The Republican journal., 1910-12-29
THE STATE VALUATION,
Has Gone Up Some $115.OOO,OO In
Past Ten Years Says Assessor Pottle.
Gain In Aroostook Due To AduenA

AS s"u"eAoi VI IHe City VI fOrClanC
is now over three times the entire valua
ton of the State of Maine when it 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 Assessor George Pot.
tie in a recent interview. "Maine in ten
years has made an unprecedented in
crease in valuation" continued Mr.. Pot.
tie. 'Since 1900 the valuation of Maine
has increased $115, 900, 900, or over Sill
500, 900 per year. Cumberland county
has made the greatest gain, 1923, GA. 600.
or about one-fifth of the entire increase.
Portland in ten years has increased ST.
600, 600 in valuation, or 81, zoo, 900 each
year. 1t is the fact also, that one sixth
of the gain has taken place in Aroostook
county. The increase there has been
SIS, 1872, 900, or about $4,000, 900 a year.
Penobscot has gained Sit, 1888, 600, Ban
gor contributing about one-half of this
gain to the county. Oxford, Androscog-
gin, Piscataquis, and Somerset and York
counties have each gained about 81, OOO,-
600. 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 small amount of
waterpower.
"Aroostook county is a section of the
1t is large enough and prosperous enough
to be made into separate State. In
1890 the valuation of Aroostook county
was SIS, 100000. 1t is now $37, 900, 600,
an increase of % millions in 20 years.
The building of the Bangor & Aroostook
railroad was the key which unlocked the
resources of this county.
cat that time only four towns in Aroos-
took had railroad connection, and that
through the means Of the Canadian Pa
clfic. These towns were Houlton, Carl
bou, Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle. 1t
would then have taken me two days to
go from Lewiston to. Fort Fairfield, and
now l can take dinner at my home in
Lewiston 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 | can reach Carl
bou. In 1890 the towns that have men
toned had valuation of So, 856, 1888, and
in 1910 the valuation of these towns was
$40, S31, 315 more than three and one half
times what it was in 1890
1.-The comparison does not end here
In 1890 the valuation of 81 small towns
IN Aroostook county, which then had no
railroad connections, was 81, 447, 900, an
average of SIT, 900 to town. In 1910
the valuation of these towns was So, 10S,-
000 an average of $780, 900. These towns
now all have railroad connections. Twen-
ty years ago Van Buren, had valuation
of S181, 1856. Its valuation today is $685.
900. This has been brought about by the
fact that it secured railroad connections,
and that led to the building of large lum-
Der mills and other industries. The Ban
gor & Aroostook railroad in 1909 built
line of road from Fort Kent to St. Fran
els, distance of about IS miles. In the
same year line was built from Van Bu-
rem to Grand Isle. During the present
year line has been completed from
Grand Isle to Fort Kent. This makes a
continuous line of so miles along the St.
John river. In the future other towns
will show the same relative growth as
the q towns to which allusion has been
made. All this shows what railroad de-
velopment has done for Aroostook coun-
ty. Since 1890 there has been 900 miles
of steam road tracks laid in Maine, and
400 miles of street railways have been
built. This is a record in which the peo-
pie of Maine may well take pride"
DEVELOPMENT JUSTIFICATION OF REBATE
These figures quoted by Assessor
Pottle bring to mind the debates which
have been held in the legislature in re-
gard to rebate Of the taxes upon the
Bangor & Aroostook railroad Under
the law IS per cent. of the taxes upon
that road have been related 1t would
seem that the wonderful development of
Aroostook country is a justification for
the act OF the legislature, in enacting
laws to rebate these taxes. 1t will be
remembered that at the time that law
was enacted which has since been so
severely criticised, as many think for
political purposes, it was not partisan
measure, Republicans and democrats
alike believing in its wisdom. The citi-
zens of Aroostook county, and of all
Maine as well, should remember the debt
of gratitude they owe to such men as
Albert A. Burleigh and Frank w. Cram,
who were prominent in the inception and
the building of this road into the Garden
of Maine. Their faith in the ultimate
outcome of the investment never waver-
ed, and although at the time it seemed
an Herculean task to raise the money,
they preserved until it was done. Ban
gor men, among others, should receive
praise for the construction of this road.
The building of the Washington county
road has been great benefit to that
county, and it is no doubt through the
construction of that road that Washing
ton county has made greater gain in
valuation during the last 20 years than
has Kennebec county.
1t is interesting to recall at this time
that John Hubbard, who was governor
in 1852, in one of his messages, ad
vocated the building of railroad into
Aroostook country. He stated that the
fact that Massachusetts had grown and
prospered beyond her sister States in
New England was due to the fact that
the Bay State had encouraged the build
ing of railroads. Gov. Hubbard went
so far as to state that he believed it wise
to sell some of the public lands and pro-
mote the building Of railroad into the
rich numbering and farming sections of
the eastern part of the State.
rAVSlt