50 BOARD OF AQRICULTURE. . 



amount divided by 626,915,* (population in 1870) gives $9.68 for 

 every man, v?oman at)d child in the State 



That we may justly recognize our own position in this matter 

 with relation to that of the citizens of other States, it may be of 

 interest to compare the taxation per capita in Maine with that of 

 some of our sister States. The following exhibit of taxation in 

 several States is taken from the "Report of the Commissioners 

 to Revise the Laws for the Assessment and Collection of Taxes," 

 for the State of New York, in 1871 : 



"Vermont. — Population (census 1870,) 330,552; aggregate tax- 

 ation, 1870, (State, county and school taxes official, town taxes 

 estimated,) $1,750,000; taxation per capita, $5.29." 



"Ohio. — Population (census 1870,) 2,662,214 ; aggregate taxa- 

 tion, 1869, $22,232,877 ; taxation per capita, $8.72." 



"New York. — Population (census of 1870,) 4,364,375 ; aggre- 

 gate of taxation, $50,328,684; taxation per capita, $11.55." 



"Massachusetts. — Population (census 1870,) 1,457,351 ; aggre- 

 gate taxation, $21,922,569 ; taxation per capita, $14.35." 



The above States undoubtedly represent the extremes and 

 approximately the mean of per capita taxation of the different 

 States. It will be perceived that the direct taxation per capita in 

 Maine is less than the average for these four States. A per capita 

 tax, however, of $9 68, represents only about one-half the actual 

 tax per capita of our population, provided the people of this State 

 pay proportionally with the people of the other States to the 

 revenues of the federal government. As these I'evenues, however, 

 are derived chiefly by indirect taxation, they do not enter into the 

 problem of revenue to be raised annually by the different States, 

 and hence for the present purpose may be disregarded. 



Notwithstanding the high rate of taxation to which our people 

 have subjected themselves during the last decade, it ia gratifying 

 to note the constant and substantial growth of wealth and pros- 

 perity. In 1860, the valuation of Maine was $162,158,581 ; in 

 1870, $224,822,860; and in 1873, $242,808,688. During the 

 decade from 1860 to 1870, the increase in valuation was about 

 35| per cent. ; from 1870 to 1873, about .08 per cent. Carrying 

 forwaid the rate of increase proportionally, the valuation of the 

 State cannot be less than 255 millions, and is probably greater 

 than 260 millions of dollars, conceding the method of determining 



* Very Dearly correct for the present date. 



