Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-23

interest in the estate mOrtgaged in
the town or city where it is situated,
and the person, who gives it, should
also be taxed on his interest in the
premises.
TO tax the mortgager on the full
value of the farm and the mortgage
on the value of his interest in the
farm, would obviously be unjust as
taxing the same property twice. To
reach mortgages of real estate for pur-
poses Of taxation would not be at all
difficult in practice, as our excellent
system of recording deeds would rem
der them easily accessible to the as
SCISSORS.
The stock objection to the PROPOSE
ton to tax mortgages is, of course,
that if the person holding the mort
gage were obliged TO pay taxes on it.
he would demand an increased rate
OF interest on the loan for which the
mortgage is given as a security and
80 after all these taxes would be paid
by The mortgager.
This objection is but one phase Of
the theory Of tho shifting Of the in
rldence OF taxation" and this theory
applies equally we'll to the taxing of
money at interest, the taxing Of rail-
roads telegraph and telephone lines,
stocks and bonds; in fact. whenever
anv class of persons or corporations
fear that new taxes may be assessed
on their property or that the taxes al
ready existing may be increased. they
may, and usually do. appeal in one
form or another to this theory and
urge that this tax or increase upon
them will be useless as it will newt
ably be put on the shoulders Of some
one else.
This theory of the shifting of the
incidence of taxation which logical
ly would keep the whole burden of tax
atior moving in circle, from the con-
sumner to the producer, and from The
produce around to the producer,
proves too much, like so many other
theories. it is based on assumption and
not on actual facts, and it is condi-
tons that result from the actual facts
that we have to deal with.
Another suggestion that your COM
mittee desires to make is in regard to
the poll tax. At present. this tax is
practically NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the ex-
pendtures of the town or city are
great or small the poll tax remains
constant The result of this is that
the man paving a poll tax merely has.
from a selfish standpoint at least.
nothing to restrain him from voting in
our town meetings for lavish and ex-
travagant expenditures, indeed. there
are often reasons from selfish stand
point leading him to report for such
expenditures. To your committee a
wiser plan than the present system
seems to be capitalization OF the poll
al. say, Sl0o that is instead of taxing
each male resident of the different
cities and towns 81 or So as the case
may be, tax each as if he had 800 in
taxable property, then his tax would
rise or fall proportiOnally with that of
the other members OF the community.
and like them he would have a sense
of responsibility when voting upon
matters looking to raising and ex
penditures of money.
For many years We have been dis
cussing the question OF equalization of
taxes and in the matter of raising rev.
enue for the State. these discussions
and the work of our legislative COM
mittee have been in high degree sue
cessful
The great burden of our taxes, how
ever, comes from our local public ex-
penditures. and here for us as in
dividuals and for our local oranges is
the great field of labor
A careful study of the warrants of
our annual town meetings. an intelli-
gent appreciation of the business Of
the town in which we live such as We
have of our own individual business.
and readiness and Il courage to lay
our views before others in our town
meetings and elsewhere, would often
mean more financially to the individual
taxpayer than would large increase
in the corporation tax made for State
purposes.
The matter of assessment of taxes
also calls for our earnest considera-
ton. We all know that our local as
sessments are not made as the statutes
provide. that, within certain limits.
taxes instead of being assessed in ac-
cordance with the constitution and
laws of the State, are assessed accord
ing to the judgment. and often the
caprice, of the assessors.
So long as this condition exists. SO
long as we, for one reason or another.
are not willing to insist upon proper
Of the law as it now
stands. so long shall we be unable to
the evils Of that law.
How many of us are ready to insist
that our tax assessors in making their
shall live up to the law"
How many of us would support one
assessor for reelection if they did
live up to the law"
Our strongest argument. our greatest
power, in compelling others to do JUS
ice is readiness on our own part to
10 justice.
Rerc-ts Of the committee on applica-
ions for the Fifth and Sixth degrees
md OF the committee on mileage were