Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-01

curing of practical legislation to carry
| the principal recommendations of the
commission into effect, the outcome
being the passage of the practical tan
reform laws noted above in the Press
editorial. and which have resulted in
increasing the valuation of the State
from $23G 5000 to $40 900, 900
The people of the State will always
remember to Governor Burlei6l :
credit that it was upon his suggestion
! and under his leadership that this
great work of tax reform i'm Maine
was inaugurated and carried through
Refunding of the State Tax in 1889.
In his inaugural address of 1889, Gov
| ernor Bilrleigh expressed the opinion
that Il state of Maine three per cent
ond Wou!t command Il considerable
pr miC,n. The state drLt was then
it alIn2 Interest ut six per CrHt. Act
.n5 UPON Governor Hurlcigh's >ug2es-
1l"n, the Legislature authorized an is
>1!c Of bonds to cover the tntir. State
le't, Amounting al that time To S2,2n4, :
|h. aEUut tWo-thir;.s of hirh became
III" June /, 1851, and one third Dcto-
"r LIST, oi the sam" year On March
If The legislature. the Governor and
state 'rr' usilcr Inserted an ADVERTISE
ncnt in l., leading paper; of New York,
Ma. a,,!l,.Sott& an Maine, Sotiritine
tro.tus ais for the lJan. Thes,. l,rop,.als
were 10 Jc opened March ~ 1SS? The
result was the sale of the entire lean
1t Il premium of $13,9oo. which amount
was directly applied to the payment Of
The pubic debt Soon after the negO-
lion Of these bonds there was an un-
favorable turn in the money market
md had tn, Sc inltiatory steps been de-
laECd it is altogether probable thai
these bonds could not have been iioated
1t par. The annual saving in the in
ter' st account effected by this success
full funding of the State debt amounted
10 ST., $1,000, and has very materially
lighteneG the burdens of the taxpayers
Agriculture Made a State Department.
Through the recommendation of
Governor Rurleign, who has always
been in sympathetic touch With the
farmers Of the State and their inter
psts. the secretary of the Board Of Ag-
riculturc was given a merited increase
Of salary ana assigned permanent
ing his department convenient and
available 10 the public, and enabling
him to devote his whole time to tho
CXacting and important duties of his
office.
Increased State Appropriation for
Pensions.
The survivors of the late Civil War
have had no truer friend in Maine than
Governor i'urlcigh. 1t was upon his
very earnest recommendation that the
Legislature of 1889 increased the ap-
preparation for disabled veterans, and
those dependent upon them, from $40
300 to $4,000.
1t was upon the recommendation Of
Governor Burleigh that the law was
passed providing heavy penalties for
the careless setting of forest fires, and
making the Land Agent the Forest
Commissioner OF Maine, with warGens
in every section of the State. The ex-
pense OF this department has been very
small. bat the value of the work to the
state is generally recognized and would
be difficult to estimate
lndexing Of the State Library.
When the state Library was about
to be moved into its new quarters in
the State House extension, in 1891. Gov
ernor Burlcigh called the attention of
the Legislature to the great Importance
of supplying it with a modern card
catalogue, in order that its treasures
of information might be unlocked and
rendered easily available to it's patrons
For this reason he advocated an APP
preparation for the purchase of the nee
cssary cabinets and other material, and
the employment of additional help
skilled III this class of work. The Leg
islaturc responded to this appeal. and
today the state Library of Maine, in
convenience and usefulness, is second
TO none in New England.
Reduction of the State Tax Rate.
1t was upon the recommendation of
Governor Burlcigh. in his first inau-
gural message. that the rate of State
taxation was reduced to Pa mills. In
advocating this reduction Governor
Burleigh said:
"ThC total taxation may safely he
reduced for the year 1890 to two and
one-quartcr mills, which would he q
reduction of $117,I)9 "a per annum. The
lightnrSS of a State tax OF two and
one quarter mills can be appreciated
only by remembering that one mill of
it is for the school fund, levied accord
ing to property and divided according
to population. Excluding the school
tax ca wise and generous provision fer
the youth of the state in force now for
seventeen years. it will be seen that
the rate of taxation for general pllr-
poses of government viii in 1890 be the
lowest tax levied for 80 years, and as
low as any that has been levied for
so years. The entire state tax for next
year will be $500, o99. % or less than was
levied ON Cumberland county alone in
1860"
SO well pleased were the people of
Maine with Governor BurleighS able
ana buSineSS-likc administration of
state affairs that at the next election,
although it came i'll an off year. they
returned him IL the office he had filled
so we'll by an increased plurality.
When Governor Burleigh, therefore,
was Sent l." Congress. he was no new
or Inexperienced man. He had been
tried in the highest office in the gift of