The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-10-03

The Republican nominees for County Com
missioners are pledged to take Carroll out of
the proud position it has held for many years
of being the lowest taxed in the state, and to
send her rate some cents higher.
The resolutions of the late Republican con
venton pledge them to make out and publish
| a minute statement of public expenditures,
giving the name to whom any money has been
paid and for what. Such statement would
occupy Il space, in printed form, larger than
the largest barn door in Carroll would hold,
and would add several thousand dollars to the
printing bill.
la the last statement, under the head of
Aims House, the item of Beef is given at
$l721O. The bills for that institution are
rendered monthly, in itemized form, and are
examined and paid monthly, and filed away,
each months bills being together. We ex-
amined the bills this week, and found the
aggregate was as published, $l72.1O. To
publish that item cost l8i cents in each paper.
| To have published each item, as q strict con
struction of the law would require, but which
| Was never lhttuhNNi "OuiN hhhS NSoN - N'AS'A
paper seventy-four times as much, or Sl3.SS.
Under the head of court expenses, the cost
of the grand jury is given at Sl6ll.9l, and
occupies one line. The cost was 1877 cents to
publish it. There are forty-six grand jurors
in a year. To publish the name and the amount
each received, as is done in the counties with
large printing Mills, and which the Republican
nominees in Carroll are pledged to do, If
elected, would cost forty-six times as much,
orSs.63.
The cost ofthe petit jury is given at S379S.OO,
and the cost of publishing was 1877 cents.
There were seventy-fve petit jurors, and ia
set out the names and the amount each re-
ceiyed would have cost seventy-five times as
much, or $14.O7.
Here are three items given in the published
statement by the Commissioners that cost tC
publish 81 cents. TO have published then
according to the manner in which the Repub
lican nominees are pledged to do, would have
cost S3G So, or SiGty, tioe times as much as thel
do under the present system.
II would cost more to publish some item
of expense than the goods cost. Go to thu
= Commissioner Office and examine hard
ware, drug or grocery bill, or a shoemaker
cobbling bill, and see how small some Of thu
: charges are. To snow that Babylon & Gilber
were paid five cents for a bolt, would cost Is
cents, il would cost the same to show thai
! Joseph b. Boyle was paid five cents for som'
pills, or Frank Miller was paid twenty cent
for broom. Yet the Republican nominee
for County Commissioners are pledged t.
make out and publish statements on that line
to specify, in the language of the Republican
conventions resolutions, leach particula
item of expense, and for what and to whom
paid" 1t will be sad day for Carroll tax
payers when such a foolish Interpretation i
given 10 the law governing the publishing o
county expenses. The election of the Repub
lican candidates. for Commissioners, VIII
are pledged to such an Interpretation OF tn
law, would near an increase in the count
expenses for printing from $500, as it now is
in round numbers, to about 81, 400. And thi
would mean an increase of the tax rate iron
=, 80 cents TO about $53i cents.
= The resolutions do not charge any extrav
:, agance or mismanagement in the conduct o
. county afiairs-only the statements are no
detailed aud minute" enough. Whei
> the tax payers have some idea of what tn
Republican nominees for Commissioners ar
pledged TO do, it is likely they will vote t.
continue the present management.