Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-24
STATE HOUSE.
New Law Brings State
Assessors Extra Work,
Special Orders from Office Of
The Adjutant General.
Pejepscot Pope Co. Increases CAPT.
tai Stock to S2,500,000
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Tuesday, April ~, at 1890 A. M.


The members of the Board of State
Assessors are now preparing for the
series of meetings which they will hold
later with the local boards of assess
ors Of the various cities and towns of
the State. on business pertaining to
the valuation of those places. The
meetings will begin about the first
week in June as by that time the as
SCISSORS of some of the towns have COM
pleted the valuation of those towns
and are ready to meet the members
of the State board.
The valuation blanks for the use of
the local boards of assessors were sent
out from the office of the State board
April 1, and the returns are now being
received at the Office in goodly num-
bers, returns from &c towns having
already been received. In the series
of meetings held by the State board
they usually begin with the counties
in which there are no cities, taking
oxford and Franklin first. and after
those come Somerset and Piscataquls
The last two counties to be visited are
Cumberland and Piscataquis.
The State board will this year find
quite an increase in the amount to be
done in the way of county meetings,
because of legislation which was en-
acted by the Legislature at it's late
session. Under the old law the mem
bers of the board We're required to
visit the various counties of the State
at least once in two years, and under
this rule the assessors We're able to
Il ,yil IA moro
simple, but under the law which will
go into effect the first of next July
one or more members of the board are
required to visit each county of the
State at least once each year.
Section of Chapter 22O of the Pub
lie Laws of 1909, which is an amend
ment of Section of Chapter of the
Revised Statutes, which governs the
above action on the part of the board,
reads as follows:
Section ). The board shall have and
exercise general supervision over the
administration of the assessment and
taxation laws of the state, and over
local assessors and all other assessing
officers in the performance of their du-
ties. to the end that all property shall
be assessed at the just value thereof
in compliance with the laws of the
state One or more members of the
board shall visit officially every county
in the state at least once each year,
and at other times as may be necessary
in the performance Of their duties, and
shall there hold sessions at such times
and places as they may deem necessary
to inquire into the methods of assess
mcnt and taxation and to confer with
and give necessary advice and lnstruc-
ton to local assessors as to their du-
ties under the laws of the state, and
to secure information to enable them
to perform their duties as herein pro-
vided. They shall give such public no
tice Of said meetings as they deem
proper. and shall give to each board
of town assessors in the county in
which the meetings are to be held a
notice by mail of the time and place
of such meetings. Each board of town
assessors or some member or members
of each of them, shall attend said meet
ing. having with them the then last
list or books giving the valuation of
all taxable property in their respective
towns They shall answer under oath
if required, such questions pertaining
to the valuation of the property in their
towns as the board of state assessors
NAV put to them. Said meeting shall
be under the general direction of the
board of state assessors and governed
bv such rules of order as said board
shall make and announce. Any town
who's, assessors shall fail to attend
said meetings without excuse salts
factory to the board of state assessors,
shall be liable to pay reasonable eX-
pensos of the board or of any person
appointed by it, incurred in making
examination of the lists or books of
said town or in getting other evidence
nertaining to the valuation OF the
property in such town. Such expenses
shall be reported to the legislature by
the board of state assessors and shall
be added to the amount of the next
state tax levied against such town. or
NAV be recovered in an action of debt
against such town in the name of the
treasurer Of state. Towns shall pay
to said town assessors a reasonable
compensation and actual expenses in
CURED in complying with the require
ments of this chapter.
In regard to the meetings which the
State board holds with the tmberland
owners of the State the new law re-
duires no change and the meetings
will be held once in two years as here