The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-12-04
Letter from the "Upper End.o

RAYVILLE, NOV. ZILn, 1919.
1IeSSrs. Editors AS the time for the meet |
ing Of the Legislature is drawing nigh, and no |
doubt but it will be busy session, would it |
not be advisable to take time by the foreloek
and have an understanding and expression OF
the people of the county concerning what leg
isation is necessary before the Legislature
meets, and not wait until the session is half
over to see what laws they are going to pass,
and then food the county with petitions and
have bills hurried through in the last days of
tie session without mature elaboration? With
YOUR permission | will suggest few thoughts
fer the consideration of your readers and the
people of the county, generally: AS it is by
taxation that the revenues OF the county and
State are raised, we will make that the starting
point. AS the property of this county is now
assessed the burden does not rest equally upon
all When the last assessment was made farm
ing lands were selling for double what they are
at the present time. Produce OF all kinds was
high, money was plenty and the burden was
com paraively light,-the county tax Al cents,
and the school tax cents per 500. Now 1t is
quite the contrary. Property in the upper end
of the county will not sell for what 1T is assess
| ed at. Produce is low, money is scarce and
| taxes are high as everybody can see by COM
pairing the above figures with those on the bills
| for the presentyear. Quite different with prop.
| erty near the city, which has more than doubled
| in value since the last assessment. Therefore
l
to put the upper End" once more on an equal
| ity with our brethren near the city. And we
| think it would only be fair to assess all prop
erty belonging to churches or associations, that
| is not actually used for schools, cemeteries or
| public worship. AS to the mode of collecting
taxes we think they could be collected for
| smaller percentage than they are now, by pay
ing them to the Treasurer at the county seat,
and giving tho percentage to the tax payer in
reduced taxes.
Concerning the dog tax, which law was pass
ed at the lastsession, and intended for protec
tiou to sheep, and also as help to the Public
schools, we don't think either have received
much benefit from it. We hear of just as many
sheep being killed by dogs as formerly, and it
must have been an injury to the schools for the
hpS9 a9 r Sgtp d dsad higher e liz hsn present
year we have not heard of it being collected at
all neither have we heard Of the law being
enforced against any who refused to pay last
year. The Legislature should either pass an
reinforcement act" or repeal it altogether.
In the next place, we need new Registra-
ton law one that will remove all dead mems
names from the registry lists, and leave all live
mems names on the list that have not been
transferred and an election law that will allow
all men to vote who are entitled to vote, and
that will exclude all unfit persons from acting
as judges of election-such as relatives of can
ddates and all others who are personally OF
pecuniarily interested in the result of an cleo
ton. And also some safeguard against repeat
ing and ballot-box stuffing
Our county is dotted with school houses, ye
there are hundreds who do not attend school
and are growing up in ignorance, running over
the country, idlng their time away. These
are they who will help in the not far dis
tant future to mould our government. By way
Of illustration we have seen at elections before
now, men of foreign birth telling American cit
| w IN N q q tn npC
who to vote for &c. Don't that look like for
egner voting twice and an American not voting
| at all. That is just the way certain parties
would like to see things work and the soone
they can get the public schools cut of the way
the sooner the object will be accomp lished.-
+ The way to keep the schools hourishing is tt
keep the people educated, and the way to ge
them educated is to compel all of suitable ag,
. to attend school at least three months in thu
year. If all the money that the State gener
ally appropriates to sectarian institutions wa
applied to the support of the public schools
the taxes would be considerably lower, anC
there would be no i'll feeling among the differ
ent denominations because one gets larger
appropriation than another.
In regard to the pay of witnesses attending
court. Many have from three to five miles t.
: walk to the railroad, then perhaps twenty t.
twenty five miles to ride on the cars, costinI
| 81 cents per mile; then two or three miles t,
walk to the county seat, and fifty to seventy
five cents for dinner; then the same route t.
go back over again if it be fer only one day i
, for more it is so much the worse. Then tn,
pay is one dollar, if you wait for the money
but if you need it to pay your way home it il
whatever you can sell you certificate for. W,
need law allowing mileage to witnesses at
tending court, of not less than three and a hal
/ cents per mile for every mile travelled goin,
and returning. Yours truly,
! ORqEpvRR