The Baltimore County union., 1883-02-03
CoTrsspeadsHee Baifimosc CoHHty Union.
COUNTY BooK-KEEPINo

BALTIMORE COUNTY BOOK KEEPING.
Ms..r.. Editor. .-fhs Grand Inquest for the
December term has adjourned aud through their
committee Of three have made officially known TO
the court the result Of their findings In the Offices
OF the Commissioners aud Treasurer. Ia short,
they will take employment ard pay for year 10
work the miHs. The committee consider Il the
height Of "PresHHpiioa bordering on aJssriiiy"
for taxpayer or the Representatives Of tax.pay.
ers 10 ask them 90 report the facts under OATH
That their report was both ordered up and cooked
10 believed. This 10 the opinion aud iud sment Of
more than one Taxpayer In the county.
We submit 10 the readers Of THE USIoS this
point; What would you expect 10 get out Of a
barrel headed aud hoopad up with the kind of
timber this committee was composed Off Here II
Is; One Of the three Is a Justice Of the Peace.
son Of road supervisor tappointcd by the COun-
~ Commissionersl; the other two live IN the SANE
district where County COmmis ssioner IL domicied.
One L. a near neighbor and friend of said Com.
missioner. lie plays clerk to the judges Of cleo.
tion Of his precinct, when wanted, and would like
10 have been register Of voters. but the Senate
Of Maryland said "No." The other l. connected
with n coopering factory In the same Commission
er's district; his father ono Of the Comnis-
sioncrs for several years; he, himself. has been
tax collector and has had considerable dealings
with several county Treasurcrs, and at this time
IL holding believe, the oticc of assistant regis.
ter of voters for his district.
These gentlemen say Il would require year.
have no doubt they would all want aud take
pay for the year las they did not refuse take Il
for the twenty four days OF the term.l II they
want another job here Il l. Set the Chesapeake
bay on Ere with your brilliant talents, aud should
you find box Of matches necessary your order
for them. At sight, will be honurcl. SO much for
the Grand Inquest.
The following Is our statement and estimate:
Tho statement Of lsS2, made by the Spc.
|. cial Auditor, for disbursements for
station house aud Gre department,
gives these figures .........S q. .Sig.5O
The amt. Of County Treasurer's check,
dated Aug. 80, ISS9, to J. =. Morri.
son, telegraph contractor. S.si3.O0
Now add our estimate for running ex-
pepses. ae.. eight months. say from
May -, lsS2. to Jan. -, lSS3. atSl,
200 per month. These figures. We be-
lieye. are much under the actual
monthly charges. and perhaps $500
per month is nearer. (but We prefer 20
be inside.l and you have for the eight
months 100000
But " the thing IL seontinued until the
next levy. then Il l. fair to estimate
for three additional months at 81, 200
per month, and this is.................. 100000
Total $50 80
October 81, lSS2, there was fastened on TO the
Jumbo" eighteen mcn and eighteen horses for
pay and feed. How many Tei.tape officials be-
sides ut tina, date the writcs does not know.
Ny estimate and figures based on the bang.
mp idca-pay as you go: but say we have the
evidence that this il no, done. The bills some
times 20 ever for three months. IL the figures
6i.ss6.30 for the year are not corrcc, they are
believed to be motcl We challenge proof to the
contrary.
The Commissioners, for isSs. estimated and
levied but $50 900 20 run this institution. and at
the close Of the year they will find deficiency be.
tween their estimate and the actual cost of less
than S3l, ,SSG.5O. We again ask the question We
did some weeks ago, how. or out Of what monies
have you paid this enormous deficiency? l. IL
out Of the iap.ss fund.- or are the various appro-
PriatiOns being milked and squeezed? II must
be one or the other.
II Is a bad beginning. proven beyond a doubt.
that green eountrymen must not fool with city
ornaments. II Is a dangerous and too costly an
institution for the payers of the county To have
IL into their pockets thus. for there l. where
il Is, and the entire taxable basis has to stand Il.
Can the county afford it cay ne. hut let the
people have their say.
The gross estimated expense. for lSS2 f.ec the
leyy) was S35s .0O3. less n credit of $4,000. Net
estimate required for the year lsSs. 1922 2.00O.-
And here il a thing that will have absorbed a
fraction Of one 9th Of the entire levy for the cur.
rent year. to say nothing about police lamps aud
the proportion Of expenses for roads. sch los, aims
house and the court Of justice. II /. astounding.
l. il for the use Of the people or is IL for political
buns,
The city of ST. Louis Is laid cut on a much
larger scale than the city Of baltimore and the
Belt section. containing. IL IL said. abou; three
times the territory. and their FIRE department re-
port for the year 1888 says the entire oC the
department was only $4,000 for the year
Our Baltimore city cousins appear 10 understand
this IRE department business and its economies
better than we do. il We take their reports for
1859, ls60 and lsGl. They used steam engines
and hooks aud ladders. Their report, dated Jan.
Is, 1859. see pages 800. 32i, 3?i and a2j,) give
these figures for lsjs:
The amount to be paid First Baltimore Hose
Company for the steamer alpha" in.
eluding horses tender, fuel hose, tool,
To the Vigilant Fire Company for steamer
COMET" including horses, tender, tools,
nose. @6"o
To the Washington Fire Company for steam
er "liome, including horses.tender,h hose,
TOOLS 900
To the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company
No. !, for the apparatus Of that company,
consisting Of two trucks, with all the
necessary ladders, hooks and other i'm
plctnenis of service. ................ 900
Now, after the above purchases, the city 10 ls5s
was the owner Vf six steam Engines besides hook
and ladder trucks. and the rcp0r, Of the FIRE CON.
mssioncrs says that for the year ISIS the running
expenses wcro only s32.i3l.li. Just Saijsi above
the estimated deficiency of the county, Ia the
same report they estimate that the department
VIII require 10 run ~. all told. but Sl1 ,Juh. The
repor; for the year lS6o. page III, shows that
si7. 500 did not foot the bills for the year 1882
but sjo.iS3..i did. aud they were free Of debt
The same report also says that an additional
steam engine was purchased. 50 that the depart.
ment then had seven, their stock Of horses was
thirty FIVE and there were ninety Eve men on the
pay rolls Of the DEP artment. Every man on the
force was drawing a salary and liable 20 lose his
place for misconduct. - says the report.
The same report for lSGi shows that tho Office
Of chief engineer. with two assistants, was created.
and they estimate for the running expenses Of the
department. in fact for everything. at S53. 100.
In reports Of the city IRE department prior to
ls6i the facts fully set out and plainly stated,
but for that and the next year the reports are
gotten up on tho rcd.tape. buckram and tony
style, very much like our owa county's. Now,
reader, you have the facts before you. Let our
county friends read and reflect on them. II il
they who pay for the whistle and not the tax
eaters, and IL you can stand such exiravagance.
say so. In my next the telegraph job will be
In order. II.
Politics In the State.
A Baltimore Herald reporter a few days ago. in