Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-16
EDUCATION COMMITTEE DIVIDES
ON GRANGE SCHOOL MILL TAX,
Otis Presents an Automatic
Liquor Law==Committee on Inland Fish
cries and Game Reports Against
Close Time on Bull Moose.
GRANGE TAX ACT.

The bill endorsed by the Maine state
Grange and introduced by Senator Os-
born of Somerset was under consider
alton Wednesday afternoon by the
committee on education. Senator o.
horns bill provides for the distribu-
tion Of the money raised by the school
mill tax among the cities and towns
in accordance with the school popu-
lation. The Pattangall bill, which il is
proposed To amend, now distributes
rlis money OH the basis of onc-third
| according to the school population and
tWo-thirds according To the valuation.
Thn proposed amendment is favored
in the rural communities and opposed
in P)rtland and some OF the larger
ctiesFand towns which are adversely
AFFECTED by ii. The proponents had the
nsst to say during the carly part of
H. afternoon but later Representative
FFattangall appeared from the legal af
fairs committee where he had been
busy in tho early part Of the after
noon and opened the discussion in op-
! position to the bill.
Senator Osborn of Somerset the pro-
ponent of the bill, was the first to add
present method OF distribution of the
school fund raised by tile mill tax i'm
posed in 1909 was unjust and that
many people so regarded it, especially
those living III rural communities. lie
said that the only proper method Of
distributing school money was accord
ing TO the number OF school children to
be benefited and tnat the money
raised by this tax should not be dis
tvihuted on the valuation. by tha
present method he argued that money
was taken from tho poorer towns ana
distributed among the richer towns
Of tic state. He pointed out some in
stances where this method Of distri-
button worked a great injustice to
many poor towns. Taking his own
county he showed that Of the 80
towns in the county, u towns would
lose by his proposed amendment and
- towns would gain. Skowhegan,
which The senator said had grown
wealthy as the commercial center OF
Somerset county, would lose about
$500 by the proposed amendment;
Rockland would lose 1910 by the
amendment. Camden Sl36a. and Rock
port would lose $432. the total less be
ing $5452 To Knox county but all Of
the other towns in this county, except
those npmed. would gain by the
change.
II W-n. un L. say that Hancock
county ~auld lose by the amendment
$47rs. of which large proportion
would fail or tic town of Eden. but
while tho total loss to the county
WoHla hc large, 81 towns in this county
would gain by the change.
senator Osborn went on to show tho
effect Of his bill on the various Coun
tics Of the State. Cumberland county
l.v said would be a large loser by the
proposed amendment but it could af-
ford to lose because it was the
Wcalthiost county IN the state. The
senator's own town of Pittstield would
lose $300 by the change.
In answer to questions senator Os-
born admitted that Fort Kent in
Aronstook county would be a large
gamer and would receive something
like $3.50 more than it paid to the
state
Senator Irving of Aroostook appear
ed in favor of the amendment. He was
questioned very sharply by f1epresen-
tativa Murphy of Portland. who at
tempted to show that Senator Irving S
support of the amendment was due
entirely to the fact that Aroostook
county would be a large gamer by il
The insinuation contained in Mr.
Murphy's questions was resented by
the Aro0stook senator. who said that
he favored the amendment because he
believed the principle was right
'Aroostook gains $27 900 by this bill"
said Nh. Murphy, land it costs Port
land $34 900. Do You think it right
to take this money out of Portland
and give it to Aroostook?' Senator
Irving said that it might be hard on
Portland but it didn't change the
principle of the bill. which was the
right one.
3. Walker McKeen, lecturer of the
Maine state Grange, appeared in sup
port of the amendment and said that
lie believed in taxing property where
it was found and distributing the
money for schools where the pupils
were found THE boy in the rural
community should receive as good an
opportunity at securing an education
! Continued on Page Ten,)