Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-17
Investigation Of Assessors.

ihSestgatIon OF Assessors.
me committee, when it came to-
Sether again in the evening, started
upon its first actual investigation
that of the State Board of Assessors.
Inc witnesses examined during the
feVening We're State Assessors w. ].
Thompson Of China and Edwin w.
Johnston of Brownville and Clerk
James Plummer of Augusta. The ex-
ANIMATION was conducted almost who'll
| ~ by Mr.. Topper, the members of the
committee asking but few questions.
The whole matter of the assess
inent of taxes, particularly that of
corporation taxes ard the equalization
of taxes" was the matter the COM
lnlttee wished to arrive at, at the
present time" stated Chairman Mullen
at the opening of the evening" session.
| W. ]. Thompson of China, who has
been member of the Board of Asses
sors for the past four years, was the
| first witness calledN The members OF
the board received no fees and each
member kept an itemizcd account of
| his own expenses. The office employ
ed a clerk and stenographer. The
| clerk was paid by q special salary APP
preparation and the stenographer out
| OF the appropriation for exploration
and recording of wild lands.
Mr.. Topper then proceeded to ex-
anime the witness in detail as To the
assessment of general franchise taxes
| The matter was largely one of clerical
work, the list being received from the
office of the secretary of State. The
details Of mileage of the railroad and
earnings were received from the rail
road commissioners office and the tax
figured from these details in the as
SCISSORS office.
The telephone and telegraph taxes
he explained. were assessed according
to the gross receipts. The express
company taxes were assessed in a
similar manner. The savings banks
were assessed upon their deposits. ac-
cording to figures given by the bank
examiner. other banking concerns
were assessed in q similar manner.
Mr. Thompson was then asked to
explain the taxing of wild lands and
he described the workings of the new
/ law, which required the name of each
owner anu HIS llIAtItSl. ADOul bIif-
ninth of the wild lands had been ex-
plored Plans were exhibited, showing
the work Of the explorers. All Of these
plans were made since 1905 and were
necessary to get at the amount OF
land owned by each individual, ex-
planned MIR. Thompson.
DO | understand that these plans
are largely compilations" asked Sen
ator Mullen from plans made by tie
Hand owners" Mr.. Thompson ex-
planned that the asst ssors had tried u
scatter the money through as many
counties as possible and explore town
ships that they know the least about
Assessor Johnston said that the foui
mon at present engaged in exploring
the wil6 lands were J. L. Chapman OF
Mile. r Z Melaney Of Bangor and {.
f. Packard of Guilford. Twelve towns
had been explored during the past year
in different counties. these being four
tC%as in q block.
Assessor Thompson explained the
paying of the men. These We're select
ed who We're engineers and judges of
timbr. The men were paid $50 per
day, from which they paid tbeir own
helpers and found themselves. The
plans were explained in some detail BY
Clerk Plummer and both he and Mr..
Thrlmrson went over the plans and the
acct mfnnyins report with the commit
tee.
The questioning finally ELECTED the
information that in Township g. Range
8, west al the east line of the State,
the cost Of exploration was : mhls To
the acre and Chairman Mullen OK
| pressed his doubt whether accurate
information could be secured at that
price.
Mr.. Thompson said that the state in
six years had appropriated $4,000 for
the exploration of l.0107sS acres of
wild lands, which included the cost ~
recording and other clerical hire.
Clerk Plummer gave the average cost
of exploration as little over two cents
an acre. The exploration" said Mir
Thompson. Frequently showed an in
crease in acreage over the old plans
A difference Of $4,000 acres was
SHOWN in the million acres of land
covered. making gain of practically
whole town.
"Do you feel sure of your surveyors
measurements? asked Chairman Null
len.
we do, we are confident of their
competency"
Chairman Mullen's eyes opened still
wider when it developed that the gain
of 240no acres was for land covered
in one year only. 532, 900 acres, a gain
of nearly one township in six.
we have had but very little cues
ton with the owners in regard to the
lard" rerled Mir. Thompson.
Equalization of Valuation.
The matter of equalization of valua-
ton was next taken UP and MIR.
Thompson was asked To explain the