Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-27

schools and the schools to follow if,
ambition appeared to have been to de
velop portions of their great unbrol<er
Wilderness N the north. With thi,
end in view they caught at the hail
thrown out by foxy Corporation
which proposed to put a railroa,
through the north into and openine
up Aroostook county, in change fo,
the vast unhroken forests of Aroos.
took. Piscataquis and northern Penoh.
scot-lo this corporation was granted
the title of all or much of this VA Is,
territory, and how did they keep thei,
part of the contract. They did go in
to Aroostooil couety at the northwest
ern corner and got out of II Just as
quick as they could without making
too sharp circle and went on their
way to McAdam, \. b, giving in ex-
change for what should have become
cur school land practically nothing.
Thus, the state sold its great birth
right-the schools great brthright for
a mess of pottagc. The only comfort
ing thought in connection with this
great steal is the fact that they in
turn were beaten. selling the land at
a price Nvhich was close TO the steal
ing line.
At the present time there are 9,l17.-
$50 acres of wild land the title to
which is held by corporations, that is.
pulp and lumber mill owners, $3.50, :
600 acres: by nop-residents, 10000: by
private parties in round numbers. o.
000, 900 acres. You VIII note that |
say the THE to this property is held
by the above three factions, AS TO
who owns the land | NAY apply To il
lustrate. an incident Of Old Quebec.
Canada. Upon the old forNtication
stands an old 5r%ss csahon. or field
piece carefully guarded BY British SOL
diers for fear, | presume. that some
enterprising Yankee viii slip IL in his
pocket and carry il away for SOU
venir. \ little band of american boys
and girls were being shown over the
fertilization by a pompoas English
officer. Approaching the little field
piece he drew himself 40 and said.
This cannon was captured at Bunker
Hill" AS quick as lightning one of
the little girls hurled back the inquiry
Who owns Bunker Hill n0w? ," This
pertinent question is applicable To the
wild lands of Maine now.
The title of these lands may have
been carried away, large fortunes
made from them and carried away,
but the land still remains and it be-
longs To eight of the northern coun-
ties of the state, and like all other
real estate cannot be moved, nor
should it, in business, be taxed and
the revenues thereby gained, trans
ferred in unequal proportions to any
other part of the State. Aroostook.
Piscataauis and Somerset Counties
own 20 per cent. of the wild lands
and gets but Il per cent. of the mill
tax. Aroosteok County owns % per
cent of the wild lands and gets but
- per cent Of the mill tax. The
counties of Aroostoek. Franklin, Han
cock. Oxford Penobscot, Piseataquis,
Somerset and Washington, eight in
number, own every foot OF the wild
lands upon which the mill tax is as
sessed, and Yet they lack $4,000 of
getting their fair share of the money
assessed upon that property, and 10
these eight counties. add the three
counties of Lincoln. Knox and Waldo,
and the eleven counties lack $4,000
of getting the amount that Is Justly
their due from its taxation, While the
| five counties of Androscoggln, Cum
herland. York. kennebee and ISagada-
hoe receive the S126000 taken from
the other counties by the present dis
| tribution and they do not own one foot
of the land upon which the tax is as
sessed.
The five counties above referred 10,
containing 127 towns and 36,2sl sehe'-
airs. receive of this mill tax sslT60.
! With &c per cent. of the scholars they
| receive As per cent of the money.
while the remaining eleven counties
| with 395 towns, 60.S36 scholars re-
ceive but $7SS,501. The eleven sasik
! ties with 81 per cent. of tnef&s
receive but "a per cent. of IL =
This tabulation shows that 80
| ties who own not a foot of tif
receive per scholar SIS, IN rol9N#sz
rrcs. while the eleven counteF aH
| own all the land, receive but W -
scholar can YOU by the mosq stem
nous stretch of imagination nnd y
| single trace of business or fair pay
| in such a distribution? Is II pan VI
reasonable that the scholar, iof M
stance. in the city of Portland shoaid
! receive SIS as against sl2 received ny
tho scholar in the rural distrlct.
If the purpose of this mill tax Sas
- heneft and maintain the comn9u
schools. il is being diverted iron. W
channel for which it was IN
The rural scholar, boy or SIN 4Ms
for M handicap. They are Will snu
intellectually capable of meetiAE sne
| citv scholar on equal footinGs,az II Ssst
or are they willing to give any ehai
can because il is eminently unt4 As
they ask of you is their just Que ne
| fair play
This state by thoughtless l9gisa-
tion gave away the property Ihat
! sbou,d he supporting our schools BY
LEGISLATION they have succeeded - Sc
curing from the millions that hNe
| cone a few dollars in the way 81 TAX
ation and all the rural district stho'-
| ars ask of YOU today is that gtnty be
given their share that to whicn they
az. entitled. the money which Is COM
mo hack to them from the heritage
If which YOU have deprived them, that
This fund he distributed as IL was
originally intended by the promoters
-. nor apprpgate atfenda mr. -