Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-12-22
The Tax Commissions Report.

The report of the tax commission ap-
pointed under a resolve OF the last legis-
lsture was filed and published Friday.
1t is lengthy document, and reveals, in
both its wording and it's substance, that
the commission has gone thoroughly in
to the subject, not only as relates to the
Maine laws, but making an exhaustive
study of the tax systems of other states,
rs well as of foreign countries. Whether
any of the recommendations of the COM
mission are adopted or not, the graft
tude of the state is due them for their
thorough study and their valuable con-
tribution to the study of this yexed and
more or less complicated question.
With Mr.. White of Rockland and Mr..
Merrill of st. Adams dissenting from
certain of the recommendations, the
general recommendations of the COM
mission are summed up as follows:
All assessments at full market value.
State assessors invested with more
powers.
Apportionment of state tax on land
values.
Public service corporations be taxed
on an sd valorem basis.
Taxation of savings deposits in ma
tional banks.
Taxation of life insurance companies
on reserve values.
A graduated automobile tax.
Uniform tax on bank stock.
A direct and collateral inheritance
tax.
Uniformity in valuing steamboats,.
A mortgage recording tax.
Uniform poll tax.
Taxation of pleasure boats.
License fee on foreign corporations.
Regulation of public utilities.
Exemption of state, county and mu-
nicipal bonds.
Exemption of mortgages.
Exemption of securities of such Maine
corporations as pay tax based on their
full value.
OF these recommendations there are
three that are quite radical, one OF them
almost revolutionary. This last is the
proposition to apportion the state tax
among the towns according to the value
of the land in each, apart from the
buildings and improvements on the land,
Under this system the value OF the land
and the buildings would have to be
separated by the assessors. The rate OF
the state tax would be considerably in
creased, and a much larger proportion
of the whole than now would be paid by
the wild lands. Mr.. Merrill dissents
from this recommendation, and favors
having the state assume larger portion
than now of the burdens of schools
roads, etc.
Only second to this as radical feature
is the proposition to tax public service
corporations, railroads, etc, on the
actual value of their property, instead OF
on their earnings as now. This method
has had many advocates. Mr.. White
and Mr.. Merrill dissent from their asso
ciates in regard to this, Mr.. White favor
ing a tax on the net income of the cor
porations, and Mr.. Merrill being in favor
Of retaining the present system Of tax
on the gross income.
The proposed direct Inheritance tax is
also something entirely new for this
state. As proposed by the commission
il would affect only estates of some size
the exemptions being large enough Sc
that it would not apply to small estates
Even If this report should have the
same fate as that of the last tax com
mission in this state, large portion Of
whose recommendations were disregard
ed, discussion of the subjects advanced
can not fail TO be of interest and value