Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-23
Th l. sl.s: Of property is generally known

|
OF wild lands to bear . much Rreater
share Of the public burden than they now
DO under the present system. in the last
ten years they have increased in value. sc-
cording to the report OF the board OF state
assessors, about 40 per cent.
These hgures and facts would seem to
demonstrate beyond q shadow Of doubt
that land in umncorporated places can
ana ought TO stand larger tax and thus
relieve the property overs in cities and
towns who are Obliged to pay 20 mills or
more on their property.
We have been urged to recommend a
so-called "stumpage taxi. The friends OF
this tax advocate the practical exemption
OF wild lands, as such, from taxation and
in lieu thereof, the taxation OF the an
nual cut. 1t is urged that SO long as the
owner received no income from cutting
his timber he should not pay taxes, as he
10 public benefactor in that he is allow
Ing the trees to grow, the more to protect
our watersheds.
The manufacturers Of lumber, as rule,
object to the s.stumpage taxi. The land
owner generally sells or spermits" the
right to cut, charging therefor an agreed
sum for each thousand feet board measure.
Mill owners or manufacturers must take
all the hazard incident to their precarious
business, and they urge that il wild
lands we're exempt from taxation and q
stumpagc tax levied, it would be more diff
flcult than now to obtain . permit or
license to cut. They further urge that the
land owner would take the position that
his logs or stumpage were worth such and
such price, and that the State ievies q
stumpage tax of 30 cents per thousand
and that the license or mill owner must
pay that tax In addition to the price Of the
regular stumpage.
Furthermore, we have doubts - to the
constitutionality OF such law. It might
possibly be worked out BY extending the
doctrine that the State has the right to
regulate the size OF the logs to be cut, 90
- to hold that the State has the right to
prohibit all cutting without first obtain
Ing license therefor. II this 10 so, the
STATE might possibly charge license OF
mxeo amount pef thousand cut. Gould
this b done. and the State collect say, 50
cents per thousand feet, assuming the
annual cut to b from 600, 900 to co.,
OK, 900 feet ~ We estimate from such in
vestigation ~ We have been able to make
u would produce an annual revenue of
bstween e60, 000 and $4,000. This is in
contrast to VIZ, 76l %, the amount OF state
tax paid on wild lands for the year 1907.
We have been urged BY others to recon-
mend that the State assume more OF the
municipal functions such 20 public schools,
roads and bridges thereby necessitating
large State tax rate Of possibly ten mills
on the dollar. This would certainly in
crease tho amount to b paid BY owners Of
property In unincorporated places, but ct
the same time It would increase tho State
tax on our cities and towns seven mills.
The grave question to be determined
would b whether the cities and towns
would receive Just and equitable benefits
to compensate them for the extra tax OF
seven mills. The disposition OF this addi-
tional sum collected BY the State, so that
he rss.t ,ltss m Pdona Wrnnld ha horne
"justly and equitably" would be . most
complex and difficult problem.
II it is true that the assessors to- day are
adopting the policy OF undertaking. prop
erty for the purpose OF relieving their re-
spective towns Of their just and equitable
share OF the public burdens, when the tax
is only three mills, what may we expect
| should the State tax rate be raised to ten
millsf The present incentive would be
intensified three-fold.
For the above stated reasons we do not
recommend the adoption OF either OF the
above mentioned systems as q relief to the
overburdened taxpayers in the cities ana
Il will be noted that we as yet have said
nothing about taxing land value. We
have discussed only the superintendent of
the State tax. Our idea is that we shall
use the land values Of cities, towns and
townships solely for fixing the amount OF
the State burden that each city, town ana
| township shall pay as State taxes. After
| this il determined by the legislature, upon
the report OF the state assessors, tnen "
simply passes Dill assessing tn9 smount
OF tax that each sncuIo pay. we 40 nov
disturb the present metnoo OF tne state
treasurer IN issuing ms Warrant 20 mu-
nicipal assessors. The warrant having
been issued, then the amount spportiohe9
to the city or town IS to De assessed ana
raised just as IT Is TO. day, on all classes OF
taxable property within the municipality.
The system suggested does not involve
change OF any law relating TO tine assess
ment and collection OF taxes in the several
cities and towns.
The owners Of wild lands may plead
that the tax imposed by the adoption OF
this method is excessive, and that as re-
| suit our forests would be denuded-
stripped of timber for the purpose OF max
ing them less vaIua BILE. Is it at all prob
able that the owners of wild lands would
despoil their property for the sole purpose
of escaping the increase OF two cents per
acre in taxes?
Instead of the present "mill tax" we
%I.ox oInt.r n