The Somerset reporter., 1909-01-14

state shall onee In IS years sffer i've
prizes for the FIVE lots OF young forest
growth. the same to be awarded by the
state forestry commissioner subject to
the approval of the governor on Jan 81.
1927, and once In Is wears thereafter for
ever. In accordance with certain rules
laid down by tho donor. said forestry
prizes to be known by the name of the
donor. The details of the proposition will
be submitted to you in connection with
the OFFER. 1nasmuch as the gift entails
the obligation upon the state fer all
time to give a similar prize once In 1s
years by state appropriation, the mat
ter properly comes before you for your
consideration.
desire also to call to your attention
the matter of pollution Of rivers and
lakes, which are now or may become
sources OF supply for domestic purposes.
and to the determination OF the powers
of the state board OF health under all
circumstance where public health Is
menaced. Thu evils arising from the dis
charge of raw sewage into streams and
lakes are enormous. IL lis pointed out
that sanitary science prescribes definite
and effective methods Of sewage disposal.
When YOU consider the fearful NOR .ality
from this source throughout the country,
which In 1900 was estimated by the cen
sus to be over thirty-five thousand lives,
1t is plain that there is a material waste
as well disregard of human life in
present crude methods observed in the
disposal of sewage.
Protection OF our forests from nre will
require your attention in some measure
at this session. and il is suggested first
of all that the governor be empowered
to extend close season in years of ex
IRENE drought. such as we have just
passed through. Other and possibly bet
ter methods than this will be presented
to you. / trust, and hope every posi-
BILE means will be taken by you to afford
precautions tnat will diminish the dan
ger from this source
The Report of the Tax Commission
and a Prospective Tax System.
In view of the impending consideration
by you of the report filed with the
governor and council by a taxation com
mission appointed by Governor Cobb in
accordance with the provisions of Chap
ter 1903. public laws of Maine of 1907,
shall not discuss in detail those issues
of taxation which otherwise would have
had place herein. / refrain from this
discussion because the commission has
placed before you, as the law making
branch of the government, for your de-
termin ton, such questions as the iarg-
err taxation of certain public service cor
porations, a more equitable taxatio of
the wild lands, and the creation of
public utilities ommission-questions
that. whatever may be our personal
views. must now be met. Through the
tax commissioners report these subjects
are explicitly before you. You do not
need to be told how grave are to be the
ultimate conclusions thereof. or how d.
verse and complex are the problems they
present Certainly, | have no desire to
add to their eomplexity through the i'm
to-, 1F NsV,S, III p11
might be construed to carry with them
the weight of official approval or disap
proval in advance of your own candid
deliberations. Later, | shall not hesitate
to address you on any OF these issues If,
in my judgment ii seems to me that the
demands OF justice and equity are not
attained.
On the general proposition on the formn
lation OF the tax system I will, however,
enter an appeal that you make It, as far
as possible. complete and durable. Let 1t
be q system. not subterfuge; let II
follow a policy, not a pretence. To my
mind that system is best which Is in
elusive of all interests in fair measure.
and easy of modification so as to meet
the needs OF succeeding generations
without tearing down the whole etruc-
ture The time Is ripe for the develop
ment of a fixed policy and the deternin-
alton of how to enforce IT. To depend
exclusively on one source Of revenue 10
not wise. There is an ethical, as well as
an economical side to this question: for
you must not lose sight of the fact that
a tax system that is broadly inclusive OF
every interest In the state is hereby also
broadly inclusive Of q watchful care by
those interests to see that the funds
thus taken by the state are properly ex-
pended.
Easy Money Begets Easy Morals.
am aware that 1t ie frequently urged
that avenue Is the sole eonsidsra ton,
but permit me to say. that In my opin-
ion where the money from taxes flows In
a golden stream int state treasury
from sources seemingly apart from the
people, extravaganza and corruption may
ensue in the administration of public at
fairs. Easy money begets easy morals.
And, In the fnal analysis, the people al
ways pay the bills II is better, therefore,
in my opinion to have every community
pays its share Of the state taxes in some
form OF direct levy, that responsibility
may rest upon the state to make q pro-
per showing of how the same was ex-
pended and that every citizen may keep
his eye upon the state. believe that this
is a wise course, for II IL more and more
the disposition and the duty of the mod
ern state to take over to Systematic con-
troll those public functions hitherto rele-
gated to towns and cities in the build
ing and care Of public highways and
bridges, the care Of the poor and the
insane, and the aid to public and quasi
public philanthropiee which never will at
tain their proper usefulness until they
become the care and consideration Of the
whole people of the state.
Relief From Excessive Taxes.
While speak thus for system
which shall be inclusive, I heartily ap-
prove of the general suggestion of the
tax commissions report for relief from
excessive taxes On real estate ana tang
ibe property in general, and the placing
OF larger propsrtiOnate share Of proper
ty reached by special taxation. In Maine,
we have relied too much on direct prop
erty tax. The burdens have been insqui-
table. | think II Is generally agreed that
some of our public service corporations
and the largely appreciated values in
wild lands should pay larger relative
tax than hitherto, and / hope that the
legislature will meet no serious oppoei-
ton in the determination OF fairer levy
upon the same. The method by which
this is to be done Is for you 30 deter
mine. hope II may be simple far re-
moved as possible from manipuIations by
interested parties. equitable and FEAST
Bile. The method in Maine long has been
to tax railroads on gross receipts; /
have always believed in this methsd as
scientific. practical, and especially easy
OF application. since II Is absolutely un-
der the control of the Legislature. BY
means OF il we show greatly increa sed
revenue from public service corporations
in the past six years, and without the
addition OF extra machinery, we have ii
in our power to secure additional Teven-
ue. You will have before you, a state