The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-11-06

expenses OF the year, to levy so large an
amount, and assumed the responsibility of
limiting our estimate to the three particular
items of current expenses which we con-
sidered 1t OF greatest Importance to provide
in advance for, viz: the expenses OF the
Aims House, General Repairs of Roads, and
Pay Of Witnesses in State cases; these
three items alone req uiring IA levy OF SO 800.
The amount levied for the support of
Public Schools was aSccrtained by estimate
OF the school Commissioners to be nece ssary,
ana was accordingly provided for in ODE
dicnce to the Act of Assembly creating said
schools, which gives US no discre tionary
lower.
There arc some smaller, unusual sums
lnciuded in the Levy, to which we may refer
in this conneXion, viz the allowances for
County Map, $20o the salary of Inspector
OF weights and Measures, $50; and the
increase in the account of the Maryland
Hospital for the Insane, Of $40. This last
Item was made necessary by an Act Of AS
sembly increasing the charge for each in
mate from 500 to $3.50 per annum.
The Inspector of Weights and Measures,
according to the Act Of 1925, chap. BOG,
should be appointed annually. No such
appointment has been made, however, within
the last ten years, and il is obvious that in
that length Of time, and without proper sur
u
i'll Weights and Measures must occur, which
it is the interest Of the public to have cor
rected. The salary levied is less by 500,
than was allowed the last person appointed
to that office.
On the strength of applications made by
the petition of various citizens of the county.
and knowing the usefulness of such a work
as guide to Commissioners in determining
applications for new roads, as we'll as from
fin IL.
complete Il map Of the county as possible,
we ordered for levy the sum named above,
Tor this purpose, after first convincing our
selves, by personal examination, and the
reference OF the worl; to committee of three
competent gentlemen, that by its general
correctness, it was deserving Of the encour.
agcment asked for. A number of copies for
the use Of the different county Offices are to
be supplied free Of cost to the county, in con-
slderation OF the amount levied.
Another item Of the levy claims some
notice as unusually large the present year,
VIZ: the balance to meet insolvenccs and
incidental expenses. 1t will be seen that
this balance is about 5000 greater than for
either Of the last two years. We made it I
thus large owing to the great accumulation OF
IrlVate Securities on the Assessment Book,
held by, and assessed to, non-rcsidents,
from whom it is, i'll nine cases out Of ten,
Impossible to collect the taxes charged to
them. The increase in this single item Of
the assessments for the present year, amounts
to over Sl42,G00, large part Of which is
taxed to non-residcnts. Whether the pay
ment Of these taxes can be compelled or not
is Il question to be determined by legal pro-
cess. In the present unsettled condition of
1t we are compelled to provide thus heavily
Tor the non-payment of large amount Of tax
on TINS species OF property.
The recapituation Of the amounts thus
referred to as unusual in u county levy, or
beyond our control as Commissioners, is as
follows, viz:
The aggregate amount first sta
ted above as unusual, or be- S9,407 90
yond our control,
The levy for support Of Public 20, M
Schools, ''o-t w
The levy for ore fourth of ..
years expenses, in advance, { ''ooo w
The allowance for county map, 200 90
The salary of Inspector or ,.ooo
Weights and Measures, low
The increase in account of Md
Hospital, 30 w
The unusual amount of levy for ooo 40
balance to meet inSolyeuces ooV w
Making total Of S2375e 90
To which should properly bel
added the expense Of collect ~,
ing this unusual sum, which, l'1-o y"
at per cent. is
Making the large aggregate of SO ,lSl 90
which of itself would require rate of 81
cents, nearly, in the 500, on the amount of
property liable to county taXaton thus re-
ducihG the levy for the ordinary expenses of
the year (Which includes all The Special An
int ia f,,r Pr,
cents in the Sl0n.
Such rate Of tax for ordinary charges, we
think, must he acknowledged as very light,
when 1t is considered that, while the average
appropriations for repairs Of roads for the
six years ending with 1853, (w!.en the old
system OF road supervision expired, was but
5000, the average rate Of tax was 40 cents
in the 500; and now, when The appropra.
IONS Tor the same purpose, amount, as per
this years levy. to Sl32l3 or SS,Ol3 more.
the rate OF tax for usual charges is but 80
cents in the 500.
Neither lime or space will permit us to
refer, in this Report, to any of the Special
Appropriations for Roads and Bridges, eX-
cept the largest and most important OF them,
VIZ the allowance for repairing road from
Port Deposit to Row landsvile, via GriGee's
x Roads the allowances for Bridge and
Causeway at TX Landing, and for Bridge
over McCary's Run, in the LIST DISTRICT
When we say in regard to the last named
allowance, that the Bridge thus provided for,
with another built in the LIST District, last
year, at an expense of $447. are the only
bridges built in that District for many years,
we think we offer reasons sufficient for our
compliance with the request, by petition, of
the citizens Of that heavy tax paying part OF
the county.
The projected new road from Elk Landing
to connect with the Turkey Point road, in
volvlng the construction of a bridge and
causcway near Elk Landing, has twice been
pettioned for by a large number of RESPONSE
BILE and taX-paying citizens Of the 3rd and 9Th
Districts. Our predecessors appointed En-
aminers to determine its proprety, on the
strength OF applications made to them for
that purpose, who, after a thorough investi-
CATION and consideration Of its claims, re-
ported unanimously in its favor, urging, with
unusual force many arguments in support Of
their conclusions. 1t was deemed ineXpe-
dlcnt, however, at that time to incur the
expense of the proposed Improvement. The
application was renewed to us, signed by 297
cilZenS, and Examiners were again appoint
ed, who again reported in favor Of the new
road. The principal reasons urged in favor
OF the Improvement were, the growing i'm
portance Of Elk Neck to the county as an
improving agricultural district the lack of
existing facilities Of travel to and from the
county town; the serious Inconvenience TO
which the people Of Elk Neck, and those
having business on the old road, were sub
jected by reason Of the disadvantageous
81 81, r.