Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-11

property in the city of Portland, far
greater than all the proposed increase
in the wild land tax, escapes taxation
annually. do not know how you are
going to get at that personal property
but it's evasion of taxation is a great
evil.
"There are plantations representing
about e-seventh of the wild lands in
Somerset county which are spoken Of
as wild lands. The average rate paid
upon these plantations amounts to
from IA to Is mills. These plantations
are certainly paying as much as they
should. Another class are towns having
a county road but which have no peo-
pie living on them. The rate for these
is y mills which is certainly as much
as it should be. Over in our county we
have a new railroad extension which
has necessitated the building of roads
through about 100, 900 acres of land. The
wild land owners have been assessed
Is mills on dollar to build this road
| These wild lands will, in progress of
time, become organized plantations
ard will be subject to a municipal tax.
II you figure closely, you will find that
100000 acres of wild lands in this State
that arc not subject to some other tax.
81 am an owner in a township of
$4,000 acres. If we could sell the right
fer exclusive fishing on that land. we
would willingly pay tax of 90 mills
We have been offered $1,000 year for
exclusive sporting rights on a small
section by Massachusetts parties. The
State certainly gets great benefits from
the use of wild land for fishing and
hunting purposes. 1 do not think that
land from which the State receives
benefit should be taxed the same as
land from which the State gets no ben
eft.
Our supreme court has just said
that the Legislature has the right to
pass laws restricting the cutting Of
timber. Suppose for instance, that the
State should restrict the cutting to 10
inches This would practically ruin
many owners.
IAN idea seems prevalent that the
owners of timberland have not given
all the information that they should
| to the Board of State Assessors. That
| is not true. Timberland owners give
all the information in their power. but
| if they did not, the wild lands are open
to the assessors and they can get true
| estimates. They do not have to take
| the statement of the owners | be-
| lieve that | am entirely correct when
| | state that the wild lands in Somer-
set county are taxed within 10 per
| cent. of their true valuation
| The Coburn estate owns some 213,-
| 600 acres which have been currently
| reported to be worth $1,00000O and
which are valued for tax purposes Il,
100000. This property is certainly
assessed at its full value. In many
cases the valuation as assessed ex-
ceeds the market value. OF course
there are Individual cases of mis-
judgment but, in general, the valua-
ton as made by the State assessors
is correct and very fair
1T is known from active inyestigu-
ton, that spruce lumber in a growth
of the tree increases at the rate of
about per cent. year If there
is a valuation of 81 an acre, on prom
erty which increases at the rate of 3
per cent. and a tax of 2 per cent. is
placed on it, this would allow but 1
per cent. for the investment which
practically amounts to the confiscation
of the property. 1t would be equally
as fair to single out a trust company
or WOODEN mill, for special taxation
The proposal is anarchistic.
| Il don't speak for any particular as
| ISOLATION except that l am here as a
| representative of the Great Northern
| Paper Co. We do not object to any
! legitimate taxation but we believe that
if you increase the present tax by one
quarter or one-fifth you are giving
the wild lands all the taxes they can
stand. If you put an additional tax
| of one mill upon the lands which
would bring in an addition revenue of
100000 you are making all the in
creases that is just or proper. We
don't think you should change the
| constitution"
| Mr.. Drew-"Have you thought of
the proposition of abolishing the State
tax altogether and establishing :.
stumpage taxi"
Mr. Goodwin can't work that
proposition satisfactorily to myself. 1t
must be borne in mind that the crop
cut from the wild lands is taxed at it's
full valuation in the municipality in
which the logs are sold"
Mr. Drew-"But what do you think
about doing away with the State
taxi"
Mr.. Goodwin-"The system is the
fruit of centuries of thought. Strik-
ing blow at the established order of
things is always fraught with danger
Mr.. Drew-"It would relieve each
town of three mills"
Mr. Goodwin-"Yes, but I don't
know how much would come back up
on the towns"
| Mr. Drew-"Have you thought any
thing about the suggestion from a
legal standpoint
Mr.. Goodwin have great doub!
about the constitutionality of the OAR
ling proposition. All the owners are
thinking of the ACCESSIBILITY of refor-