Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-25

Opposition to the Maher tax
| abatement bill, heard before the
committee on taxation Tuesday, OH
| the assumption that the act would
| only make the State dig deeper into
its already supposedly nearly empty
pocketbook, served to bring out the
! little known and interesting fact
that a 100000 inheritance tax. COL
lected from the Smith Estate in
Rockland, would be available for
| State use on June 80.
! The Maher bill calls for a tax
abatement to towns of State taxes
levied on State land located in such
| towns.
Chairman Stetson of the State as
| SCISSORS, in opposing the bill. consid-
cred it an unwise piece of legislation,
inasmuch as it's trend would be to
| throw a monkey-wrench into the
present laudable program of econo-
my and retrenchment. Such oppo-
sition seemed to arouse Senator
Benedict +. Maher, father and spon-
sor of the BILL to remark that the
| corridor talk to the effect that the
State was as hard up as hobo was
| hardly justified with 100000 in the
Golfers of the treasury.
Astonishment was registered. Dis
| belief was plainly apparent.
Didn't You know that there is that
| amount of tax from the Smith Es-
! tate which will soon be available for
the State?" Senator Maher inquired.
| Heads shook negatively.
"Wpll. il is there - rho senator
| stated emphatically, land it will be
available on June 80. Not a word"
! he added. has before been said OF
| it until this time"
In augmenting his argument that
the Maher bill would prove an ad-
ditional tax burden to the State.
Shairman Stetson stated that he
thought Augusta wouldn't be much
| of a city if it wasn't for the State
House and other State institutions
! here.
Questioned by Senator Maher as
| to the reason for this statement, Mr..
Stetson asked if the senator thought
his property would be worth what 1t
| is now If the State buildings were
| not in Augusta.
| He was answered by a vehement
| "More!"
| The 100000 inheritance tax in
| question was collected last Fall from
| the Smith Estate in Rockland, val
ued at SIT 100000. 1t was paid into
| the State treasury last September
| and is available through the gen.
eral fund for general purposes, in
| Guiding the disbursement of the
| legal debts of the State.
Many varieties of taxation prob
| lens were considered before the
! committee. While a lot of time was
! consumed in the hearings 1t was due
| more to slowness in presentation of
| claims, pro and con than to actual
| conflict in the premises.
Senator Phillips of Hancock
| county told the committee that the
, reason for advocating a one cent a
package tax on cigarets were that
| 1t would help to provide funds for
the support of the home for feeble
minded and other institutions deal
ing with detectives and mentally
sick persons. 1t was right. he said
| to do this. as at the rate the use of
| cigarets prevailed among the young
people. especially women. this
| would soon be a nation of cigaret
adicts and the result would be more
pdllSHlo lOI lHtSc pidccS. SlSdle cts
| were a drug forming habit. 1t was
necessary. he said to produce new
revenue for the support of the in
stitutions, as they now cost Maine
81, 100000 more than ten years ago.
| A tax like this. he said brought
| 100000 into the Ohio treasury and
81, 100000 into that of Virginia last
year. 1t had been suggested that the
! operation of the law be made
| through the department of agricul-
| ture.
Replying to Rep. Curtis he said
| he did not think the law would i'm
| prove the morals of the people.
Oscar Fl. Dunbar of Machias, rep
resenting the II. r. Savage & Co.,
wholesale grocers of Bangor. oppos-
ed the bill. He was surprised that
| no claim was made that it would stop
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