Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-19
TAXATION OF WILD LANDS.
Chairman Drew of Tax Commission
Says They Do Not Pay Fair Share.

Says They Do Not Pay Fair Share.
Hearings upon the taxation of lega-
cies and SUGGESTIONS and the act
amending the Revised Statutes relat~
ing to the board of State assessors and
including an apportionmcnt of the
state tax on land values exclusively
were held Thursday afternoon before
the committee on taxation and some
other matters along the same line were
also considered.
The first speaker upon the propo-
sition to tax legacies and SUGGESTIONS
was Hon. c. w Blanchard of Wilton.
and he was followed by Thomas Leigh
Of Augusta. County Attorney Philip
Howard of Rockland, Register Of Pro-
late Benjamin Coffin of Portland, Hon
Asbury c. Stilphen of Farmingdale,
". L. Dane Of Nennehunk, w. l..
Trpp Of Wells, Judge William M. IN
graham of the Cumberland county
PROBATE court. Some regarded the bill
in one light and some i'll another, but
most confined their objection 20 Ger
tain points in the bill chiefly IN rria-
ton to the county attorneys, ami
thought that the county attorneys
rather than the attorney general
should collect the taxes ana they
should be paid for SO doing.
Chairman Drew Of the special tax
commission in discussing the act
amending the Revised Statutes in re-
gGrd TO the board of State assessors
said that h. did not expect al act
along the lines Of an apportionment
of the state tax on land values cxclI-
SiVely to J" passed at this time but
rai her that U'lns should he made s.
that the local assessors IN the next Two
Years shall make thor assessments on
land ana buildings separately ana then
the next Legislature will have the
needed testimony before it can take
such action as may appeal 70 it,.
Chairman Drew recommended tncrras-
ed Pay for the members of the State,
board. who now receive $500 They
should devote their entire time to the
work and should receive at Least
$1,000 Mr.. Drew said that in the judy
nc Mt of the Tax Commission the wild
lands were not paying u raIr, just
and equitable share Of the public
burdens. The majority of the connlls-
sion believe that the state can IN sp-
Forthcoming q tax use any one class OF
property to fix tho amount that each
town shah pay, EMO in this way tha
wild lands can be constitutionaliy
taxed.
Mr.. Drew was questioned ny Hon.
Milton L. Merrill of st. Alhans, who
signed q minority report opposing the
land value proposition, Hon. Forrest
Goodwin of SlloWhegan and Hon. j.
F. Bass of Bangor. Obadiah Gardner
of ROCkiand spoke, representing the
state Grange. He said tnat as 4 unit
the members OF the Grange ask for ii
change i'll the method OF choosing
state assessors. He expressed himsef-
as radically opposed to the propose
ton of assessing the state tax on land
values alone.
Judge Louis c. Stearns OF Bangor
made an able argument in which he
contendod that the proposition to as
sess the State taxes on land values
alone was unconstitutional and in
| fringed upon the constitutional proyi-
sion that all taxes shall be assessed
equally.
w. G. Runnells of Soars0ort made
an impassioned speech before the tax
9tlHS committee III winch ne SalQ InaI
he thought the Legislature Should see
to it that a man pays his taxes before
he dies. He told of a man VINO left q
property Of $4,000. who should have
raid Il tax of $500 70 $1,000. while the
last tax he paid on his personal proper
ty was $3.50 He declared that at town
| meeting the rich men and tax codgcrs
Lave their supporters and q man VINO
| attempts to say 4 word in behalf Of
| the taxation OF this class of property
| is h0Wled down.
| Hon. A. C. Stiphon OF Farmingdale,
City Treas Gilbert Of Portland and
/ city Solicitor f. G Wilson Of Port
{ land opposed the provision that thu
city treasurer shall sell The property
alphabetically on the premises They
said that the city treasurer Of Port
land for instance might have to cover
10 or Is miles to dispose Of half q dozen
pieces of property. Hon. c. II. Tupper
Of Bcothbay Harbor. Representative
| Kelley of Boothbay Harbor ana Charlie.
s. Brown, tax collector or Bath, also
spoke on this matter.