Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-09

be shifted. The farmer cannot shift
his, because the price Of what he sells
is not fixed by the cost of production.
The home owner cannot shift his, but
can only figure 1T as additional rent,
and of course taxes on furniture, au-
tomobiles, libraries, and property of
that kind, are paid out of the owners
pocket, and does not come back,
which is true also of income taxes
levied on earnings or on fixed in
comes from permanent investments,
outside OF real estate.
Our national taxes, at present, are
very heavy and must remain SO for
many years. until the war debt is
largely paid, and until the keeping up
of a great navy and expensive army
ceases to be regarded as necessary.
With these taxes we must not con-
Germ ourselves today. Our local tax
problem is enough.
Property taxes in Maine are levied
on the basis CT an average tax Of
about AGO on the assessed value of
taxable property. Besides this prop
erty tax the State receives an income
from franchise taxes assessed on
steam roads, electric roads, banks,
insurance companies, express COM
panies and other corporations, and
licenses on automobiles OF the 4eb
property tax about 10 goes for State
and county expenses and about 3cs
for local expenses. Women as we'll
as men arc directly interested in the
! raising, and spending of this money,
and to those of us who have lust
been granted tho right to say some
thing about how it shall be raised
and spent, certain questions present
themselves. 1st, Can we afford, and
do we need, to spend as much money
| as We are now spending to main
tain our town. county and State gov
eminent in their various fields of act-
I witty? End, Do we get value for what
we do spend? Ord, Is the money
raised by system, that is fair to the
people who pay it? If we are not
sp. nding more than we can afford
and need to spend, if we are getting
full value for our money and if the
laws and procedure under which
taxes are assessed and collected are
so arranged that the burden falls
equitable upon the people, then there
is no tax problem to solve. But un-
less these things arc 80, there is o.
tax problem, and n solution of it is
demanded. Many believe that too
much money is being spent in Maine
by our various governments, local
and general. They believe this be-
cause the total expenditures of the
| town and cities, the counties and the
State have increased so rapidly that
taxes have become a serious burden
both to the individuals and to BUSH
ness. 1t may be said that what is
spent is all spent for good purposes.
| That is not an answer. A family
| which spends its income for rent.
| clothing and food is spending its
money for perfectly good purposes,
and yet 1t may be living beyond it's
means. A property tax rate Of 4eo
IL too high. II property is only
valued at three-fourths of its real
value. such a taxSis equal to 3ga on
its real va1ue-and that means tina t
q large part, and sometimes the
whole Of the net earnings Of property
goes into the public treasury. Such
a condition does not encourage
thrift or progress. Public expendi-
lures should be cut down to a point
where local taxes would not be un-
duly burdensome.
In the second piece, many do not
believe that we BET any where near