Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-02-15


exempted so that Our method Of calculation allows for the
rmpion OF mortgages on Maine real estate"
Clement Robinson of Portland secretary Of the Tax Com
MISSION OF 1907 and of the dgen and accomplished
x students III this state and who has had peculiar advantages
for gaining information IN the valuable response he makes upon
e inquiries sent out and which will be appended our report
full m regard to the prospects Of under
hc of nc plans suggested As you suggest in your
ie' am not in position to know what revenue the new
form OF tax would yield but would state that it is nv con.
that many times the present Of this form
nety would be reached under either form of ax should
no he surprised If the ownership of intangible property in
exemptions in this state equals the entire ownership
M other kinds OF property. Answering your second o,es-
non under the head Of Revenue would say that think this
a property aOnid voluntarily respond to either the fiat
Or TIC equivalent income Such has been the ex-
enec Of other states, and il the administrative provisions
law adequate responsible banker or lawyer would
,isc 'licn Or customer 70 attempt dodge the tax"
ut hc ncnbcrs OF the had interview with
flcl /,nas W Bliss Chairman Of the Board Of Tax Com
ps'oncry OF Rhode Island Mr. Bliss n former Lieutenant
Goruot Of Rhode Island has had long and intimate expert
With the finances OF the and has been for wears
tau1n OF the dea tmcnt OF taxation rs student of
and official IA the practical administration of the tax
lN, 81 ls Mr. Bliss unfamiliar with the tax
kw. q Maine Upon the question o rcvcruc his statement
I hc carefully considered and conservative lie
Nput Mcfasc rate , high tha probably a,sobs
t 5o'a of the income from the intanebles taxed and
ts = TO bc dclorcd from the standpoint Of Justice, and
.HUahc distribution of the burden the amount Of re-
ccived very substantial S352o33-o7 could be
n.ml only by increasing the tax base Approximately
'r rate Is mills. and eight times if the ; mills In
r words the amount of ntanebcs would have increase
"r approximately $1soooOoo TO 12coooooo dollars
tS 90 whether your rate mills in order get
revenue YOU receive that source TO dis
and list such Of tangibe is-a task Of con-
che proportions and in the hands of local assessors with
a'.ompshcd, il at all. With ample supervisory powers
. n 2 competent State Board in my opinion the task
g| rs accomplished without much difficulty, and within a
I.itonlblc time.
VIZ expect to receive many replies The questions
out which will nc attached to this report and regret that they
ve not come in time to enable refer them specifically
the present time however have not only the Information
derived from experts and tax commissioners, who have given
c subject the careful and thorough study but the
Of several states which have adopted the system
the other To these may be useful to further
uc for conclusions drawn from exhaustive study Of the
PRACTICAL operation of these methods as revenue producing
gents.
We wish particularly refer the report of the committee
taxation appointed by the Massachusetts, legislature in 1907
investigate the subject of taxation and codify and
mnd the laws relating thereto, this commission had upon
staff nine Of the strongest of Massachusetts, including
Prof Bullock the eminent authority already referred In
their report they show thorough and careful exanna-
this had adopted level plans and of the results of
Me operation Of these plans Their chief in their in
gaon regarded the praotcabty of substituting either the
level plan of taxing ntangbes for the general
property tax
\mong the important inquiries which they felt called upon
make touching the producing capacity OF
t method compared with the old This is shown by
e of intangible property discovered by the assess
ment' following the change in the law Regarding Pesy
1n while their report goes into every detail it is only
here consider the summaries illustrate the working
o hc law this regard table compiled showing that
c Of intangible property locally assessed in Pennsyl
ann sss under the old rate $4s in 1907
w TIC level SIoI4 About half this amount
'a- assessed uron mortgages
~ Speaking ~ crcip from, intangible prope, the Massa-
Iu.e fci"u ayS: From 1880 1900 the receipts
-" NV'op cr year tins amount being somewhat less than
NA fnc considerable withheld bv corporations
p" 'E outcome uf litigation From 1901 1906 the
W caGcd $It3oooo: from 1890 to 1000 they averaged
''.", from root to 1905 they averaged Sis 10000 and
' mounted to S2,35aooo. Here in the figures show
E hf rul Of tho upon intangible property assessed To-
l' 'e twd healthy and normal increase.
YEA rart adopted the level of mills in 1906 with al