The independent-reporter., 1910-12-22


land is now over three times the en-
tire valuation of the State OF Maine
when 1t was admitted to the Union In
1920. and the valuation of the city of
Bangor is more than was the States
valuation at that time," said State As
SCISSOR George Pottle of Lewiston re-
Gently.
Maine in ten years has made an
unprecedented increase In valuation
continued Mr. Pottle. Since 1890 the
valuation of Maine has increased
Sis 900 900. or over $11 100000 per
year. Cumberland county has made
the greatest gain, $23,644, 900, or about
1-5 of the entire increase. Portland
in ten years has increased s17,0OO,OOO
in valuation, or $1,700,000 each year.
1t will be seen also that 1-6 of the
gain has taken place in Aroostook
county. The increase there has been
$19, 1872 900 or about $2,000,000 year.
Penobscot has gained s15,633 ,000, Ban
gor contributing about one-half OF
this gain to the county. Oxford, An
droscoggin, Piscataquis and Somerset
and York counties have each gained
about $7,000,000 The smallest gains
/ have been made in the coast counties.
This Is no doubt accounted for from
the fact that there is comparatively
small amounts of lumber In those
sections and a small amount of water
power.
"Aroostook county Is a section of
the State having great natural re-
sources 1t Is large enough and pros
porous enough to be made into a sep
arate state. In 1890 the valuation of
Aroostook county was $15.000,000. 1t
is now $37,000,000, an increase of %
millions in 20 years. The building of
the Bangor & Aroostook railroad was
the key which unlocked the resources
of the county.
AROOSTOOK IN 1890.
"At that time only four towns In
Aroostook had railroad connection,
and that through the means of the
Canadian Pacific. These towns were
Houlton, Caribou, Fort Fairfield and
Presque Isle. 1t would then have TAX
en- me two days to go from Lewiston
to Fort Fairfield and now | can take
dinner ct my home in Lewis
ton and at supper time be In Houl-
ton, the time consumed being little
over six hours, and in eight hours
from the time | leave Lewiston l can
reach Caribou. In 1890 the towns that
I have mentioned had a valuation of
$2,856,7S3 and in 1910 the valuation
of these towns was $10,S31,3 ,315, more
than three and one-half times what
| it was in 1890.
The comparison does not end here.
In 1890 the valuation of q small
towns In Aroostook county, which
then had no railway connections, was
$2,447 coo, an average of $4,000 to a
town. In 1910 the valuation of these
towns was $8,108,000 an average of
100000. These towns now all have
railroad connections and in each of
them is a railway station. They are
farming towns and, while none of
them are large in population, they
have shown substantial increase In
growth and In valuation. Twenty
years ago Van Buren, had valuation
of S181,355. Its valuation today Is
S8O6 900. This has been brought about
by the fact that it secured railroad
connections, and that led to the build
ing of large lumber mills there. The
Bangor & Aroostook railroad in 1909
built line of railroad from Fort
Kent to St. Francis, distance of
about 18 miles. In the same year a
road was built from Van Buren, to
Grand Isle. During the present year
line has been completed from Grand
Isle to Fort Kent. This makes con-
tinuous line of about so miles along
the banks of the st. John river. In
the future other towns will show the
same relative growth in population
and valuation as the 81 towns to
which allusion has been made. All
this shows what the development of
the railroad has done for Aroostook
county Since 1890, 900 miles OF
steam railroad tracks have been laid
in Maine, and 400 miles of street rail-
road built. This Is record In which
the people of Maine may we'll take
pride"
RAILROAD TAX QUESTION.
These figures quoted by Assessor
Pottle bring to mind the debates
which have been held in the Legis-
lature In regard to rebate of the
taxes upon the Bangor C Aroostook
railroad Under the law 95 per cent
of the taxes upon that road have been
rebated. 1t would seem that the won
derful development of Aroostook
county is a justification for the act
of the Legislature, in enacting laws
to rebate these taxes. 1t will be re-
.lembered that at the time that law
YVES enacted which has since been so
severely criticised, as many things for
political purposes, 1t was not par
tisan measure, Republican and Demo-