Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-01-28
Correspondence of the Beacon.l

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Messrs. Editors-Please allow me
small space in your paper to make
few remarks. In our section Of the
county news is rather scarce. There
has been beautiful sleighing in this
neighborhood, and the young and the
old who had sleighs seemed to enjoy
it very much, but at this time that
pleasure seems to be over for a while
at least. The rain and warm sun has
vanished the snow, but we have plen-
ty OF ice yet. That seems harder to
! get rid of. The roads are filled with
it, and nothing but a rough shod horse
can travel over them.
All the ice-houses in this commu-
nifty, with one or two exceptions, have
been filled with good ice, better tLan
for several previous years.
Our county commissioners have
made some suggestions concerning our
lunatic paupers-about fixing up part
of the almshouse for their accommo.
dation. ! think it would be a wise
thing to do. We could have them as
well attended to here as we can by
sending them away to other institu-
tions, and save great deal of expense,
and the money we have to pay out for
their support in other places could be
kept in the county, where our own
people could have some Of the benefits
derived from the use of it.
The almshouse is situated in a pleas.
ant and healthy neighborhood, about
two miles from Leonardtown, where
We have plenty of medicine and good
doctors, as we'll as numbers of the
same all over the county, so that moth
ing would be lacking on that point in
the way of good attention for the poor
unfortunates, and l think the saving
of expense in a few years would more
than pay for the fixing up of the aims
house and the building of an addition
to it for the use of the keepers. An.
other thing would suggest looking
to economy and to save expense-that
our Legislature, by passing law al.
lowing our county commissioners to
issue county bonds to borrow about
$4,000 or $4,000 at 4 or At per ct.
interest, said interest to be raid en-
nually, provided for by levy, so as to
bring every expense of our county to a
cash basis. It would save at least Is
per ct. to the county annually, for We
could get more work done for seven
ty-fve cents cash than we could for
one dollar payable twelve or eighteen
months after date. Besides, all coun-
ty officers could work cheaper for cash,
so let US try to bring down our ex-
penses in every legitimate way we
can and endeavor to raise our county
up to the high standard of her sister
counties. We can do it il we try in
the right way and success will crown
our efforts.
Another thing I would ask, Messrs.
Editors, in the way of econ omy, is it
actually necessary for our Judges of
the Orphans Court to meet once in
two weeks, or even more frequently
than that? Could they not like the
commissioners transact all the brsi-
ness of their court BY meeting once in
every four weeks, except at the regu.
lar meeting of our Circuit Court, when
it always has been customary for all
the Courts to meet together, in order
to give the people an opportunity Of
attending to their business in ell the
Courts at one time? ! think the less
our Courts meet the better it will be
for our people. except in cases of smer-
gency. may be wrong, but I think
not, for when the tar collector comes
around land he will be sure to GOMEZ
We begin to wonder what makes our
taxes 90 high. When q number of
these small matters get together it
makes quite Q large amount, aud /
think it Is time for all our county Of
fcers to begin retrenchmsnt and pro-
missed reform, and to use every effort
in their power to try to throw OF the
stigma Of being the poorest county
in the State while We pay larger tax |
than any Of the others. G.
P. s.-Sincs writing the above, |
have had to change my opinion about |