they paid a decade ago. The rate al
taxation upon them was 81 mills ir
| 1897 and IL mills in 1907 Yet thc
|
that the heavily capitalized and bonded
corpora tons and wild land owners may
escape paying n Just share OF the ex-
! pense OF government
But there is much more than this |.
Re said. BY FIR the larger part Of tllt
| farmers and small property holders
la :. Co
such pity. dwell in the country towns
In 1906 no fewer than PSI of these
cities III Maine. actually received bach
from the State treasury. for schoo
money and other purposes. more thar
| they paid into it. III fully 30 other.
the difference against them was a very
minor matter. Yet the Sentinel tells
these $50 towns that they are robbed
by a horde OF grafters" in control of TIL,
State government. and cruelty cypress
ed in order that corporate interest:
may escape paying a just share Of the
expense Of government" Could Demo
cratic deTagoguery-even that of tbs
Watervllle ring-go further than this
The State assessors and the Stat,
government i'm general have nothing t,
do with local taxes. These depend UP
on the voters of the towns and cite.
themselves. In 1907 the average ia,
rate throughout the State was So pc
$1,000. Of this. only $3.50 was paid in
10 the state treasury One dollar o
: TINS &.So went right back to the town
ior school purposes. The remainin:
a Sl5c went back to them directly an,
( indirectly fer railroad tax. dog licenses
r state pensions. care Of insane. supper
:. OF hospitals. State roads. State pauper>
e etc. The expenses that may strictly b
O called State expenses are all uaid. an
e much more than paid. by the taxes O.
e the corporations and moneyed Interests
c Yet the Sentinel says these corpora
6 ti"ns and iEtereslsdescape psying a, ius
a share of the expenses of the State gov
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