Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-10

supervision OF the Board of State As
! SCISSORS. 263 townships out OF total
OF about Al already have been survey "
ed. doubt II the State ever has made o.
as wise an expenditure Of the public
money as this has proven to be- Since q
1905 the total amount of $4,000 has been
spent upon this work and the State q
already has received from 1t In taxa :
ton. not including interest. the sum Of =
$575,160.42. This shows a net tax in-s.
come to the State OF $4S5. 765.42. 1t is
! readily seen that an appropriation r
larger than that suggested in the bud-,r'
| get will bring immediate returns with
/ out causing injustice to the owners OF :
the land. as such land should be valu-if
ed on basis proportionate with the
value Of other lands within the State. NJ
National Guard :.
The Federal Government controls
the size OF our National Guard, whilef4<
the State assumes the responsibilities
for its standards of efficiency. Our y
citizen soldier always has proved his
loyalty and courage. The officers of5,
the Guard are men of character and 2,
ability devoted to their work. whiiec
the men. well trained and equipped, %
are eager to perform whatever dutiest4
may be required of them. believe
the Guard should remain voluntary
organization. Our young men should
be encouraged to enter 1t and in doing
so should receive the approval and
support of the civilian population. In
j times of peace we need no draft or
compulsory military training in
Maine. My connection with the Ma
tional draft organization. as chair
man of local exemption board.
showed me the spirit of Names men, ,
of military age. Their response to-,
duty was splendid. Maine kept her
quotas of men so well filed that when
the great war closed Maine did not
owe single soldier to the National
Government, while sister states owed
thousands. AS long as fighting men
are needed Maine may safely be relied g
upon to furnish her share of them. May
the day soon come when the nations
of the world will cease their useless
competition In armament. May those
be heard who cry for relief from the
crushing burdens of war and its prep.
aration, and may their cry be needed
in the capitols Of the world. -
Transportation -.
, The transportation problem is be-
fore YOU. Names railroads seek re-,
lief. and tax concessions are asked OFFS
you. Tax reduction for one, means
an added burden for others. The in 20
dustrial. economic and agricultural is
life OF the State to a large extent is II
dependent upon adequate transporta-
ton facilities. Throughout the coun-"
try there is need of railroad rehabil-
tation. The method of railroad tax
alton now in vogue in our State,
whereby tax is levied on gross re-
ceipts. is considered by many
students of economy to be unsound :
You have scant time to devote to the
solution of this pressing problem. 1t
is the duty of each member to attend
the hearings on these bills. 1t is each.
members duty to ask questions even i.
though they be not carefully framed
or scientifically worded. Each earn
estly should attempt to learn Thea
facts. /,
To the railroads would say, bring
all the facts at your command, offer
them frankly and openly, encourage
those who seek information, avoid
i complicated and confused figures of
Intricate bookkeeping. and take the
Eightieth Legislature into your CON-
fidence in every detail. Let each
party to the discussion, those seeking
and those imparting information,
recognize the others point of view
and proceed calmly to the work in
hand, for all must admit that modern
ora ,,I
burden of taxation must be equally
distributed lest an injustice done to
one group, or favor granted to
another, destroy the balance of good
government =
The people Of Maine, notwithstand-
ing the now discredited methods of
railroad Hobbies and railroad domi- -
nation of the years gone by, realize. y,
as do the railroads themselves, that
times have changed and that the
people need the railroads just as much
as the railroads need the people; and
they also realize that the prosperity
of the one Is interviewer with that or
the other, and that mutual confidence
is the only satisfactory basis for the
future.
/
Is executive, and it is my ambition !,
that you be known as a Legislature,
that passed just laws, and that I be.
known as wise executive. The days
of reconstruction and retrenchmenti
are trying days. Emergencies may
arise. After you have left we shall.
carry on. Maine occupies situation
favored beyond that of most of her
sister states. Conditions here remain
normal long after other states have
felt the stress of changed and un-o
settled conditions. Today we face :
the coming months with hope and
confidence May true prosperity soon
return, and may it be the rule in
Maine that all who work receive q
fair reward, for which they give an
adequate return.
The affairs of this State shall ever I,
be to You and to our other citizens an
open book, and about them there
shall be no mystery Or concealment.
Should you be unable to find such in
formation as you seek, the Chief
Executive with the department heads
/ gladly will render Won assistance A.