The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-09-26
TaxpaEers' Meeting.


TO order, said he was sorry 10 see such a small
attendance of taxpayers, but there was one ex-
cuse, namely, that this is very busy season with
farmers. He said il was mistake TO suppose
this movement was an effort to make war on the
Democratic party. The taxpayers did not come
together rs partisans or to break down any par
ty The movement was mere matter of politi
cal economy. Instead of desiring to break up
the Democratic party they planted themselves on
| the very principles of the Democratic party
which it has professed ever since lie knew t.
the principles of rcrcnchment and REFORM The
Democratic state convention had promulgated
that doctrine, which is the same he protested
| and the Democratic candidates recently nomina
| ted in Hartford county had re-allirmed the same
principles in Il paper to which their signatures
| were appended, and which the speaker read
| As for himself he intended to vote for some if
not all the candidates nominated by the Demo
| Gratis. He believed they held the same views
he did on the subject of reform and retrcnchment,
| and he had great confidence in some of them and
believed they would do what they protested to be
earnest in doing.
The taxes ofthc county and State had become
onerous and oppressive and ought to be largely
diminished. 1t is an easy matter to increase sal
aries and expenses, but difficult to reduce them.
| If taxpayers expect to have taxes reduced by
| staying at home and doing nothing they will be
| greatly mistaken. The opposition to reduction
of taxes will not be overcome very easily That
| opposition would come from the office holders,
and if you strike at one you strike at all. In adj
dition to these are the ofiice-scekers We cannot
| expect much support from them, because since
| they expect to get the offices and the saa-
ries, they are also opposed to any reduction. Be-
sides these there are the hangers-on, who feed on
the crumbs that fall from the rich mans table
and are consequently interested in keeping the
table well supplied The work of reducing tax
es is arduous, and can only be done by energy,
| concert of action and continuous effort.
| At the meeting of taxpayers held on the 4th of
| August last committee was appointed to inves-
tigatc the affairs of the county. In dividing the
labors of this committee the duty was assigned to
him of nquiring into the general financial affairs
ofthc county and to take into consideration what
legislation other remedies, if any, are necessa-
ry and proper to reduce the county expenses and
to make report thereon, which.he proceeded to
do From an examination OF the books of the
commissioners he found that there was due from
tax collectors, on the nth Of September, $40 6l3
81, with interest. By law the collectors are re-
Il qurcd to pay the county taxes within six months
after they receive from the Clerk of the Commits
Sioners "a copy OF the assessment, or rate OF tax
cs assessed " land any collector who shall fail to
perform his duties as directed in this section shall
be liable to prosecution, and on conviction shall
be fined not less than 500 nor more than $780,
The school tax is payable on the 10th of Octo-
Der, 10th of January, 18th of March and 25th of
June, but il has not been paid, and the school
commissioners have been obliged to bring suits
on the bonds of several of the collectors, and TO
pay an attorney five per cent. commissions out of
the public money to force collectors to pay mon
ey which they ought to have collected and paid,
and for which they had already received their
commissions for collecting. Judge Price figured
out the Indebtedness of the county, exclusive of
the levy of 1879, including school bonds now due
and not levied for, at S52,G3G.ri.
The diem and mileage of the commission
ers amounts for 1879 to Sl,29G. l0-thc per diem
being So, and mileage 10 cents per mile.
| The amount levied for roads in 1850, in the levy
of 1879 is $14500 but it appears that portion
of this sum, amounting to S5,552.4S has already
been expended upon roads, transportation for
the fifth district for 1880 being already nearly cX-
hausted.
The county is payngs 81. % per day often hours
for work upon the roads, and no person or cor
poration in the county is paying more than 81
| per day for such work. The speaker had been
informed that there are now thee good men, of
means and ability, residing in the fifth district,
who are willing to mend all the roads in that dis.
| trict, and oblige themselves by bonds with good
security to keep the same in good order for p
per cent. less than the county commissioners pay
J | the present year
Judge Price thoughta better plan would be to
divide all the roads into small sections and let
them to the lowest bidders, according to the
Cecil county PLAN Although this plan would
be better than ours he felt confident that what
, is known as the "Local County Government
| Systcmn would be much better than either. BY
this system the county is divided into small dis
tricts say four five miles square, and the roads,
f schools, poor and liquor licenses are under the
management and control of the people in their
district or their appointccs.
In making these examinations Judge Price
| stated that the Clerk to the Commissioners and
the Secretary of School Board had given every
assistance in their power and free access to the
books and vouchers, and by their help greatly
facilitated the examinations.
The affairs of the School Commissioners had
also been examined by the committee, and the
answers TO certain questions relating TO the
school bonds, &c, were freely given by the
Secretary to the school board.
l In summing up the ways and means by which
, the taxes could be reduced Judge Price made
the following suggestions:
| LIST. Abolish the present road system and adopt
the Cecil county plan, as before stated.
81. Open no new roads and change the location
of none of the old ones without requiring the pc
ttioners to pay onc-half of the damages costs and
expenses attending the opening or changing the
, | location of all roads.
Sd. Require the petitioners for new roads to pay
agree to pay the cost of notice, summons, survey
[ and plat before any examiners are appointed
These three things Judge Price thought the
Commissioners can now do, if they think proper
without farther legislation.
4th. Reduce the salaries and fees OF State ant
county officials to correspond with the change in
!, | the times.
9th. the trial by jury should, think, be abolish
ed in all petty larceny cases and in all the lower
grades of misdemeanors, and in all civil cases
where the matter in dispute does not exceed 800
| This would greatly diminish the expenses of the
court and at the same time, think, secure bette
, administration of justice according to law.
9th. The Registration law, think should be re
, $1,000 per year, and without any corresponding
benefit.
collecting the county and State taxes than the
present, would be to authorize the Clerk of The
. | County Commissioners to actas County Treasurer
and receive all taxes and money due the county ant
pay all claims against the county; and require hin
to keep cash book or cash account, subject at al
| times to public inspection, and balanced each day
in which shall be entered all the moneys received
by him and from whom and for what received, ant
also all payments made by him and to whom ant
5 for what paid and allow every taxpayer reduc
ton of per cent on his taxes if paid on or before
certain day and If not paid by that day, then the
| taxes of all denquentS be placed in the hands Of
the collectors, who shall be required to collect the
: same as now required by law, together with such
commissions and costs asis by law allowed sherifs
| on executions.
sth. Repeal the act requiring the publication OF
| the county expenses.
, 9th. Fix by law particular and reasonable fee
for every service to be rendered by the Clerk of
0 the Court and Sheriff, and prohibit them from
charging for any other service notspecihed in said
10th. Pay tho states Attorney a fixed salary and
require him to act as counsel to the County Com
missioners and to the Public School Commissioner.
and superintend and enforce the collection of thu
| county taxes.
| q general index of all judgments and DEGREES.
18th. Require the county and the school commits
sioners to have their printing done, wherever
| practicable, by contract and given to the lowest
| bidder.
18th Have three County Commissioners in place
of five.
18th. Appoint standing committee of % persons
, to have charge of the interests of taxpayers tC
| meet from time to time to devise ways and means
| for the reduction of county and State expenses.
Major A. NJ Hancock, whose attention had
| been given to the accounts of sheriffs, the cost