Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-04
A Record Of Good Stewardship.
belfast Journal.)

I
| If you are a Republican from princi-
pie you will on Sept. 14th vote the tick
ct headed by Bert NJ. Fernald. If you
have the welfare of your State and
county at heart you will, regardless of
| past political affiliations, vote that
| ticket Aside from the personality OF
| the opposing candidates. and in that
respect we challenge comparison the
| Republican ticket stands for progress.
prudence and good stewardship. In the
war for the Union, Maine incurred a
great debt. the interest on which had to
| be borne by the people. To reduce that
debt has been the constant endeavor of
the party in power. Under the admin
| stration of Governor Hill much vas
| accomplished in this direction, and in
the first three years of Governor Cobb's
| administration he wiped $6900o0 off the
State debt, and when he gives way TO
| Governor Fernald next January Maine
| will ow. less than 100000. This reduce
| ton has been accomplished without re-
course to a niggardly policy in dealing
with the worthy objects of State bene-
| tcence and without increasing the bur-
den of the individual citizen. 1t is 4
| matter of record that the State has
|
with the classes and the institutions
which require financial assistance. 1t
| has been doing more and more for The
unfOrtunateS in its aSy!umS for the in
sane, it has instituted a relief move
ment for the feeble minded, started a
| work for the blind, it has increased its
allowance for State pensions to those
who answered the call to arms, it has
helped establish and maintain hospitals
and it continues to give more and more
| for the cause of education. 1t has
helped build good roads, it is helping
towns stamp out the insect pests which
have devasted sister States.
The Democratic press and orators
have had much to say of Republican
extravaganza and of the burden of the
| State tax. With characteristic dishon-
esty they have included the payments
on the State debt among the expcndi-
lures to sustain their charge of extraV
agance. Yet by this reduction of the
! debt the state has saved S75105 in three
years in its interest account alone. Now
us to the State tax. The tax collected
| from the people is a very small part of
| the State revenues and greater
| amount is returned directly to the peo-
pie. Only three towns in Waldo county
| receive less money from the State than
the amount of their State tax. and If
| their nonresident tax is taken into
| consideration they also are gamers
| The official figures for 1907 show that
| the State tax for Waldo county last
year was $50. 74709, and that there was
| returned to this county for schools
State roads, pensions. etc. s39. 344.01. In
addition there We're the following spec
ial appropriations by the legislature for
| Waldo county in 1907:
Freedom Academy ................. 5000 90
| y-iberty-roads .... 1000
Stockton SpringS-reimbursem 800
Chidrens Aid Society Of Maine
| Belfast ......:.......:..::.. !'2WO
Waldo County General Hospital :. 10000
| County Attorney OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 5000
s6,6s5 90
This. added to the amount received
from the State before mentioned, makes
| total of s46.015.01, as against the State
tax of s3O,747.09. The nonresident tax
| of Waldo county for 1907 was s., 750.42
so that the actual resident State tax
was only s24,966.67, or but little mere
than half the amount received by the
county from the State, the greater part
of which went directly to the people
Certainly Waldo county has no reason
! to complain when she receives nearly
two dollars for every one paid as State
tax The showing for the State is
equally good. For example: In 1907 the
cities and towns Of Maine received from
the State s661, 534.92 more than they paid
in taxes. The State tax for that year
| was s1,073,417.40 and the State paid back
81, 734 .952.3 81. Of this sum $1,O47. 229 "a
went back under the refunding clausee