Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-01-29
The Tobacco inspection Fund.

18TH instant the statement of the account
of the tobacco inspection fund from the
books Of The treasury department, ns re-
turned to The Legislar ure by Comptroller
Turner at the session of 1884, whereby it
was made to appear that the Inspection
fund was indebted to the Sta'e at the close
of the fiscal year 1888 10 the amount OF
S226,439 SO, and pointed ont two large
sources of error in Mr.. Tur.er's reckoning
whereby serious iaiustics was done 20
the inspection fund and those IF our peo-
pie who are interested in it.
We showed that Mr.. Turner erred 10y
charging the innd interest on $l13,653 81
from 1874 to 1888, instead Of SOL, 04
which was the balance Shown to be due
the State at The c'ose of the fi-cal yeal
1874 by the report OF Comptroller WOOL
| ford returned to the Legislature at the
session of 1878, and that the error in that
regard amour ed in the eight years thu
statement covered to $3l,S10 10. We ais"
directed attention to the fact that Mr.. Tur
ner had made no mention at a L of the re
venues from the wharves appertenant t"
| the warehouse property, which are deslg
mated in his report as Estate wharves, and
which revenues are there shown to bt
about 5000 year. These revenues ars
referred 10 by Comptroller Woolford in
his report eff 1875, wherein it is shown tha
prior to the year 1858 they had been cred
tied to the fund.- but, by an oversight on
the part of those representing the Tobacco"
growing Interests in the Legislature, they
had been since that period turned into The
i State treasury without credit to the fund.
We also expressed the opinion that if a
corrected statement excluding these two
large errors were returned it would shift
the balance to the ohe side of the &C
count and show that, instead of bs ance
of $226, ,439 36 being due the Stte on &C
count of the tobacco fund, the State Is
. really indebted to the fund; and a the
same time we expressed hope that the
Charles county delegation in the Legis'a
. ture would take some -teps toward requir
ing Mr.. Turner to correct his error and
show the proper status Of the fund. We
observe, however that although our views
have been reprinted blythe press of other to-
bacco growing counties, thus tar our sage
Solons have not been able to direct their
grave in,ellects to so trivial subject.
Hoping. nevertheless. that they may yet
2 see fit to lake some action in the matter
we will give them the benefit Of a calcula
ton we have made. The Comp roller
reports show that in recent years these
e wharf revenues have been little IN sxces:
: of s. 600 a year, but prior to 1858 they
| seem to have been less than $4,000; 81
! We have deemed it fair 10 take the aver
| age of 1000 as the bssis OF an approx
c mate c,lcula ion to ascertain the value o
e those revenues during the period of 81
a wears intervening between 1858, when the,
c were first diverted from the tobacco fund
!. and the close OF the fiscal year 1888, whsE
e Mr. Turner's report was made. Tax in.
s then An average income OF $4,000 to 'h'
5 ate from this source ter the 30 years anC
we have principal sum Of $4,000 an'
.he iEt.rsst II ! lkss - :sIiIss q ilssS. Il.
, baCcn fund. Now. assuming this es.imat
al average to be correct (sud we belIey,
, it vi | b; verified if not exceeded by tn,
books of the treasury d,psrtment) and i
will appear that il the Comptroller wsrt
, required to credit the fund with 1891 COS
on account of tie wharf revenues and " iil
; S34 $40 ~ excess of interest in hi. former
statement, that the sum toia Of 1856 40
40 thus credited to the fund would sgeey
away the balance of S256, ,439 So shown by
Mr.. Turner former statement to be due
the State and bring the State in debt to
, the tobacco fund at that time in The sun
of S39,971 o.
The TINES has been discussing these
matters for several past sessi ms of the I.s-
gislature, but as the tobacco growing
counts were not then represented in the
Assembly, we did not expect any definite
action to he taken. Now, however, tina,
our own county is represented bv its ablesl
7 and best citizens, We do expect, and lhs
} people expect that this matter OF so much
importance to US, will receivs prompt and
intelligent consideration aud action. We
J feel sure that it will in due time
1t is of the highest importance that this
matter OF the wharf revenues should be
settled at this session and that the real
| status of the tobacco fund account should
: be ascertained, in order that, 10y prope,
amendments to the inspection laws, these
: wharf revenues shall be hencaforth reg
ulsrly credited to the tobacco fund and
| the inspection system be required to be
self supporting. This tobacco fund repre-
sents direct tax upon the tobacco grow.
ers Of the five SeutLers Maryland counties
as q class-a tax uhich becomes uaconstitx-
tional to the ertent tsat it 10 not honestly ap-
piled to the conduct Of the inspsction sya<m.
It would seem, therefore, that when it is
, manifest that an error has been made in
this account TO the amount of about $3.50.
600, it is time tba' the representatives of
the tobacco growing counties were begin
ming to bestir themse yes little.
Since the above was put in type we are
glad to observe hat Hon. Richard H. Eie-
len has had an order adopted by the Sem
:.te which fully GOV rs the whole matter
and requires the Comptroller to make out
a correct and detailed statement.
Tne conflict that was or is to take place