Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-24
EXPL CITATION OF STATE WOULD
RELIEVE TAX LOAD, WORD GOVERNOR

$5,600,000 within our State. Nearly
100000 Of this is paid directly into
our State Treasury sharing, practi-
cally, one-quarter Of our tax burden.
This takes no account of approx
mately 500. 100000 additional invest
ed by resident individuals and cor
porations in activities incident to the
tourist traffic.
This makes 1t evident that our
taxes are distributed about in equal
thirds between our farms, our indus
tries and our recreational develop
ments. There are only two ways to
tighten our tax burden. One is by
spending less money on our schools
and roads. There seems no probable
ity of such a curtailment even If 1t
should be deemed wise. We shall do
well if we prevent these expenditures
from increasing. The other way is
to persuade more people and more
property to share the tax burden
with us. If investment in this State
in any class of taxable property can
be doubled then every other taxpayer
is relieved to that extent. On the
contrary, any withdrawal of invest
ments increases the burden of every
other tax payer proportionately
Abandoned farms pay no taxes.
Our resources and attractions offer
a vast field for the development and
expansion Of recreational opportuni-
ties. These make les; demands on
our governmental responsibilities
than almost any other type OF de-
velopment because they ask practi-
cally nothing of our schools and we
shall, in any event, develop and
maintain our roads
Meanwhile they are now bearing
one-third of our tax burden and can,
in increasing measure in the next fe"
years, lift from our farms and In
dustries some portion of the very
great burden of taxation.
Additional Taxation Prohibitive
Our industries and farms cannot
stand additional taxation at this
critical time. Their relief must be a
matter of our very intimate concern.
A constructive program for the de-
yelopment of our State needs fairly
to recognize, first the stimulation of
a demand by Maine people for Maine
products and second, a stimulation OF
the vast possibilities of development
in these great fields of activity in our
State that lie so readily at hand.
Tourist Money Will Tighten Burden
Fifty million dollars is poured into
Maine each year by over 100000 visl-
tors. In the judgment of conserva-
tive observers Of conditions In our
country this may easily be doubled
and trebled in the next decade and
this means that the tax burden Of
every citizen Of our State will be ma
terially lightened thereby. In the
first seventeen days that the new
bridge at Kittery was open there
flowed over it 1922 automobiles
carrying $4,000 passengers repre-
senting forty-four states and six
Canadian Provinces. This gives a
little idea of the extent to which the
nation may be interested in Maine.
Maine to Benefit by Publicity
Meanwhile California and Florida
have demonstrated beyond doubt
that agricultural and industrial de-
velopment flows from these visitors
in our midst. California increased its
Industrial output by 00.0O0,000 in
the decade when we were hearing of
it as a tourist state. Florida In
creased the value of its agricultural
products by 250Go in the past five
years while we were hearing of 1t as
a great winter resort. They brought
people to play and persuaded them to
stay and to invest money almost
without lIIIllL III Iho vail my
trial and agricultural opportunities
that they offered.
The possibilities Of the vast region
.of Maine lying east and north of
Bangor has as yet hardly come to be
realized. This great region in the
next decade will begin to come into
it's own and every citizen of Maine
will benefit and rejoice and particu-
larly will the great eastern section of
our State come to be appreciated as
one of the most attractive and de-
lightful regions on the North Amer
lean Continent in both summer and
winter.