Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-28

the growth may be cared for; an
elaborate system of forest, fire service
with trained men it charge and full
equipment on hand for fighting fires;
a system of cutting regulations to
prevent the cutting of small trees; a
valuation OF 81 per acre on the timber
lands for the land value with tax
of five mills; a tax on the logs cut
through the year of so cents per 1000
feet. Mr. Darling read a letter from
Clifford Pinchot, head of the national
forest service, favoring a tax on the
logs cut each year rather than on the
standing trees. There is no con-
stitutiOnal objection in Maine to the
exemption Of standing trees from
taxation by act of the Legislature and
the placing of the tax on the logs cut.
After Mr.. Darling had answered
numerous questions asked him by
members of the commission, Mr.. Drew
asked Hon Forest Goodwin if he
cared to speak at this hearing. Mr.
Goodwin said he was not prepared to
speak at this time but urged that q
second hearing on the wild land ques-
ton be held later in Bangor for the
benefit of the many owners in eastern
Maine who were not present at this
meeting. He said that this was the
worst season of the year for these
eentl amen to be present. as they are
just settling up for the winters work.
Moreover there has been a general
understanding that such a hearing
would be held in Bangor. Chairman
Drew said that the commission had not
planned to hold such q hearing in
Bangor, but that it proposed to hold
hearings later in all the counties on
the general subject of taxation and
the eastern Maine wild land owners
will be given an opportunity to be
heard at those meetings.
Hon. L. T. Carleton spoke on the
subject of wild lands from the point
Of view of one interested in the right
Of free hunting and free fishing on
these lands which all people now en-
joy. If the owners of these lands are
given absolute authority there this
right will be taken away. This fishing
and hunting is an important thing for
Maine. Non-residents paid $4,000 last
year in licenses for the privilege of
hunting in Maine, and Names license
of SIS is the lowest of any state which
has any game worth speaking of. Last
year there was $15.000000 left in
Maine by non-reSidentS who came here
for hunting, fishing and vacation en-
joyment, and this sum is wholly apart
from that spent by those who went to !
the Seashore resorts. There were al>,u
10000 citizens of Maine who hunted |
and fished in the Maine woods last |
rThnSn
work but are based on returns from |
guides and sporting camp owners. The !
people of Maine have a COM !
mon law mortgage on the wild lands |
in their right to fish and hunt there, !
and this right in a large measure af- |
fectS the value of the land to the pres !
ent owners.
W. r. Pattangall of Waterville adj
dressed the commission at some length.
'9 tiat the discussion had gone
beyond the strict province of the COM
mission. The main point is that of the
rate of taxation on wild lands The
matter of valuation is already in the
hands of the State board of assessors
The question of fire risk is something
to be taken into consideration by The
assessor and by the man who sells and
the man who buys, but it has nothing
to do with the rate. The question of
easy access is also a matter of valua-'
ton and not of rate Under the pres
ent system timber land in incorporated
towns pays four or five times the rate
of taxation on timber land in unin-
corporated places. This is a discrimi-
nation Cor which there is no justifica-
ton. How shall this injustice be
remedied? a constitutional amend
ment, as proposed by Mr.. bennett and
others, to allow wild lands to be taxed
at the average rate throughout the
State is not practical. No Legislature
will submit such an amendment to the
people. The same objection applies to
Mr.. Darlings plan to tax the logs cut
instead Of the standing trees. A way
must be found under the Constitution
as it now stands. There are not only
the rich wild land owners to be con-
sidered but also the people who live in