Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-12

SO that | say to you, gentlemen, it
| makes practically an absolute cxcmp-
tion Of money at interest. This mat
ter has been before the legislature
at other sessions for many years
-Four Years ago it came before our
committee on taxation, and after a
very fun hearing every member Of the
committee reported ought not TO
pass. And the bin was reported that
way. 1t came up two years ago. II
WAS, not discussed, as | understand
the matter, in the House, but was dis
cussed at some length in Tie Senate.
and passed the Senate by Il narrow
margin
/ want TO call your attention briefly
to the size Of this exemption as com
pared with other exemptions VIC
have previously made only a few OK
emptions that may be termed the
poor mans exemption, like furniture,
animals under six months of age,
swine, and farming tools, and a fnw
minor matters OF that kind but this
exemption may he termed a rich
mans exemption 1t has no charac-
teristics like former exemptions which
we have named AID | call your at
tention to this fact, that in the State
of Maine. in the year 1911, the last
year before this law took effect, there
was taxed money at interest $l2,0l2.-
665.00. over $l2 900, 900 of taxable prop
ertN in this class and only small
part Of the class was taxed al that
The $l2,000,000 produced a revenue to
the various cities and towns of this
Stale at the average rate Of taxation,
Of s271, 4S6.00. That. gentlemen, was
wiped out by the law passed two
years ago. That law will nave the
absolute effect Of depriving the cities
and towns of the State Of Maine of
$27l. 100000 annually. Who pays the
6ilI2
That burden is shifted. We do not,
when we make exemptions, we do not
wipe out the burden; We shift it &c
the shoulders of those who are pa yine
taxes. You can never get rid of taxa
ton by exemptions. Every time you
make an exemption you shift the bur
den and place an additional burden
upor the poor men of this State who
are paying the taxes.
suppose. gentlemen, | had at the
beginning Of this session entered a
bill and asked you to exempt Frank
lin county from all State. county and
municipal taxation. suppose | had en-
tered that bill and afs4zed 10 you, a.
the proponents of this measure ar
gued, the benefits which we could de
rive from that exemption. Would il
not increase business in Franklin
county if we could avoid all taxes
and have the rest of the state taxed
for nur benefit? Would not our farm
ers flourish? Would not the mills in
Franklin county multiply Would
not business be good throughout that
county were we net called upon TO
contribute one cent towards the OK
penses of the pubiie9
And do YOU know, gentlemen, yoG
could make that exemption, YOU could
absolutely exempt everything that we
have in Franklin county. and you
could save 552,04S.e0 over the eNemp-
ton which was made We win take
the county If Lincoln. You could alb
soluteIy exempt every dollars worth
Of property in Lincoln county You
could raise the taxes outside and pay
all their bills aud yoa could save the
sum Of $9l ,4Sf.09 over the exemption
which you made.
Take the county Of Piseataqgis, they
raised there in taxes s203,St69o. That
county could be absolutely exempt
from all taxation and the St9te would
be $4,000 better off than with the
exemption which was made.
There are five counties in the state
Of Maine where the State could alb
solutely exempt any one Of them and
still be better off than with the cxemp-
ton which now stands on the statute
books.