Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-11-03

His address was filed with wit and
was one of the hits of the conven-
ton. He touched upon the appoint
ment of out of-the- state men to the
head of State departments, saying
that it was only a short time ago that
Maine had q supply of men and
women competent to fill any position
OF trust or responsibility in the
State And he gave a gentle touch
upon the matter of the new garage,
for the construction of which he
gathered that the Highway Com
mission single handed and alone,
with no encouragement from any
Legislature and with no accompany
ing protest on the part of the peo-
pie, had appropriated sum of
money almost equal to that which
the Legislature of 1909 appropriated
for the enlargement Of the State
House with such momcntous re-
suits to the party in power"
But he stated that he had called
attention TO these matters not in a
spirit Of criticism, but 70 impress on
the minds the fact that we are living
in the present and not the past. we
may find fault with the conditions
existing today. but never for a
moment would we consent to those
OF yesterday. Our people would not
consider any proposition to DO less
for our highways, our schools or the
care Of our unfortunatcs. Never
again will we see the tax rate OF so
or 20 or 10 years ago and it is ex-
trenely doubtful if as low as that OF
the present year"
Then returning to his assigned
subject. Mr.. Bragdon spoke as fol-
lows:
conditions were favorable for a
reduced tax rate last winter. Bust
ness was in bad shape and the peo-
pie were demanding retrenchment.
But YOU know how it is. 1t is an easy
matter TO practice economy when we
are without money, but when the
time comes that we do have it we
are quite apt TO lay it out for those
things which we got along without
when we were economizing and so
we may regard the present year as
only breathing spell and make up
cur minds that as soon as business
conditions again become normal our
public expenditures will again be on
the increase.
Il have referred only to the in
crcasing cost OF State affairs but as
4 matter or fact the increase in our
municipalities has been even greater.
Now l do not believe there is q
,i2a who has ever given this matter
any consideration who thinks for q
moment that there will ever be 4
turning point in this increase Of ex-
perditures, ard that being the case it
IS wcil for US 10 consider where thesc
additional sums are to cone from.
Whenever any additional taxation
IS proposed i is sure 70 draw out 4
plausible argument from those who
arc expected to pay. that such sy3-
tom will bring ruin and poverty in
its wake.
The farmer alone of those who are
being called on to pay is saying
nothing, but like the Arab Of poetry
he IS folding his tent and silently
stealing avny" as is being attcsted
by his constantly diminishing mum
bcrs and the corresponding increase
in the abandoned farms in our Maine
hillsidCS. and the condition thus
caused IS serious enough 50 that we
= Ill so on no doubt appointing rural
life commissions and Legislative com
mittcos, made UP OF doctors. lawyers
and ministers, To inquire into tho
cause Of his absence and they will
perhaps report that what he needs
poor man. is medicine ana that d
health department with sufficient
funds to subsidizc young physicians
who would locate i'll rural communi-
tics would cause these abandoned
farms 70 again blossom as the rose
without once giving thought as to
whether or not our three and one
half cent tex rate has anything to
do with making farm property less
desirable as an investment than some
other forms Of property, which c3-
cape taxation altogether.
I am unfortunately located for
making up to date investigations in
regard 10 this subject, but find
that in the year 1918 something
over 1000 of our citizens made in
come tax returns which indicated
that thcy were holders OF stocks and
bonds. intangible property 10 the val
uc OF at least S433 600 900. Some OF
those who have studied or this SUBJ
ject estimate It 1T 500. 900, 900 or
more but it must have been as large
as the first named sum. Practically
all Of this was taxable under our
laws and vet l find that on the year
following, YOU and I gentlemen, the
assessors Of the several towns OF the
state. found and taxed less than So,
oJ0000 worth Of it mainly bank and
trust companies stock and cash on
hand with barely three quarters Of a
million OF other kinds Of stocks.
In the same year our assessors
found renl estate to the value of
500 100000 and live stock to the
value of so1 0n0, eco SO = may be seen
that about half the property Of the
State is escaping taxation. 1 know
it raay be said that the tax valra-
ton Of our visible properly is far
below its actual selling value. I Will
admit this bu.- viii -. in return,
that the only figures We have in re-
gard TO the amount oe intanCihle
property are furnished by those who
were making their own income tax
returns and i is possible they may
have shrunk the value OF their hold
lrGs as much as our assessors have
shrunk the value Of the visible pro-
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