Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-30

at Ottawa, and they simply send out
| a small sheet of paper with the
mans name written upon it and ask
ing him one question,-"How much
income tax did you pay the Domin-
ion government at the end Of GER
tain date?" And this date might
have been probably 60 days before,
and then there is a printed statement
stating that his income tax to the
Province Of Quebec is Is per cent.
of the amount that he paid to the
Dominion, and there is simply added
to that, please enclose your check
and send it to the proper officers of
Quebec"
Now, gentlemen, we can have just
as simple a system as that here II we
wish, with no complications and no
silly exemptions, and nothing very
difficult to reckon, and we can make
this matter so simple that no one
, need object to it on that ground, ana
we can make it so effectual that our
general tax rate on tangible property
that all of us have to bear will be
materially reduced. (Applause).
Mr. MAHER Of Augusta: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen, it was abso-
lutely furthest from my mind to say
word with reference to this sub
ject, but I have been moved to it by
the uniquepess of the situation and
particularly by the remarks of the
gentleman from Calais. Mr.. Murchie,
and the attitude of the gentleman
from South Portland, Mr.. Hinckley.
am standing up here chiefly to OPP
pose the motion of the gentleman
from Gardiner, Mr.. Gardiner, because
1 desire to be consistent, and two
years ago I consistently opposed suf-
frage because the city of Augusta vot-
ed against it, and I was consistently
opposed then in the first instance be-
cause the city of Augusta voted
against it, and for a still better rea-
son.
In the first place, l believe in the
income tax, and I think it is abso
lutely the right thing. 1 think it is
the sound, theoretical way of equally
spreading the burdens of government.
/ happened to be a member of the
committee to which the gentleman
from Gardiner, Mr.. Gardiner, alluded,
which made a report to the Legisla-
ture advising an income tax amend
ment, advising the submission of that
to the people, which was done; and
that committee made a very grave
error, not in its submission of this
question, not in it's suggestion, but in
its action, and 1 stand up here and
frankly admit it. And the same err
ror which we made is now applicable
to the situation as presented by the
gentleman from Gardiner. Why She
income tax proposition was defeated
at the polls was not because of the
political advertisements in the Ken
nebec Journal, it was not entirely
from the lack of information or mis-
information on the part of the people,
but it was because the people did not
know. not the mere proposition of
whether they were for an income tax
or not, but they did not know just
what the specific. concrete thing be-
fore them was. Now, when you get
ready to put the income tax up to
the people of the State of Maine, put
up to them in q manner so that they
will know just exactly what you
mean, and then they will vote intel
ligently, either for or against a con-
stitutional provision authorizing the
imposition of the tax But | do not
believe the people of the State of
Maine are now going to put their
backs up against the wall and buy
any pig in a bag" The argument
is excellent in theory for the consti-
tutional amendment and for an in
come tax, but L want to know whether
1t is going to be tax upon the un-
earned incomes, so to speak, whether
it is going to be tax upon this es-
capable property, or whether it is
going to be tax upon industry and
upon thrift and upon energy and up
On the lawful acquisitions of men. [
want to know what the exemptions
are going to be. l want to know how
much a man with a family who is
earning in his profession or at the
bench of in his business want to
know what his share is going to be,
as contrasted with the man who is
clipping his coupons to whom the
gentleman from Gardiner, Mr.. Gar
diner, has referred. And that can
only be comprised by an intelligent
bill. by the submission of a bill that
will take effect. 1t is perfectly prop
err and it has been done, and it was
done here last June with reference
to the soldiers bonus, by the submits
sion of comprehensive, well consid-
cred, we'll digested and commendable
measure that will show the people
what they are going to meet. l sub
init that such measure to take effect
when and only when the contsitu-
tional amendment is acceptable
such proceeding is a rational and
a logical one. and it is fair one and
ii Is the only one in my Judgment
that would receive the appreciation of
the people of the State of Maine.
I do not purpose for an instant to
be diverted from the position which
l take here into a discussion of the
merits or the dement's of the income
tax, or the income tax proposition.
Now, gentlemen, you have seen your
papers throughout the State day by
day. carrying other advertisements
besides those unsigned ones. Turn
to the financial page of any one of
your papers, and you will see a list,
and 1T seems to me an ever-increas-
ing list of brokerage concerns that
are advertising tax-eXempt securi-
ties for sale. Now money is the blood
the very life blood of all business, and
II you are going to advocate an in