Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-13
Editorial Comment.
The Good Old Days

Our Democratic friends in Maine are
continually referring to the good old
days of 1882 when the State had dem
ocratic governor.
How about it?
AT that time, the direct or State tax
was Az mills on the dollar and the
total amount of state tax in dollars
and cents was about the same as IN
1909, in many instances larger in towns
and cities. Lewiston paid more than
in 1909. So did many other cities.
The amount paid back on school fund
and mill tax was only about $3O0.O00 or
half million less than in 1909. Hence
towns and cities got only about one
fourth of the help for schools from the
money they paid the State than they
now get
The State then raised and spent
about 81. SOC, 600 a year but nearly every
dollar of it came by direct taxation ana
from the savings bank tax and Tar
greater proportion of it went to admin
istrative rather than general pncNc
uses. The Maine Central railroad then
paid a tax of only $4,000. The entire
dozen or more railroad systems OF
Maine combined paid but about S1a.oo".
In 1909 they paid $4,000 of which the
Maine Central paid s290,000 and today
railroad fares are cheaper than they
were in 1882.
In 1882 express companies of Maine
paid all told less than $500. Today
they paw over $4,000 and express rates
are no higher than then. t"'
In 1882 there was no tax on parlor or
Gle MOS it 81.
200. No telephone companies were
taxed in 1882 In 1909 they paid $4,000.
And the list might be multiplied
In 1882 we had liabilities of almost
SO. 100000 on the State. of which almost
Sc. 100000 was in bonded debt. This has
been paid until it today stands at less
than 100000 bonded debt.
Compare a direct tax of 3 mills with
Az: gross liability Of nine millions
with but a fraction of that sum; a
paucity of expenditures for those func-
tons, which though borne by towns
properly belonged to the whole State.
with what is being done now for
schools, care of insane. care OF poor.
aid to hospitals and homes: aid to ag-
riculture: protection of the peoples
rights in fire and life insurance: Stale
auditing of accounts; elimination of
graft by free system and free passes;
conservation of resources of the State
and the aid to towns on bridges and
roads and you have vast improve
ment
Those Democratic friends who seem
to assume that even under extraordi-
nary expenditure the State has never
in chose good old days" spent more
than it's income. should investigate.
While all this reduction of debt has
been going on; while all this growth of
function has been incurred: while all
this development into one of the best
financial conditions of any state in the
Union under Republican rule has been
going on. there have been years. many
years therein when the revenue did not
meet the expense by hundreds of thou
sands of dollars-the balance being re-
stored in the succeeding year when by
reason of fewer extraordinary eXpen-
ses. the revenue suffiiced.
And those were "the good old days
referred to. Never. since the history of
Maine began. was the financial condi-
ton of Maine so good: never. was so
much money spent IN relief of the tax
es in towns and cities and never so lit
tie to criticiSe on the score of poverty
of government. and scrutiny/of expense
as now.
Compare that with the Democratic
record in Androscoggin county.