Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-05

! from Woodstock, that in view of the
damage to the sheep industry in GER
| tam sections of the State caused by
bears the matter should be brought
before the coming Legislature. He
| suggested that instead of restoring
the bounty on bears, which was re-
| pealed by the last Legislature, it
might be better to authorize the
State commissioner of inland fish
cries and game upon representation
! by selectmen of towns that bears
are killing the sheep, to offer sub
stantial rewards for the killing of
bears in those sections. Thus both
! the sheep owners and the sports
mems interests would be protected
He declined to believe that dogs
rather than bears are killing many
of the sheep in sections of the State.
mo one wants to raise sheep for
the bears to eat" he asserted.
Address by Mfr. Morrison
| That it Is considerable Of a task
| to secure just valuation on prop
erty in certain towns that Is owned
by non-residents and where the SELL
/ ing prices are constantly fluctuating,
| was the point stressed by Assessor
| Mark c. Morrison of Bar Harbor in
! speaking on the topic, Taxation of
| Resident in Relation to Resi-
| dent Property"
| Often property Is sold for con-
| siderably less than the valuation
t placed upon 1t by the assessors and
then few years later the property
may sell for several times the
amount of that valuation.
The speaker stated that Bar Har-
Dor is one of the largest towns in
the State so far as valuation is con-
| cerned The matter of making a
! just and equalization of property
presents a difficult question, but in
nine cases out of ten the advantage
! goes to the nonresident. who can
| tell the value of a cottage or lot
where there is nonresident prop
/ erty?" he asked. This year there
may be a big boom and the prices
will go up and the next year the
autos may carry the people to diff
| ferent sections"
| Mr.. Morrison advocated the re-
/ duction of tax unites such as has
been done effectively in other Sec
tons of the country, notably in the
state of Minnesota and the City of
Baltimore. What is saved through
budget plans is saved for the tax
payers and the assessors can aid in
| deyising plans for keeping down
| State. county and town taxes.
Professor Willard Speaks
Professor Harley r. Willard,
chairman of the board of assessors
| of Orono, in his address touched on
the question whether corporation
property should be valued at the
! same rate as the property owned by
private individuals. He pointed
/ ~.
| orally be YES" it must be taken in
| to consideration that in certain in
| stances where a business cannot pay
the taxes it may become necessary
to close it and that would mean
that people would be thrown out of
empl6yment. Long idleness intensi-
fies suffering and makes people de-
pendent on charity. A poor year is
bound to follow a good year in bust
ness. The assessor must consider
the important question in assessing
values on this kind of property.
He also touched upon the vote of
O. town to exempt a certain business
from taxation for period if it will
locate there. He showed that while
1t is contrary to law, towns do it in
the belief that they will benefit from
this exemption. In cases of such
exemptions, however, it is well
known that boards of assessors do
not have to follow the instruction
from the town. 1t has been decided
by the courts that assessors are
State officers and cannot legally be
instructed by vote of the town. But
they generally feel that when the
town votes to exempt they are NOR
ally bound to carry it out.
The point was made by the profess
sor that in the cases of electric light,
Power and railroad companies, IL
they were compelled by law to light
their rights of way 1t would aid the
municipalities to a great extent.
Through the increase in automobiles
it is now necessary to light our
streets much better than in the past.
If electric railroads were compelled
to light their rights Of way that part
of the burden would be taken from
the towns.
The assessor in making up the
valuation has to be guided largely by
what is fair market value of
property. Often the complaint is
made that the valuation Is too high
But the cost to an owner is not
necessarily a fair measure Of Its
value.
No board of assessors Is infallible.
They make mistakes as well as do
other people. Sometimes they do not
get all property taxed. 1t is the duty
Of the taxpayer to assist assessors to
get all Of the property taxed and to
tell the assessor if he knows of any
property that through oversight has
been missed. If he does not so in
form the assessor, the taxpayer him
self will have to pay more taxes. The
local assessor should always be glad
to accept suggestions for more effl-
GENTLY carrying on their work.
f. S. Jordan of the Board OF STATE
Assessors was called upon by Presl-
dent Stetson and declared that nc
was impressed by the spirit of the
convention and the interest taken by
the assessors in the discussions.
President Stetson spoke of the Will
ingness of the Board of State Assc
sors to be of service at all times t.
the local assessors and of the value
of mutual confidence between the
state department and the local de.
partnents. He then declared the 10Th
annual convention adjourned.