Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-08-29

ex-State's Attorney for what was Gale,
the Investigation" 1925 to the Tow
Commissioners of Port Tobacco. aud 500
for redemption Of equity bonds, maxim,
in all S3,345 "A, the county expenses ar
increased from the aggregate CT s32,97S 3
for the past fiscal year, to S3i,724 Oh fo
the current year, net increase of S1,745,
81, which causes the tax rate to be in
ere ased from 81 cents to 50 cents
We do not propose at this time to enter
into any criticism as to whether these ex
ira expenses were al justified, it is oul
present purpose only to point out thai
they were extraordinary expenses, not APP
to recur in the ordinary management o.
the affairs of the county, unless perhap.
five more OF the ten mules employed in the
road service should again go to mule
hell, this winter.
1t will be perceived also tina, notwith
sanding these extraordinary expenses
more than half of the sma I increase in the
expenses of the county is devoted to a
reduction of the county debt. While
many, and perhaps al of these extraordi
nary expenses may have been necessary
and justifyable, we have an idea thai
several Of them would not have been in
CURED, and that no reduction in the coun.
ty debt would have been inaugurated, had
1t not been for the determination of the
commissioners not to suffer the levy to have
its normal reduction to So cents, the first
year after they We're required to give an
exact account OF their stewardship.
1t is to be regretted that no statement is
made with regard to the expenditures for
insane paupers." The statement says that
the $4,000 levied for that purpose in 1883
is still in the hands of the collectors and
that, therefore, no account can be given OF
it. This insane pauper fund has been a
vexed question in this county for several
years past. In 1879 the amount levied for
that purpose was $500; but it was increas-
ed to $3.50 in 80 and in the levy of 1881 the
the sum was put up to $4,000, which has
continued in every year sisce until The
presen', when it is brought down to $1,000
The investigation committee found last
fall that the amount &C uclly paid out for
too gears preceding their investigation was
81 $3.50 So, or $685., 81 year In heir re-
port the committee said:
"We next proceeded to investigate the sum of
S., 600 the amount levied for the use of insane
for the year 1892. When it appeared
by evidence satisfactory to your Committee,
that in the year 1881 the amount of $3.50 was
levied for the support of insane paupers, but
owing to an oversight on the part of the Com
missioners and their clerk it was ascertained
that no pIovision had been made in the levy of
that year for the payment of the Grand Jurors
of that year, 80 that the above amount of $3.50
was used to pay said Grand Jurors instead of
for insane paupers as was intended and that
nothing was paid for said insane paupers for
that year. Then in the levy of 1882 the sum of
$4,000 was levied far the support of insane
paupers for the year 1881 and 1892, and lre also
find that the sum Of s 1880. 55 Das actually paid
|saring surplus Of 5000 As ,Dhich ,cas caried TO
Ae co ntingent fund as abore stated"
In the light Of these facts, it would ap
pear difficult to see why the appropriation
for insane paupers should not have been
lower than $1,000 year, and on
that account it is much to be regretted
that no statement could be had upon that
point. 1t would certainly be most desir-
able information for the tax papers to
know exactly how many insane paupers
hey now have to support, their names and
'olor, where located and how much is paid
Tor each.
There is one other point which seems to
deserve comment. In their report the in
cammittee, referring to the ju-
y fund, said: