The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-12-28
How to Reduce the Taxes

Interesting facts for the tdT ppyers o.
AileQany and Garrett counties.
In view af the approaching session
Of the Legislature and the General
Assessment to he made next year. !
deem 1t my duty to explain certain
facts concerning the large proportion
of the lands in these counties that
have never been taxed, and which it
will he impossible to assess even NJ xt
year without suitable legislation. In
January. 1883. the Commissioners OF
Garrett and AlIegany counties en-
plOyPd me to ferret out the untaxPd
lands and trace their titles to the last
owners. / found the task to he vast
ly more lah0rious and tedious than
any one supposed. As the result of
two years constant labor on the rec
ords in the Land Office At Annapolis.
in the counties and in the field, /
l have clearly demonstrated the fact
that upwards of 100 600 acres in Gar.
rett county are not now and never
have been assessed, also thousands
of acres in AllPgany county, not yet
completed, (my hooks, abstracts. &C.,
are open to the public for examina.
tion). A large proportion and the
most valuable part of these untaxed
lands are in the coal region. and lie
on both sides of the disputed hound
airy line between AlIegany and Gar
rett counties. 1t therefore leh0OYes
the tax payers. in both counties, to
urge upon their members elect, to
the Senate and House of Delegates.
the Importance of establishing This
line before the General Assessment
next year. The tax payers of Gar
rett county should also urge the
establishment of the Preston county,
w, Va. line, As they are lOOSing
thousands of dollars every year
a. il is.
1t is absolutely impossible for the
surveyors to compute the exact areas
on either side ct the n liegany county
line, Ms hundreds of tracts and Mill
tary Lots. will h divided by it, no
matter where it is located There is
another matter that should he adjus.
ted this winter, Concerning which
the most absurd "campaign lies"
were manufactured and published
prior to the last elpctinn.l Before
entered into the contract with the
Garrett County Commissioners. in
January, 1888, they passed an order
assuming the responsibility, if any
for searches in the Land Office.
When / first went TO Annapolis l
In-ulted with the A Attorney General,
the State Tax Commissioner and
other prominent State officials and
they all conceded that it was mani
testify unjust that the counties should
tie required to pay fees to the State
for the means of assessing the non
resident and untaxed lands IN which
the State itself is equally interested
in securing its share of the taxes.
Pending the proposed Legislation on
this subject the Commissioner of the
Land Office authorized me to begin
my searches, holding the charges in
allegiance uTtil AN anicahle agree.
ment could be effected. A Bill, fni
that purpose. was prepared and in.
tr0durei, requiring the State to share
the expense of making the searches
81 but, for reasons hest known Ia
themselves, the Senator. &c, from
Garrett county had the Bill turned
down in the Committee. | worked
on until the summer If 1888, Whe n
certain miSrepreSpntAtiVe Democrats
in Oakland. miSchievou-ly threaten.
ed to rnj0in the Commissioners if
they did not order my searches dis.
continued, which they unfortunately
did. before had access to the RpSur-
veys. But for this malicious inter
ference l c, uld have turned i'm about
one million dollars of new ASSESS
ments, and one half the first gears
taxes would have paid all the ex-
pPnseS.
respectfully invite the aid and CO.
operation of the Senators and mem.
hers Of the House of Delegates fro ~
Allegany and Garrett counties, in
the completion of this work, which
is of paramount importance to each
ana every individual taxpayer.
Respectfully,
HIRAM P. TAsKER.
Annapolis. Nd, Dec. 20, 1889.
Land for Sale.
am authorized n soil tho Cant