Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-08

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/ shell fish, especially CLAIMS and quahaugs.
! Tho chairman of the Massachusetts Fish
/ and Game commission estimates the
prospective value of the clam industry
alone in that state to be from Sc, 600, 900
/ to S7,0C0.000 annually in place of the
/ present income of about 100000. Names
interest in a similar industry may easi-
| ly surpass that of Massachusetts if we
! take steps to prevent further eXtermin-
alton Of our beds and to cultivate them
! in places where they have already disap-
! pearcd. j am aware that the state has
taken coGniZance of this situation in
previous legislatures, but much remains
TO be done, especially in the determina-
ton Of some law by which this valuable
! industry may be safeSuarded and fos-
/ tered
! Whether additional legislation is re-
auircd or is possible touching riparian
rights, l leave to your honorable body
but | recommend an inquiry into this
subject. There is a provision in some Of
our states that no municipal or public
corporation or public board or other in
torc"t engaged in supplying any village
| or city with water. should acquire lands
for additional sources of water supply
rave the state authority approves.
Whothe the beds of our rivers and the
| shores thereof can be aienated in such a
way to prevent competition in the
| storage of ice, and in other uses regard
I'd to be for the public well being, seems
| TO me to be a proper subject for inves-
| LEGATION.
Prizes For Forest Growth.
shall transmit to YOU later the prop
oeition Of citizen of Maine TO give to
the state of Maine to he its property for
ever one thousand dollars, on condition
that in consideration of said gift the
state shall, once in IS years offer five
prizes for the five lots of young forest
froNth the same to be awarded by the
state forestry commissioner. subject to
| Pie approval of the governor on Jan. 81
1927. and once in is years thereafter for
| tver. in accordance with certain rules
| iaid down by the donor. said forestry
prizes to be known by the name of the
llonor. The details of the proposition will
ne submitted to you in connection with
the offer. lnasmuch as the gift entails
the obligation upon the state for all
time to give a similar prize once in IS
years by state appropriation, the mat
ter properly comes before you for your
| cons idera ton.
| ] desire also to call to your attention
| the matter OF pollution of rivers and
takes, 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
| circumstances where public health is
menaced. The evils arising from the dis
| charge of raw sewage into streams and
| lakes enormous 1t is pointed out
| that sanitary science prescribes definite
and effective methods of sewage disposal.
When YOU consider the fearful mortality
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 ma erial waste
as well as a disregard of human life in
present crude methods observed in the
disI osal of sewage. i,
| Protection of our forests from fire will
require your attention in some measure
at this session, and it 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 l hope every posi-
bic means will be taken by you to afford
precautions tIat will diminish the dan
| ger from this source.
The Report of the Tax Commission
and Prospective Tax System.
In view of the impending consideration
by you of the report filed with the
governor and council by taxation COM
mission appointed by Governor Cobb. in
accordance with the provisions of Chap
ter los. public laws of Maine of 1907. I
shall not discuss in detail those issues
of taxation which otherwise would have
had a place herein. | refrain from this
! discussion because the commission has
I placed before you. the law making
branch of the government, for your de-
| termination, such questions as the larg-
err taxation of certain public service cor
| pOra tions, more equitable taxation Of
! the wild lands, and the creation OF a
| public utilities commission-ques tons
! 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 di
verse and complex are the problems they
present. Certainly, l have no desire to
add to their complexity through the i'm
| position of personal opinions which
might bc construed to carry with them
| the weight of official approval or disap-
prevail in advance of your own candid
deliberation Later. | shall not hesitate
to address you on any of these issues If,
| in my judgment, it seems to me that the
demands of justice and equity are not
attained
| On the general proposition or the formu-
lation of the tax system / will, however.
| enter an appeal that you make it, as far
| as possible, complete and durable. Let 1t
De system, not SuDterfugG, let IL
| follow a policy not a pretencc. To my
mind that system is best which is in
elusive of all interests in fair measure,
and easy of modification so to meet
the needs of succeeding generations
without tearing down the whole struc-
| ture. The time is ripe for the develop
ment of fixed policy and the determin-
| alton of how to enforce it. To depend
exclusively on one source of revenue is
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 watchful care by
those interests to that the funds
thus taken by the state are properly ex-
| pended.
Easy Money Beeets Easy Morals.
! am aware that it is frequently urged
| that revenue is the sole consideration,
but permit me to say. that in my opin-
ion where the money from taxes flows in
| a golden stream into a state treasury
from sources seemingly apart from the
| people, extravaganza and corruption may
ensue in the administration of public af-
fairs. Easy money begets easy morals.
And, in the final analysis, the people al