The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-03-26
The Egis& Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, March 26, 1856.


We sec by the proceedings of the Legislature
at Annapolis thai the Mary land Central ltalroad
corporation asks to be exempted from taxation
for ten years TO come. A compliance with their
request would be very queer legislation. taking
into consideration the present condition of the
counties which would have to pay the taxes for
this road for the next ten years. Tho plea is
that the road is not making any money and can
not pay the interest on its Indebtedness.
Notice the farmers of Hartford and Baltimore
counties, who are prime pay expected to pay
making any money?
Are they not losing money with wheat at eighty
cents, corn at Iorty cents a bushel and all other
farm produce proportionatey low? Many far
mers are being sold out because of inability to
pay interest on IN rtgages. What farmer in
eighty and corn at forty cents per buShel2 Yet
they are not sending lobbyists to the Legislature
TO procure them exemption from taxation.
The laws of Maryland require all persons To
pay taxes in proportion to the cash value of
their property, but, some ow or other, clever
and no est men, who are quite well to do in this
world and would not on any account apply to
either the State Legislature or to the County
Commiss oners of their respective counties to be
pensioued in The ordinary way, are ready, as
soon as they become members of corporation,
to ask for pensions or subsidies in the indirect
plea is that the property they desire to have ex-
empted is useful to the public. hat seems but
ed With the taxes Of individuals who are o amply
aule to pay their own debts. Are not the p Ibic
useful to the corporation? Man is generally
Useful to his fellow man and the various kinds
of business are usually useful to each other.
The public should only be called on to pay in
dvdual's taxes for charitable purposes Many
of our aboring men, many good mechanics,
honestly and ihdustriously strugg ing to pay in
terest on mortgages on the Ii tie homes that
shelter their wives and children from the storms,
never ask the public 10 pay their taxes. heir
manhood would be insulted if the Legislature
heavy debts and hoping for better times is the
common lot Of many persons besides the bond
holders of the Maryland Central Railroad, and
we truly wish they may all speedily realize their
best hopes.
=, Not long since, man applied to the County
commissioners to have an abatement Tor horse,
valued at $50, that he had lost. After his request
was complied with, he was informed that the
abatement Of $50 for the horse reduced his as
sessment below the taxable amount of property.
He said, THAT will not do charge me with an
additional cow. wi ! go and buy one. | shall
feel mea ;l II pay no taxe< II little of that
men in Ma yland who own the various corpora
tions Of the State our basis of taxable property
would be emo mously enlarged and the great
public would be largely benefited.
We are very proud of the Maryland Central
Railroad and earnestly wish il success in all its
righteous EFFORTS for fortune and prosperity. 1t
is unquestionably great public convenience |
and rghtfully charges for all its accommoda- |
tions.
In consequence of the flood of last August |
taxes in Hartford will be high for some years to
come. even under the good management of our
incl igent ana worthy commissioners. Besides |
the expense of the di' astrous flood, the county |
has had to spend eight or nine thousand dollars |
within the last two years opening new roads and |
building bridges most of it spent last year, to !
accommodate the people in getting to The Mary |
land Central Railroad.
Mr.. Robert Garrett, who is a very experienced |
investor of money and knows just where to |
place 1t so that it may do the most good and |
who is now enjoying an enormous fortune (ru- |
NOR says twenty millions or moreD has recently |
paid one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for |
about one-fourth interest in the Maryland |
Central Railroad bonds. Now, recollecting that |
Mr.. Robert CARROTS father, the late reve ed |
and honorable John w. Garrett. schooled his |
son In railroad business from his you up, we |
are forced to believe that Mr.. Robert Garrett |
his money in the Maryland Central Railroad. At |
the rate Mr.. Garrett paid for his interest, the |
road is worth S600,000 Yet the road is only as |
sessed in Hartford county at $1,000 per mile, at |
only valued at 500 900 for assessment. We think |
Baltimore county and Hartford county assessed |
the road at about the same rate, and it is surely
a very low one. small sum, indeed when we |
remember that the officials under whom it was |
constructed claimed that 1t cost fifteen or six |
teen thousand dollars per mile. The tax rate on |
the Maryland Central Railroad is much below |
the tax rate of farms in Hartford county, as our |
farms frequently sell for less than their assessed
value.
In Hartford county there are 23A miles of the |
Maryland Central Raj road, assessed ut S11I,500
For the next ten years fair estimate OF our |
county taxes will be seventy-fve cents on the |
$780,. Now, at that rate, in ten years the taxes
$8,8l2.50. The raj road company mus pay that
money or the public must pay it Let our dele
gates In the Legislature say which shall pay.
The delegates from Hartford are practical, eX-
perienred men, of good sense and understand |
BUSH ess principles. Their well-known courage |
and integrity can be relied on to shield them |
from any improper influence from soft, silver |
tongued lobbyists or the secret, Shiny and lnsinu-
ating free railroad pass. We are therefore fully |
persuaded they will 10 what they think to be
right in this matter to protect the public.