Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-22
THE NEED OF BETTER ROADS.
Maryland Sadly Wanting In Gooc Commo
Roads

' HOW THE REMEDY CAN BE suPPLIRp-nrKRNAI
REVENUE ONE soURcE-MoRK ADEQUATE TAX
ALTON NEEDED.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
question that is neither sectional nor stump.
tuary and helps both town and county is com
mon roads. leading reason for people de-
sorting the country and focking to the towns
is the blockade Of the common roads, and the
decline of farm values is much due to the non
presence in the country Of renters and retired
and refined people. Since the Baltimore and
Ohio's Metropolitan branch was opened, our only
open road through q solvent commonwealth to
high attitudes, the population of Washington has
sprinkled the line with chateaps and towns for
above forty miles. Let it be supplemented by
good pike and coaching from Washington
will become fashionable, as in New York and
Europe.
De Witt Clinton wrote to Thomas Eddy from
Albany December 49, 1922
:, Fifty millions of gallons Of spirituous
liquors are annually consumed in the uni !
states, at an expense Of $4,000, 600, and " IN
the sacrifice of $4,000 lives. What field .or
reflection to the moralist and statesman!
After deducting foreign importations a
spirits, say to the amount Of 5000 900 gallons,
and allowing for 4, 900 900 produced from foreign
molasses, there would still remain 40, DOC, 600
manufactured from our own materials.
IAN excise of one shilling a gallon would
produce q revenue of IS, 000, 900 year. Double
the duty and you will raise fund that will pay
of the national debt and line and intcrsect the
country in all directions with canals and roads.
Here the revenue of the country would be
auxiliary to its morality noble Union in the
eye of great statesman"
Clinton wrote again:
''To remove all doubts I should like an
amendment to the Constitution investing Con-
gress with the power OF appropriation only (for
roads and internal improvements). On this
subject never had n doubt. As the national
government has all the effective revenue and
funds of the nation ii ought, if it has not, to be
invested with the power Of distributing due
portion among the several states for the estab-
llshment OF communications"
From the figures of 1922 turn to
THE EXCISE REVENUES OF THE PRESENT MOMENT.
The internal revenue system yielded in 1880
nearly S143, 600, of which nearly $50, GOO 600
were for spirits. Maryland paid the govern
ment s3,313,0OO upon spirits; Pennsylvania,
| above 80. 1872, 600. and the two Virginias 81
100000. The District of Columbia paid the in
ternal revenue $4,000.
There were thirty-fve fruit distilleries in
Maryland, 1888 in the two Virginias and only
sixty-tive in Pennsylvania. Nearly GA, 900
bushels Of grain were used for distilling in
Maryland; 1900 only in the two Virginias.
Twenty-seven distilleries were in Maryland;
| seven VI tucul III lG1ltlmOre, TWO IN MONT
gomery county, four in Frederick county
nine in Washington county. The leakage
allowed in all the American distilleries was
nearly 5000, 900 gallons or S2,7OO 0O0 Nearly
los, 900 gallons of Maryland spirits had been
| withdrawn fOr expectation in 1899; only % 900
| gallons in 1890. There remained in the Mary
land ware houses June 80. 1890, nearly 4, 700,-
| QUO gallons awaiting payment of tax at 30 cents
per gallon. About 131. OOO, 900 gallons were
outside of customs bond in 1889, having paid
| the taxes.
About $500 900 are paid in the city of Balti-
more alone per annum for liquor licenses and
there are over 1900 liquor bars and groceries
About S133,OO also stolen by the state treas
| urer.
| Ingenious professors in Baltimore are writing
comments on the colonial ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of
the state" but nothing has a greater tendency
to dismember Maryland than the late laws to
| DEPRIVE STRANGERS OF THE BALLOT
for venturing to improve the fringe of that
commonwealth that has been left. The state 8
debt is about the same as those of New York
and Pennsylvania and it has Just closed out its
profitable investment in the principal rail-
road.
The taxes in Montgomery county are but
ninety-one and a quarter cents per hundred dol
lars. in Frederick sixty-two cents andin Washing
ton, the mountain county, seventy-eight cents.
The state taxes are less than eighteen cents
The population is ,042, $3.50, and since the civil
war, or LincOln's election, it has increased
800 900. or full one-third. Montgomery county
has grown 900 in that time in spite of her large
contribution TO the District of Columbia, which
| has grown 50. 600 in only zen years.
| The District of Columbia has climbed three
in the scale of states and Maryland has dropped
four. The property Of Maryland is assessed
/ low at 1882 900 600 all of Montgomery county
valued at less than nine and third millions
| while Prince Georges e valued 1898 900 less
! than in 1880. Frederick county also il marked
| down from twenty-five and n half millions to
| twenty-three millions.
self-help roads and of the only true courage
! and patriotism, namely,
| TO SUFFER- TAXATION
and Maryland is fifty years behind Pennsylva-
mia in these respect.
| Fifty years ago the society of Washington city
went in carriages to Bedford, Berkeley and the
other mountain springs. Now one Maryland
community will petition against the next one
having road pointed to a railroad station and
the dismal drivel of states rights separates
| county from county like the Indian tribes
distiller in Frederick county has been working
several years to have main road turnpiked
for distance of four miles without avail; the
power Of public meeting and of subscription
has never been born there.
! Let us suppose, therefore. that by some bet
ter arrangement Of the customs duties the
return Of the tax to sugar, which would yield
$50 ,000, 0C0 a year-it would be possible for the
government TO collect and apply for three
years the internal revenue taxes to the building
OF common roads.
The machinery is already in running order:
| We cannot afford to trust state treasurers nor
| yet the state finance boards which watch them
The engineers of the army can be detailed for
| the work, and most of them recognize its utility
| for war exigencies. 1t cost, by some compu-
tations. 800. 00O, 600 to move troops and NUM-
tons between Washington and the MOnocacy
waters during the civil war.
Let the states in proportion to their internal
| revenue taxes receive back the aggregate upon
| the roads. This would be practical and not
moonshine relief for the Farmers Alliances the
walking home will at least be improved for their
statesmen.
| Maryland would receive at $4,000 a mile
about $50 miles of pike road in one year. At
| a goo per mile, S25 miles. The Virginias would
! get 2, $50 miles Of stone road in one year, in
| three years they would have at - 900 per mile
| 1875 miles. Pennsylvania would get in one
year 1855 miles of durable road-twelve times
| her largest diameter-at 81, 600 per mile.
| The proportion would continue throughout
| the Union, and farms would rise several dol
| lars per acre over the length and breadth of
| our empire. while one horse would do the work
| of two.
Taking up this idea, which would foment no
| jealousies, a public man could attain a reputa-
ton like that Of Dewitt Clinton or Nathan
Dane and be classed among the benefactors of
4 ~ ,-$l d. g. ~