Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-27

h,, the State and known off1clally
u', ~ ire title. Lands Reserved for
u", I-ses Fund" A much smaller
her her know the general facts in re-
. a' n the fund; few accountants
Cd state officials of the present and
'ar. state governments understand the
.'nd thoroughly. Yet. despite the
.aa.,roncss of this fund. it has high
~ interesting history and presents now
much debated problem.
:, tho Years 1886 to 1889. inclusive,
c,ate tax was levied in Maine
t.cause none was necessary; the in
..,,o from public lands was SUFFICIENT
- ,eer ali the demands on the treas
,.,,. The tables are now turned and
,foino owes the lands reserved fund
ebo,,t s2S3,GG0 plus various sums of
ornual interest at 6 per cent per an
rnn since 1913; this debt is theoreti-
o.1 since there is none to whom it may
" Maid and the State will hardly be
csred upon to pay any considerable
mar, Of il for the requirements of the
ords reserved fund will never demand
il
The fund under discussion dates back
IA 1855, at which time Maine was
,ar, of Massachusetts and was known
as the District of Maine In order
10 encourage pioneer settlements in
the sections Of Maine then considered
remote. the Massachusetts legislature
enacted a law in 1888 providing that in
fhoroo e. or no
should be reserved for public uses four
lots of $40 acres each.
One of these four lots was to be-
come automatically the property of the
first settled minister" in the town.
ship and for this reason was called the
minister lot; the second was for the
support of the work of the ministry
and was known as the ministerial
lot: the third was for the support of
common schools and was called the
school lot; the fourth, known as the
State lot" was held to be disposed
Of at a future date as the State might
choose.
When Maine became an independent
State in 1920, provision was made for
the continuance Of the plan of reServ-
Ell lands and the new State was bound
Il continue the original plan unless
consent for given change in policy
should be granted by Massachusetts.
Thus did Massachusetts, exercise pa
ternalism over Maine in the infancy of
statehood. In 1882 Maine did change
the law, the change to take effect
when approved by Massachusetts. The
new law reserved no land for minis
ters. The acreage was changed to
1900 acres. All townships surveyed
prior TO 1892 contained originally 1880
acres of reserved lands and by the
new act it was provided that $50
acres should be reserved for the bene-
fit of schools;' the other 800 acres
composed the state lot. Thus it
happens that the reserved lots are of
different acreages; some of $50 acres,
some of 1000 acres, some. not full
0Wnships, of an acreage in proper
ton to their area compared with 1000
acres
Until 1SiS the State used the income
from these lands wherever it saw fit
and for four years, 1886, 1887, 1888
and 1899, the income was sufficient to
support all departments of govern
ment and to meet the appropriation
oils in addition. In the year 184S
me State treasurer was first author
zed ny act, to keep an accurate ac-
count Of all moneys received by him
from the reserved lands and to place
'he same in the treasury of the State,
each sum received to be credited to
We township which contained the re-
served lands yielding the amount. The
acl also provided that the State should
oe accountable to the beneficiaries of
'ne trust fund not only for the princi-
p'' sums but for 6 per cent per annum
vi the principal sums in addition.
'Mce lS4S each township has been
credited with the net receipts from the
s"'e OF timber and grass from it's re-
served lands. When a township is or
s"i'lzed as plantation for school pur-
p'ses' the State must pay over to it
annually per cent on the trust fund
Ieui'ed to 1t, as income; when a town
sup Is incorporated as town the
'U"us accrued and the lands them
ewes become automatically the prop
.'~ OF the town and the title to the
.'serFed lands vests in the town, but
F tuhds turned over and any moneys
Ne"ed from the sale of timber or
.a,' must still be reserved for the
SVloos of the town.
N trustee of this fund Maine has
,s'"dys kept the faith. Towns which
come into their reserved lands
hot always kept the faith, how
,Vi' and there are instances in which
''ssoFs have sold stumpage and ap-
' me income therefrom to general
eApenses whereas the moneys re-
~ should have been deposited in
o,.. .easury for school purposes only.
s,,a ,s' towns have lost track Of the fund
, - and to restore it would have
~ cN"iillne records for years back.
r, Lands Reserved for Public Uses
s,a. mas always been carried by the
80 Feasurer-since 1S48-as a book
ooi' the State treasurer has re-
v;,,s INTO the treasury all moneys
sr,a oy the sale of timber and
croa:. from the reserved lands, giving
SIM, ' 10 the township yielding each
b,r. "hen portions of the trust fund
pan;.' "eeh called for by plantations or
hesn INTO towns the moneys have
reon;. palo from the State treasury, as
snn sleu by law and in consequence of
ebs.o p, iauohs, and the amounts
scoas eo by the State against the trust
SnanAi's, Now and then one finds a
,o,.I heorist who declares that the
fpna luhds credited the reserved lands
tho .u should be kept on hand against