Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-12-26
Correspondence.
ko1. The GriLial

10 The Commissioners Of ANega'y County.
GENTLEMEN Il am one amongst the
Oldest tax payers in the county, you will
therefore, | hope, pardon me for taking the lib.
erty to make few suggestions to you touch
ing the highly important duties which will
deyove on you as the tax levying agents of
the people of tho county. Heavy burthens
will be thrown on the tax payers of every
loyal State in the Union, in order TO enable
the General Government TO resist and put
down the reasonable efforts of the Southern
rebels. 1t is the duty of Maryland. as it will
certainly be her pride and ambition, to con-
tribute, with no parcimonious spirit, her just
proportion Of these burthens. In order to
enable her citizens to meet, withou. serious
embarrassment, these reasonable demands,
and at the same time, pay the ordinary coun-
ty expenses, will require the introduction Of
rigid system Of retrencLment and economy
in all of our local levies. Thousands of dol
lars can be saved in this way, and thus cna-
bic our tax payers to meet, without much in
convenience, their part of the National tax.
Let any man take up the last official state
ment of our County Commissioners, as pub
lshed IN the Cumberland papers, and he will
be convinced that much can be saved to the
county without the slightest detriment to the
public service. To begin with the Clerk to
the Commissioners. Three hundred and
twenty-five dollars were levied for his salary,
and fifty dollars for his room rent. Why
levy fifty dollars for the Clerks room rent
when the Commissioners Office, at the Court
House, is tho proper place for the Clerk and
the books Of the Commissioners, at all times
to be found, l cannot imagine. A gentle
man, in every respect honest faithful and ca
pablc Of performing all Of the duties of that
office, can easily be obtained for two hundred
dollars. Let the Commissioners just say to
the different eager applicants for the Clerk
ship, that they will only allow two hundred
dollars, and my word for it, the number of
applicants will not be lessenod.
Tho annual levy for the Deputy States
Attorney, has generally been more than
double the amount allowed by law In truth
the Commissions have no right to levy one
cent beyond the fees fixed by law, except in
some extraordinary cases, and then they have
a discretionary power say not one word
against lawyers as a class they are all hon
orablc men, so far as know them but why
they should be so much better paid for their
services than any other class OF individuals,
never could divine.
Let any man look at the last lcvics that
were made for the Aims House, and he will
be fully convinced that the expense of keep
ing up that humane establishment, has be-
come most griecously oppressive to our tax
payers, and should not be borne by them
Add to the expenses Of the Aims House, the
amount that is levied for the support of "out
door pensioners and the Imagination Of the
most phllanthropic, will be startled at the
gross amount that the support of the poor in
the county costs us. That gross extravaganza
or msmanasement,h has crept into these dis
bursemcnts, somewhere, there can be but lit
tie doubt, and demands on the part Of the
Commissioners, u searching examination of
the accounts in detail, so as to see if the ex-
penses for the support of the poor and desti-
.ute of the county cannot be lessened. at
ZACH blame to no one, but thiLk it will be
'ound that we can have the poor that are in
he house, supported at much less expense
n any of our most fashionable hotels, than it
,osts us to keep them in our county poor
house, as at present managed.
But above and beyond all other words of
ust complaint, on the part of our tax payers,
$ the present mode of collecting the State
nd County Taxes. At present one individ-
lal is appointed the Collector for the whole
cunty-the levy list OF taxables is placed in
lis hands. He collects whatever is convent
mt for him to obtain-that which he has
allied to collect, he returns to the Commits
toner's, as Lnsolrent, and claims the same per
entagc on his list of Insolvents, as he obtains
or collecting the money from those who have
'aid their taxes,-and the Commissioners Of
ate years, ! understand, have allowed the
collector the same commission for that which
be Collector does not collect, AS they allow
i'm for that which no actually collects. Thus
'hen the collector is paid as much for not
ollecting us be is paid for collecting. he is
Are not to put himself to any extraordinary
.ouble to look after. hunt up aud enforce the
ayment of all taxes due. This system has
:tually grown into perfect grievance and
suits in a loss of an enormous sum to our
Ix-ridden citizens. and the people now look
|, our newly elected Board of County Com.