The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-09-05
The County Statement.

The general statement of the receipts and
expenditures of Carroll county for the fiscal
year ended on June Both last, published in
this paper, is gratifying exhibit. 1t is not
as full as some profess to believe it ought to
be, but this is the only point of attack left to
the critics and the criticism is made, not in
the belief that any fraud, corruption or ex-
travagance exists, but to create public dis
trust that something may be hidden that the
people ought to know. To publish full and
detailed statement on the lines of the critics
would be AN expensive matter and would
probably require ten to fifteen columns in the
public prints instead of three. If such a
statement were undertaken it would be diff
cult to know where to stop. The grand and
petit iuries and talesmen cost S5477.40. To
set forth these matters in detailed manner
would require the publication of the name of
every juror and talisman and the amount paid
to each One bill for drugs and medicines
was S4G.s5. A detailed statement would
require the publication of every item and lbs
cost. The cost of the public roads is given in
bulk. A detailed statement would mean
the publication of the names of some three
hundred road supervisors and the amount re-
ceived by each, and the lengthening of the
statement about column and half.
All bills are kept on file, and every tax
payer can have free access to examine any or
all of them at any time. The statement as
now published is similar in form to those pub
lished for the past quarter Of century at
least. No serious objection has been raised,
and it is only raised now because there is no
other point of attack open. The public print
ing in Carroll is less than in any county in the
state, except in Calvert and Caroline, and
not more than one fourth what it is in coun-
ties of like size and population. In one
county on the Eastern Shore, ofless territory,
less population and about one half of our as
sessment, the public printing cost about $500
In Carroll it was but S524.Gl. And the PEG
pie of Carroll, we take it, do not care to add
to their burdens by publishing detailed
statement in response to a senseless criticism
and have the printing bills run up from $500
to $1,000.
Every tax payer should read the statement
carefully 1t shows the amount of money
collected and its disposition. The public
debt, it will be observed, has been reduced
by $1,000, and the outstanding certificates
amount to only $l2, 40. At the end of the
year about $4,000 of bills were unpaid, but
there was SS703.G9 cash in bank on hand.
The assets, in taxes due and amounts due
from other sources, were S2l ,6S2 Sc above
liabilities, a showing that must be highly
gratifying to every taxpayer.
The heavy rains and floods the past two
years have been disastrous to roads and
bridges, eniailing unusual expenditures. Much
of the money spent was practically lost, for as
soon as repairs were made the work was I'M
done by heavy and long continued rains.
Four times the amount spent would not have
produced better results, for dirt roads cannot
withstand the drenching and rushing of heavy
volumes of water that flowed every week or
two. Even well-built turnpikes have suffered
considerably and been badly washed. The
repairing may not have been done as intelli.
gently in some instances as it might have
been, but first class road makers are not al
ways available 1t is doubtful if the critics
and carpers could have done any better.