Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08

Wilbur L. Dresser, So. Portland
In 1920 when the District of Maine
became a State, the State Valuation
was $2O,9G2,77 the rate of taxation
Icing given as .0O19. The valuation
prior to 1891 was made once in ten
years.
The only existing record of the
methods formerly used in affixing
State Valuation to be used as basis
for State and County taxes is that
of the third State Valuation made in
1S4O. by Legislative Committee
part of the Senate. and twenty-one
sentatives. Sub Committees consist
ing of three members from each
County were appointed to select a
standard town in each County and
make an appraisal of the same and
make a detailed report for the con-
sheraton of the Committee. Anoth-
er Subcommittee consisting of
eleven members was appointed to
fix a standard value on such prop
erty as may be susceptible of uni
form value throughout the State"
The State Valuation of these Com
mitteeS and Committees was
/ S60.246,2SS: the rate for the year
1910 was .OO20. For a period of four
years prior to this valuation no State
tax had been assessed. Assessors Of
towns at this time were required to
make their annual returns to the
Secretary of State, under the provi-
sions of Section 10, Chapter j. Re-
vised Statutes 1883.
With some minor changes the
State Valuation was made in the
manner above described until the
year 1892, about one year after the
Office of Board of State Assessors
was created under the provisions of
. Chapter 103. Public Laws of 1891.
The members of the first Board were
/ Benjamin +. Chadbourne, Frank
| Gilman and Otis Hayford. but before
/ the first valuation was made Mr.. Gill
accident, and Hall C. Burleigh was
! appointed to fill the uneXpired term.
/ The first State Valuation of the new
Board was $314.33O, ISL; the rate for
| that year was .O021J.
/ The Beard of State Assessors has
! general supervision over the admin
, istration of the assessment and taxa
ton laws of the State and over local
+, Assessors and other assessing Off
GERS.
The law requires that they annu-
Z, ally visit officially each county in the
! State, to confer with and to give
necessary advice and instruction to
! local Assessors. Also to obtain data
and information relative to values
OF property and conditions that at
| feet the same; this data to be used
| in making the State Valuation. This
! work requires about four months.
Local Assessors are required to make
a report each year to the State
board. This report must contain
summary of all taxable land and
buildings and value of the same
stated separately. 1t must also con-
tain a list of each kind of taxable
! value. This information is assem-
bled each year under fifty-six differ
ent headings and incorporated in the
annual report of this board.
The present Board consists of Gle
ment S. Stetson of Greene, for the
past eight years Chairman of the
Board, John j. Dearborn of New
burgh, who has served twelve years.
, and Fred S. Jordan of Portland, ap-
pointed in June to fill the uneXpired
, term of Wilbur +. Dresser. deceased.
Under this Board new methods
were adopted, new laws enacted, I'M
til at this time the duties of this
department require a full time Board
and large force of clerical workers.
The present laws require the State
Valuation to be made and reported
to the Secretary of State biennially
on or before December first.
AS to our work in valuing wild
lands, we have examined the systems
, and methods used by the large own
ers of wild lands, and have incor-
porated some of their ideas with
those of our own, and with the as
sistance of an expert forester, we
are making an intensive study of the
wild lands. A valuable system Of
maps for showing data regarding the
; progress of work on the wild land
townships has been installed. These
maps are conveniently mounted on
one Of the modern display devices.
On these are delineated all public
lots that have been set off and
bounded at this time in the morgan
lied townships. Other features will
be added to these maps in the fu-
ture, as they are found to be most
convenient timesavers in looking up
matters pertaining to forest taxation.
A Card system has been started,
giving location of all water powers,
with assessed valuation. This in
wolves a vast amount of Office work
and when completed will be of in
estimable value. In the commence
| ment OF this work we have received
the cooperation of the Water Storage
Department of the Public Utilities.
The State Valuation just complet-
ed, to be used as a basis for State,
County and Forestry District taxes
for the year 1925 and 1926. is $7O1.-
439, 207.
Our records show an increase dur
ing the past twenty years of
1890 on Timberlands
i 1000 on Personal Estate
S319 20 on Real Estate.
In 1901 rows of Lombardy poplar
were D1anted along both sides of