Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-10

used under the income tax law, and de-
duct 20 per cent. Of cost price each
year, for If he does the >.lue would be
tion to B. and, If he does anything else
he is sure to displease A. who will say
that his car was bought at the same
time as BIS.
The garage, where liberal charge Is
made for driving a car past its door,
and where often the car is taken to
satisfy the tiny repair bill, offers an
other troublesome problem for the as
SCISSOR. We find the average garage
full Of old, WORKOUT cars; we find
gas and, OIL shoes, all kinds Of repair
parts and supplies, which for sale
have . tremendous value and yet when
Jumped on the first day of April for the
purpose Of tax value. have such a
small value that we can only marvel at
the sudden depreciation. ~
Considering gentlemen. the great
value in the automobile and the ga
rage for taxable purposes, on the one
hand. and the tremendous burden of
each to our citizens on the other hand.
and what problem it presents to the
poor brute who has undertaken td<set
a fair value thereon.
Household furniture is an item
which offers another bothersome prob
lem. In many instances in the rural
districts, the widow and old maid.
with barely living income, have more
furniture tucked away in one room
than the average hustling man has in
a whole house. The widow and maid
en- lady. IL taxed to full value above
exemption, would be burdened beyond
means while the prosperous man, with
less than 5000 worth gets by with
smile. Perhaps some of you will offer
solution for the problem, but it is be-
yond me, unless 1 advocate a law to
exempt widows and old maids, unless
they come in and ask to be taxed. and
even then would fall into the folly Of
our last legislature which exempted
soldiers not on petition but by difec-
ton Of the law itself. A law, in fact,
which seems to me to have been born
stern foremost.
And now getting out into the fresh
air of the country. what shall we do
With the man who has the courage
and the God given grace to be a pro-.
ducer. -.
The State and nation can endure
only so long as agriculture is the fore
most industry. Production must be
encouraged in order that the millions
of people in our country may exist In
the city and village we have thousands,
yes millions who are non-producers.
These millions of non-producers must
be fed and clothed and without the
farmers corn, wheat, potatoes. cows.
sheep. hogs and poultry. and the ia
vored southerner's cotton and tobac-
CO. he would stand a mighty bard
show in one of our Maine winters.
Thus we arrive at a problem where
real value is immeasurable. Without
the item we cannot exist; tax it for
its real value and the producer cannot
exist.
The only remedy can offer is. fewer
elections, some process by which at
least ~ per cent. Of OUT money ap-
propriated for highways may get by
the Office and engineer expense Of
the highway commission; into few of
the dumping grounds in our road, and
a right -about-face from the ever grow
ing number of Offices and commissions,
created no: SO much for. efficiency as a
job for some deserving partisan
1t is the ever increasing body of
office holders. saping the very life blood
of our State and nation. that offers to
the rural assessor the hardest problems
Drive them out. get them at work,
make them produce, and the cost of
running Our nation will decrease by 60
per cent. and the Ship of State will be
kept from the rocks of national de
struction which have wrecked so many
great nations in past ages.
Again. on the farm we have the fast
disappearing timber and wood. To
encourage conservation is absolutely
necessary; and yet the rural assessor.
seeing millions of feet of lumber and
thousands of cords of wood leaving his
remaining growth should pay a fair
tax. &
And now. gentlemen. passing over
many items and further problems, let
us consider for a minute the problem
Of taking industry and thrift of the
individual.
Charles and John start life at the
same time, equal in age and property
holdings. Charles labors early and
late, rears a family Of healthy chill
dren to bless his home and protect
his nation when called to duty. He
conservcs his property and produces
much tn feed even more than his own
family. John. OH the other hand, Ia
bors but little, has no children, spends
his means, and produces nothing
Charles pays. tax on his property
improved and increased, more and
more each year. John pays less and
less and eventually, with his property
wasted. he is supported by the town.
In such a case. gentlemen. we are
obliged to tax industry and thrift.
which should be offered every encour-
agement possible to be conceived 1t
Is difficult problem for the assessor
and what is proper remedy will
leave for the determination of the next
body 10 assemble in theohall-a place
already made famous by the passage
Of fish and game laws, both inland
and yea. too numerous to mention
where the deer, the moose. the caribou.
the wild bird Of the forest, the smelt
"DANDFRlNF"