Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-18
Baxter Locks Horns
Continued from Paes One)

900 acres to all persons without
guides. next year 1t may want to
close them. guides or no guides. Other
great companies and owners then
NAV follow suit, and soon there will
be built what amounts to fence
around the wild lands. and the peo-
pie will have lost their rights.
Maine people have taken pride
that the great forests were open to
them. They have felt they had
rights in them, and unless a firm
stand Is taken these rights may be
lost, and the wild lands become great
private closed reserves.
Taxation of Timber Lands
In my opinion this closing or,lor
is Illegal and unreasonable. Timber
land owners pay only a fraction of
the taxes that other people pay. They
pay a county and State tax. which
according to figures given me by the
State treasury last year averaged
Ia mills. The average tax on
farm and town property in the State
the same year was ST IA mills or
about four times greater. This
shows a wide discrepancy In taxes.
The chief argument of the tim
berland owners tor this low tax has
been that their lands were open to
the people, and that the people had
the use of them. For that reason It
has been argued wild land taxes
should be less than other taxes. In
addition to the 81 Ia mills a small
District tax II levied for their own
fire service. but it all goes for their
protection: none OF it goes to pay
for schools. roads and other State
activities
If timberlands are closed to the
public the argument, such as it is
was, for low taxes vanishes.
The taxation of timberlands
should be gone into carefully. l
| have called attention to 1t in official
addresses, but have realized it was
futile to attempt any change at
present. The Great Northern and its
associates are powerful; they are the
strongest factors in the Legislature:
with their banking, business and
political connections they dominate
the situation whenever they desire
to do SO.
Amy company that owns over L.
OO,OOO acres of land in Maine. as
does the Great Northern, and that
is one-twentieth of all the land in the
State, is a factor that must be reck-
! oned with. Few people realize it's
power. Its business Is profitable and
we'll conducted and it has been
| treated most literally by the State
! and has been given unusual con-
| sideration. Its activities however,
are far reaching and in the past have
known Of men holding high political
positions to go to 1t for advice and
support.
Now Time to Settle Question
II want the people of Maine to
know about the present situation. lf
any man Is arrested for alleged tres
passing he should stand upon his
rights. and carry the case to the
supreme court so that the people Of
Maine may know just what rights
they possess in the cumberland area.
This is the time to settle it.
A Blow to Mainc's Resort Program
Il suggest that these people inter-
| ested in Advertising Maine and
| making 1t resort for tourists, take
this matter up and fight it. Certainly
this Is serious blow to Names re-
sort program. 1t would be well for
the Maine Publicity Bureau and
State Chamber of Commerce to have
q representative enter upon the
lands of the Great Northern, get
himself arrested, and make a test
case. In this way these organiza-
lions might render q public service
by preserving for our people their
inalienable rights IN the great wood
ed areas Of our State.
Il do not believe the Great North
ern's attitude represents that Of most
OF the Wild land owners and II thar
be %. the Great Northern will have
been responsible for bringing down
upon all Of them q great deal Of
criticism which many will not have
deserved"