Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-02-27
Gov. Hamilton's Bad Financiering.
From Matchmaker Adoocate.

would not save any revenue to the State, but
would do away with considerable number
of Office holders. Mr. Himlton, it would
seem, has mistaken the demand OF the people
They do not care anything about the num-
Der of office-holders, but reduction of ex-
penses and a lessening Of taxation is what
they ask. They do not want any sources Of
revenue cut off. The hay scales last year paid
$l,Tb9.60 into the State treasury, the cattle
scales 81 III 81, and tobacco inspections ac-
| cerding to the Governors figures, SIG ,734.-
| 45, whilo the grain weighers Office was self
| sustaining. Abolish these and the State would
lose the sum of sac, 1856 &C, which would
have to be madeu by increased taxation,
unless the deficit could be met by the sale of
the cattle yards and the warehouses If the
latter cannot be done, the demand is for their
continuance. as now is no time to lose rev.
enue.
The next recommendation flvors the abol-
shmest Of one of the offices of fish commits
| sioner, but as bill to that end had alread Y
been favsrably reported in the Legislature
| just why this suggestion was made is diff
| cult to understand.
The offices of Insurance Commissioner,
Land Commissioner and Mine Inspector are
| successfully condemned by his Excellsncy,
| and their abolition favored. BY abolishing
the Land Office each county would have to
| VApchu - NOubuotuDlc bum lOT uT0-pTOOI
vaults, amounting to the whole people an
expenditure Of 500, 600 or more, for the pur-
pose Of securing their land records. But the
present system is better, for land owners now
have two records kept, and it is not likely
county and the State Office would be destroy
| ed at the same time. The Insurance Commits
sionsr is no charge upon the treasury, his
salary being made out Of fees paid by insur-
ance companies, which, last year, amounted
to $1,000 in excess of his salary and expenses,
and was turned into the treasury He stands
as a protector of the people from impositions
by insurance organizations, and sees TO it that
| all are financially sound and do not palm Off
bogus reports upon them Tho Mine Inspec-
tor isa protector of underground workers
He stands between them and danger, and
guards them against srffocation from bad
ventilation and from horrible deaths by being
crushed by insecurity stayed embankments
France, Germany, Belgium and England have
| long ago realized the benefits of such a hu-
mantarian Office, and some five or six States
of this Union have thought proper to protect
their miners by the enactment of inspection
laws. 1t is upon the same principle that
boilers are inspected, and no one doubts the
wisdom of such requirements. The sum of
ST. 500 annually for mine inspection is small
consideration when the preservation of hui
man lives is SECURED.
In recommending the abolishment of the
| Office of Tax Commissioner, the Governor ar
| CUES that the Comptroller is required 10 do
| the duties imposed upon that officer. lis es-
| tablishment he regards rs uncalled for and an
| Objectionable Innovation and necessitatos
"more offices and moro official patronage"
That may be his idea, but the Governor
| again loses sight OF the fact that reduction
of taxation, not reduction OF ofiice-holders
sot NJ q 1, nv. N
missioner has increased the taxable basis
about STA, 900, 900 and the States revenue
| $24,375. The expense Of the Office s not
more than 1000, leaving clear income to
the State OF more than $40, 600. Tho Comp
| trollers Office has never been able to reach
all corporations, and this fact is reason
enough why the Office should be continued.
| Corporations who desire to escape taxation
would gladly see the Office abolished, but il
| is TO the interest OF taxpayers to have il
| maintained.
The oyster navy is regarded as a very ex-
| travagant institution. The Governor does
not wish il abolished, but suggests the force
be cut down and the salaries reduced. lie in
dulges in some fancy regarding its political
power, which would be just as applicable to
the office OF Governor AS to the oyster police.
The Legislative printing is too great in the
| Governors estimation, and he believes that
the publication OF some documents could be
dispensed with and the number OF copies OF
Others be reduced but ii is quite probable
that the Legislature knows as much about
its requirements MS the Governor does, and
will give bat little consideration to this part
of his message As to the number of copies
printed, If Mr. Hamilton knows anything of
printing, and he should know before he es-
says TO speak on the subject, he knows that
| the prpnt cost in quch wnrk nc In ao;sla
ture requires is consequent upon the type set-
ting The press-work and paper are small
matters in comparison to it, and two hundred
copies Of bill would cost but little more than
fifty. There were one thousand copies OF his
message printed. That number was not re-
quired for the Legislature, but one thousand
cost but little more than two hundred, and
the members will send the extra ones to their
constituents, just as they send other docu-
ments.
Thirty thousand dollars for publishing the
laws to the people is an immense waste ac-
cording to the Governors views, and he ad-
vocatcs a repeal of the acts requiring it, and
observes that "the people and the State got
along in all time without it, before 1865, and
there is no occasion for it nown Our British
ancestors "got along" with dirt floors 10 their
houses and had no fire. places aud no windows
to them. They squatied around a fire in the
centre OF the dirt floor and the smoke escaped
through an aperture in the roof Later they
'got along" without carpets upon their
hdors, but made some progress in civilization
by strewing PUSHES upon them. They "got
along" many years without the printing press,
but they would not get along without it now
They did without the mariners compass, but
would not dispense with it now The people
and the State "got along without steam
boats, railroads, telegraphs, but that is no
reason why they should be laid aside. The
people "got along" for many years without
Sabbath schools, public schools and I'll c thous-
and and one Institutions for the improvement
OF mankind, but is that any reason why they
should he abolished? Because the people
''got along" without the publication OF the
laws prior to 1865, is no reason why they
should dispense with it now. The people are
obliged 10 obey the laws, and how can they
be expected to do so II they are kept in ignor.
ance Of their provisions
The Legislative expenses are also regarded
as too great, and in this the Governor is cor
| rect. The per diem of the employees is the
same rs that OF the members, and reduction
ought to be made.
The cutting off OF appropriations to agri-
cultural societies is recommended. The Gov
eraor says that these appropriations cannot
be defended upon any sound principle Grant
~. theu why ulu ne not 20 fufthef ana re-
commend the Withholding OF appropriations
TO colleges and academies2 Both are made
upon the same principle OF benefit 10 the peo-
pie. The one encourages and assists the az
riculturisi the other encourages and assists
the school teacher The one adds wealth to
the State, and the other increases knowledge
After expressing qualification at the repeal
of the bounty laws the Governor passes to
the collection Of taxes, aud sugges,s that
each county have but one collector. This
mode OF collecting might he somew hat cheap
er, but the State aud county would lose rev
enue. The collectors every year assess new
property, thereby increasing the revenue
which could not be done by one collector. II
we had assessors, one collector would do.
The message advocates sweeping changes
without any benefit 10 the people. Revenue
would be lost by adopting the suggestions
contained in II, and the people would be len
TO the impositions of Insurance companies.
dangers OF mine disasters and TO grope in tx.
norance as to the laws. The oyster interest
would go unprotected aud giant corporations
would escape taxation. A few o. the recom-