The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-11-19
Local Miscellany.-The School Commits

Local Miscellany.-The School Commits
sioners will meet in their Office in Elkton,
on Tuesday, the 10Th inst.
The exhibition at Westamwell, on Thurs
day afternoon last, passed off pleasantly.
The children acquitted themselves in a
manner alike creditable to themselves and
the school, affording pleasant entertain
ment. The attendance was good, but,
owing to the low admission, we fear the
proceeds will be insufficient for the purpose
intended.
Extra services will commence in the
Elkton NJ. E. Church tomorrow, Sunday
evening. Services appropriate to the occa-
sion will also be held in the same church
Oh Thursday morning next, and a special
meeting at night. We presume the other
churches of the town will also observe
Thanksgiving Day, in an accordance with
the Governors proclamation.
City Living.-The following article which
we copy from Ecery Sat,ry, will apply to
some of the country towns as well as to
the city. Every year the abuse increases,
of taxing the property-holders more and
more heavily to squander the money on
some work of no benefit whatever to the
public, but merely to make living for
favorites. Look at the money which has
been wasted the present year in Elkton.-
A tax has been assessed upon the property
holders of 30 cents on the 800, more than
one-third of the county, State and school
tax, and what property has been benefited
to the value of dime by it? But here is
the article referred to:
"The census has shown lis that the great
cities have not, with few exceptions
increased in population in the same ratio
as our small towns and newer settlements.
The explanation of this is simple enough.
In city where the prices of coal, gas, ice,
meat, ETC., are regulated by monopolies,
the poor man finds it difficult to keep his
expenses within the bounds of his earnings :;
and when in additiod to this he is made by
a wasteful and incompetent city govern
ment to pay as many dollars for taxes as it
used to cost him for rent, why, he naturally
moves away. That immense numbers of
people-people whose industry is as valua-
BILE as real estate-are being crowded from
our cities is plainly to be seen. A writer
in the New York Times hits the nail on
the head when he says Every one is
disappointed at the census returns of our
city but ought they to be SO when they
reflect on the number of people who have
been obliged to leave it from necessity -
And this class is on the increase. Houses
are for sale or to rent in every street whole
rows are unoccupied near the Central Park !;
subsistence costs four times as much as it
does in Europe and in Montreal. We have
boulevards and an excessively large park
for the benefit of spectators, but scarcely
any large markets or good docks for the
encouragement Of commerce. We have
cliques and monopolies in ice, in milk,
bread, marketing, street-Openings, now
pavements, altering street lamps, etc. A
million for altering street lamps is nearly
the sum it requires to govern the town of
Liverpool, with ten times our commerce.
Our houses are taxed 1922 for wooden
pavement, and the cost is about $50. Such
state of things did not exist between the
years 1890 and 1860, and our foreign COM
merce, that which is essential to the growth
of a seaport, is less now than it was in
1860 Montreal and New Orleans are
increasing unelr 1T Ille expense
of New York. Liverpool has miles on
miles of docks, crowded with ten times as
much shipping as New York, yet a twenty
five foot house can be rented equal to $500
a year, or about the sum required for our
city tax. Our city lots grow in value, but
not in revenue. Seventy-two lots are now
considered cheap at million and ahalf, yet
they produce no more revenue now than
they did i'll the year 1850, when they were
sold for fifteen thousand dollars The
population is not likely to increase in city
where this state of things obtains. The
picture is sorry one, and the writer in
the Times has a frank way of lamenting !;
but if he wants neat, grinding tax on his
real estate, let him come to Boston, where
man can scarcely repaint his front door,
without having the xaluation of his prop
erty marked up on the books of the assessor
Remember, the above is a picture of
Democratic New York.