Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-26

! Reynolds, Shaw, Staples, Theriault %.
Those, voting nay were Messrs. Baxter,
Boynton. Donigan. Eaton. Gowe;.
Hamilton, Hastings. Hill. HoYes,
Knowlton, Minott. Smith, Walker.
Warren, ,Wyman Q5l.
so the motion to indefinitely post
pone was lost.
Thereupon Mr. Warren of Cumber-
land moved that the bill take its sec
ond reading and passed to be engross-
ed. .. --@
Mr.. MILLIKEN: Mr. President:
want to say that was obliged to vote
for the indefinite postponement of the
bill not because am opposed to the
general principles of the bill, but be-
cause my attention has been called to
the fact that the change Of the pro-
vision involving the stumpage tax.
which, was not aware was incorporat-
ed in this bill and which we have gen.
orally associated with the so-called
Darling bill, l wish to say that if this
bill is to be passed / would very mucn
like to confer with the senator from
Cumberland in kegard to that pro-.
vision, for / do understand that it is
a very drastic system of taxing the
timberlands of the State of Maine. 1T
is incorporated, as I said before, in the
Darling bill.
Mr.. WARREN: Mr.. President: 1
will say, in response to the remarks
of the senator from Aroostook, that
it does inaugurate this stumpage tax,
and that to my mind is the real virtue
of the bill. 1 have no question but
what the stumpage tax is the correct
70 1x,hot
Darling bill or not; but the Darling
bill was not turned down because of
| that feature, but because it was too
comprehensive and undertook to do
too much. 1 have no question but
what the stumpage tax is the correct
tax. The virtue of this bill is largely
in the fact that it inaugurates that
tax; and If any of you gentlemen do
not believe in that tax it is very well
to turn this bill down. You do not
need to carry it further. However, l
would say that you do not need to APP
ply it to spruce or to hard wood inc
only two trees that we have in Maine
which are worth stimulating as a pro-
duct, are the white pine and the spruce,
? and the conditions under which they
are growing. are not the same. We
can put stumpage tax on one ana
4 not on the other In does not follow
| as a matter of course that we must
| go along this same road. Indeed |
think it is very good plan to make
an experiment and see how it works.
There may be difficulties which VIII
| develop that we do not know about,
and there may be advantages THAT we
do not think Of and it will be In the
line of education. 1t does inaugurate
the stumpage tax.
| Mr.. MILLIKEN: My point was
that 1 would like to vote on the two
propositions which this bill contains
separately The bill is ostensibly a
bill for the encouragement of the
growth of white pine by exemption
from taxation; and to that part of the
bill l have no objection. But it con-
tains also a separate and distinct pro-
position, and that is new method Of
taxation of timber lands, that is, upon
stumpage: and on that proposition
cannot assent and / would like a
chance to vote on the two propositions.
If the senator will hold the matter long
enough for an amendment, l would
like to vote on the amendment, and
then on the bill if the amendment is
adopted.
The question being put on the mo-
ton that the bill take it's second read
Fl, ing and pass to be engrossed, the mo-
ton prevailed
\ The bill took it's second reading and
was passed to be engrossed.
4 Mr.. Wyman of Washington moved
that House Document 645, Resolve in
favor of DeForest Keyes," was taken
from the table. The same senator
moved that it be assigned for consider
alton on Tuesday. March 80.
. Mr.. MACOMBER of Kennebec: Mr.
President: 1t seems to me that on
this matter we ought to reach a de-
cisjon before next Tuesday 1 wish
the senator would have it assigned
not later than Friday. -
Mr.. WYMAN: l have inquired Of
parties interested and have arranged
with them to have it assigned for next
Tuesday. I thought it was :; pretty
good idea that if they had money to
waste they could spend it here in Au-
gusta.
Mr.. MACOMBER: Mr. President:
l certainly haven't any objection to
their spending their money in Augusta,
but theVhave indicated to me that
they desire to have this matter closed
up at the earliest possible moment;
and to put it over until Tuesday does
not seem to me to be quite fair. 1T
seems to me we ought to thrash this
out tomorrow These men have been
here on expense and ! think it is due
them that the Senate should take some
action and l hope it will be assigned
for tomorrow. ..to
Mr.. WYMAN: -s2Mr President: I
am obliged to be in Boston tomorrow
And | do not believe the senator de-
sircs to take any advantage of my alb
sence. l will agree to it's assignment
for either Saturday or Monday.
MIR. EOYNTON of Lincoln: Mr..
President: 1t does not seem to me that
we have any other interest to con-
slider than our own. If we are to put
these matters over until next week,
why not go OH now and dispose OF
this matter at this time.
Mr. MACOMBER: 1 am ready to
agree to that. We are as ready to vote
on it as we shall be next week.
Mr.. HASTINGS of oxford; Mr..
President: 1t looks to me as if should