The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-02-24
Correspondence Baltimore County Union
WORK FOR THE NEXT GRAND JURY
BALrIMonE ConNrY Feh 1ath 1ssa


BALTIMORE COUNTY, Feb 10TH, 1885,
Messrs. Editors AS I intimated in The
UNION last week the time for the meeting of the
Grand Jury for the March term of Court is rap
idly drawing near. The first evidence of it is the
drawing of the names of those who will consti-
tute both juries. They ere now before the pub
lie but which of them will comprise the mem
bers of the Grand Jury will not be known until
the first Monday in March, so that no estimate
can be formed or calculation made of the kind of
investigation that will be made of the books and
accounts of the Treasurer. The Grand jury for
the March term is always one of the most mpor-
tant of the year, for it is the one that meets i'm
medately before the levy is made by the County
Commissioners in May, and their report should
have an important bearing on that body. A thor
ough examination of the Treasurer's books for.
the purpose of ascertaining and reporting to the
Court and the citizens of the county its true fnan-
cial condition, the exact amount of its assets and
liabilities, will enlghten the tax payers and en-
able them to see whether the taxes cannot be re-
duced. The County Commissioners have said that
it was not required of them by law to let the peo-
pie know what the assets and liabilities of the
county are, and they have let it severely alone.
The committee OF the Grand Jury who will be ap-
pointed to investigate the Treasurer's books can
furnish the information and if they have the true
interests of the county at heart they will do it.
free, full, impartial and unbiased report from
urer himself and his polite and accommo dating
clerks would rather have such report presented
to the Court and the public than the fattering
phrases concerning them with which the reports
are sometimes CLOSED The tax payers have been
for years longing for such a report and they ear
nestly hope that the Grand Jury for the March
term will not dsappent them. The law that i'm
poses this duty upon the Grand Jury is very x
picit in its language. 1t says: at shall be the
duty of the Grand Jury at each session to appoint
from their own body committee to examine the
books and accounts of the said Treasurer, and to
report to the Circuit Court the result of such ex-
animation" The Grand Jury is not limited as to
the number it may appoint on this committee.
The committee should be commensurate with the
urgencies of the case. If there were five or
seven members on it, by judicious division of
their labors, and close application to work, thesk
will astonish even themselves at the vast amount
of work they will have done.
In looking over tho list of names drawn one
can find capable material for the work before
them. One of the gentlemen drawn, Richard f.
Maynard, ESQ was foreman of the Grand Jury
at the March term of court two years ago, and
the report of that jury is a model one in itself.
Unfortunately for the county some of its excel
lent and practical suggestions, like those of the
Grand Jury preceding the last one, still remain
Enacted upon. Their revival and reurging upon
the attention of the people may have the desired
effect
The approaching Grand Jury has been relieved
of one of the abors usually attending the Grand
Inquest for the March term, that of examining
the licenses issued during the year. That duty
has been performed by the last Grand Jury and
tabulated statement of licenses is given by dis
trcts. Their work had been anticipated for
them.
said in my last communication that there are
many things connected with the investigation of
an annual levy that might be suggested to aid the
committee in its labors The levy is the first
transaction that has connection with the Treas
urer's books, and the collections made on the levy
Of each year should be kept separate and dis
tinct from those made the levy of any other
year SO also with the disbursements. In each
levy estimates are made for two important items:
One is the discount for the prompt payment OF
taxes, and the other is an allowance for insoyent
and erroneous assessments. The first thing to be
ascertained is the amount of discount that had
been allowed to all who paid their taxes between
the first of May and the first of December. Then
the interest due and paid upon all bills collected
after the first day of January should be summed
up separately. The difference between these
amounts would be difference in favor of or
against the amount of the levy. The next item
is that of allowance for insolvent and erroneous
assessments. The Treasurer makes application
for credit with such Of these as nc has found to
be erroneous This il paper that needs the
closest examination and the fullest investigation
of the reasons which the Commissioners accept as
the bases for allowing the credit. 1t has been
said, but with what degree of truth 1 do not
know, that some of these claims had been put in
again, asking for second credit after they had
already been allowed.
If these three items are thoroughly invest
gated, there will be very little trouble in ascer-
tanning the true condition to any levy to which
they apply, and this information could be ascer-
tanned in much less than the incredibly long
period of time which the last Grand Jury Com
mittee deemed it necessary for the investigation.
An active, vigorous and intelligent committee
do it all in the time usually allowed to Grand
Juries by men of sense. We hope the Grand
Jury for the March term of court will meet the
gratitude of the public by furnishing the infor-
nation which has been kept from it SO long.