Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-03

4 mills. For 23 years, prior to 1910,
it varied from "a to "a mills. In
1910, it was increased to 5 mills and
in 1911 to six mills; while in 1912 it
was reduced to 4 mills. The. total
amount available from these re-
sources to the State treasury has
amounted to about $4,000, 900 each
year for the past two years. Now,
this amount in the Treasury is not
needed for the strict purposes of State
government, and is not expended for
that purpose. A very large part of it
is paid over or credited to the cities
and towns for the benefit of the pub
lie schools, highway Improvement,
support of paupers, and number of
other purposes, which aid the
municipalities. The State has thus
become, in a way, a collecting agency,
a clearing house for the towns and
cities. This practice has grown up,
based upon the theory of taxing all
the property of the State for the
benefit of all the people of the State
system of equalization of taxation
especially in the matter of education,
the support of paupers, and the
maintenance of highways.
The Legislature of 1909 increased
the school mill tax from " mills to
mills Thus you will understand,
from this item alone. that if the State
tax is placed at 4 mills, three mills of
it goes back to the towns and cities
for the common schools, also one half
of the savings banks tax and some
other items, so that on this basis of
- hoe rvalx
about one-half mill of direct tax left
for other purposes. And you will un-
derstand that the necessary expense
of the State government, together With
the maintenance of the hospital and
charities. must be paid largely from
the. taxes paid by the corporations.
To make little clearer to you what
is done with the money which comes
into the state Treasury from all
sources, let us examine the State
.Treasurer's report, and see what some
of llis expenditures were for 1911. l
find he paid out for education, S1,s24,-
75o.54. OF this 81, ISL $50 10 was distrib-
uted 10 thea towns. cities and planta-
lions on a. basis of the number Of
scholars and valuation in each, The
balance was for. normal ard training
schools. academies, free high schools.
teachers meetings, superintendents of
union school districts. and sundry 9th
er small items. He paid out for higa-
ways. bridges, etc, S225, 62T.SS2; for the
support of paupers, s63,2Ss.74; to towns
for railroad taxes collected 32.oTS.s7;
to towns for dog taxes, S29 ,563.96; max
ing a total of $2.27e,30s.93, paid over di-
rectly to the municipalities from the
State for aid in their municipal gov
ernment. Now, if you add to this s242. :
061.97, which his report for that year
shows he paid out for the education
of the blind, deaf, feeble minded, state
school for boys, Industrial experiment
station, you have used up more than
one-helf the total State receipts for
1911. Now, add to this $685. 409.64 paid
to IS benevolent and charitable insti-
tutions including hospitals located in
different parts of the State; also $780,
66S.17 paid to the Maine Insane Hos
pital ard the Eastern Maine Insane
Hospital, and you have used up over
50, o00, 100 of the States income for that
year, and not yet spent a cent for
what might strictly be called the pur-
pOSSS Vi YET II Ntto ga
pended for education and the proper
support and assistance of the people
of the State. You will find also from a
further and more careful examination
of Your State Treasures report, that
there are many other items paid out,
such as county taxes, State debt. and
many other items, not chargeable to
either the legislative. executive or ju-
dicial departments; and that the act
ual expenses of these departments
could have been paid with less than
cne-half the corporation taxes annual
ly received by the State.
l have given you these figures from
the Treasurer's report for 1911 because
had that report before me, and for
the purposes of illustrating principally.
The report for 1912 will not vary much
from that of 1911. The corporation
taxes will continue to increase some
what each year, and your direct tax
Will depend upon the rate you make it,
and the rate must be enough in
given year to meet the appropriations
which you make in connection With
the fixed charges, like the school mill
tax and other expenditures which are
provided for by law. 1t viii be the
special work of the finance COMMITTEES
to keep a close account of the amount
of the appropriations which are being
made from time to time. so that the
Legislature may be informed of what
tax rate viii be necessary to pay the
bills of tho State for the years 1913 and
1914. There is no economy in having
large surplus in the treasury, and it
may be source of difficulty for you.
Those seeking appropriations for diff
ferent things will urge it as reason
why the appropriations they want
should be made. The ability of the
State to meet any appropriation which
the Legislature may make, should
never be doubted, but the wisdom of
making given appropriation should
never depend Upon the amount of cash
on hand. If it is wise to make an APP
preparation, it can make no difference
whether the money at the time is in
the State treasury or in the pockets of
the people. recommend that you care
fully scrutinizs all appropriations ask
ed for and grant them upon their merit
only.
The bonded State debt is not enough
to give anyone any concern about it,
being only about 100000 and that