Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-17

and VIII come up for your cons;dera-
ton At this meeting
Taxatien
Taxzticn. like the proverbial poor.
il one Of those burdens, that -ye
have always with you
From low on the tax burden win
be real II some economist could
devise . system Of just and equit-
AHA tuxAs5on that would rest light
~ and fairly upon al. and the peo-
pie could adopt that system cut and
dried vitAeut efert ON their part.
the problem would be fairly easy.
But syste0s Of taxation grow:
they are not made Consequently
you must continue to that growth.
and study and think and plan and
tnlk, unsu the wisdom Of all, not one.
shall evolve q fairly just system
A few basic principles should be
better understood by al:
FRxt: An taxes are occazsoned by
public expenditures and unless ex-
penses can be kept down. there is no
hape for sHy tAx burdens
The nsw national debt of more
than twenty billion dollars. means
more than 500 for each individual.
or 5000 per family. the interest Of
which must be paid and eventually.
the principal Not only this but the
constant increase Of governmental
DEPARTMENTS and commissions OF both
state and nation with the rapidly
growing tendency to extrayagant.
thoushtless and vasteful spending Is
adding q tax burden beyond all rea-
so0.
Second: An taxes wherever placed
o. collected. In time largely become
consumption taxes ana rest heavily
upon the average person They may
rot be seen but they are there and
cannot be esca ped, for they appear IN
the cost OF living.
Third: A just system Of taxation
should consider the benefits received
as well a. the actual money paid.
Measuring tax burdens from the
standpoint of benefits received. rural
communities are at a great disad-
! vantage when eoppared with popu-
lcus centere.
, I would recommend: That the
corporation taxes row COLLECTED oy
tie state and paid back to Cities and
towns where the stock in such cor
poratiens IS owned, be retained oy
. the state.
Tina, the mill tax fer school pur-
poses, now distributed according TO
aggregate attendance. as the grange
has maintained it should be-thai
. ei,ke- a tax be assessed upon IN
comes or a much larger tax collected
from intangible personal property.
That, since the State has granted
a honus Of 800, to our soldiers and
sailors, which will involve a hHnh
Issue Of approximately 100000, and
since all should share in this pa
,rio.ic gift, l would recommend that
Il poli tax Of IS be assessed. two dol
: lars Of which shall 60 20 the state
, for such time as IS necessary 20 pay
the bonus :
That. since the Federal tax OF >
cents for each Is to so cent tele-
! phone message rests with uncue
weight upon the rural dwelier. espe-
c;aily upon the one living from l. 10
90 miles from town. where the tax
is 30 Der cent of his toll. l would
| recommend that If this business lax
Is To be retained that the minimum
tar he reduced or the minimum to-.
on which a tax is paid be enlarged
| The Press
! The press of our State has always
| given the grange ample opportan4's
! to present grange news TO our MfNi-
/ hers and to the public and 1 canno-
urge too strongly that every granss
| have a publicity agent to furnis,,
such news. including pictures am
programs of general interest.
The National Grange Monthly Is
the Official organ of the grange and
with the very low rate Of 80 cents
! uer wear should be in every home.
See to it that some one is appoint
ed in each grange 20 look after SUD-
! sc-in,ions for this valuable paper.
The Organized Farmer. a new farm
| paper owned and managed solely by
the various farm organizations Of the
State expects to publish its first Is
! sue next month.
| Each farm organization is expect
ed to subscribe for SO in stock which
| is to represent the ownership and
{ management.
! Many farm organizations rave al
/ ready subscribed and il Is confident
" hoped that all will do so.
! It is also important that large
subscription list le obtained. lr the
paper is to be useful. it is up to tho
farmer to make it go.
! What the Farmer Most Needs
Secretary of Agriculture Houston
| in his recent report states that live
stock and crops have largely in
creased over last year and our pre-
| war amounts.
| He also states that the America 4
farmer produces from two to three
times as much per man as the Euro
pean farmer. This would go 10 show
| that notwithstanding his handicap OF
| shorter hours and higher wages in
other industries, and the general
| clamor for cheaper food. he has
stuck to his job. He has not bean
carried OF his feet by the whirlwini
| Of strikes and demands that have
shortened production in other indus
tries. thus largely Increasing the cost
Of their products.
| Yet more food and lower prices a.
much as they are desired by othe:.