The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-01
GARRETT COUNTY.
An Interesting Review of Its History
and Resources.


stated it seems to me that Garrett
county needs a new assessment. !
think this need, however. grows out
of the inequality of the present as
sessment. 1t does not exist in my
Judgment because there is any land
in the county which has escaped
taxation. Prior to 1883 large
amount of our land had been pat
ented in large tracts. Under the
resolution of 1888 the remainder
was awarded in military lots. 1t is
safe to say that there are no vacant.
unassessed nor underlined lands. II
there were any vacant lands those
who are aware of the fact would
soon have warrants laid upon all
such lands. Several years ago the
county commissioners placed Il
number of $50 calleG) unassessed
lots upon the tax books and under
took to collect taxes upon them.
They soon found that these lands
had been assessed in the large tracts
upon which escheat patents had
been granted, and that taxes were
being paid. The county commits
sioners and their clerks say they
have had a great amount of trouble
by reason of their venture in this
direction.
There NAV be persons who hon
estly entertain the opinion that a
large amount of land is escaping
taxation in this county, but such
an opinion does not seem to be well
founded. There is by reason Of
the lot titles and escheat patents
some CAGES where taxes are being
paid twice upon the Same land, and
the president of the county com
mlssloners few days sgo called my
attention to an instance where three
different claimants were paving
takes upon the same land. These
parties were the military lot owner,
the claimant under an escheat pat,
ent (neither being in po.session(
and the third a mere 8quatter, be-
ing in possession and claiming a
poSsessory title. Undoubtedly there
is more land in Garrett county
which Is paying taxes twice than
that which is escaping taxation al
together.
II, however, it be true that any
land is escaping taxation. 1t should
be placed upon the tax books whether
there IS new assessment or not.
This would be required in Justice
o those who are paying taxes upo II
their land. 1t would also aid in the
development of the county. Pros
pective purchasers would know the
burdens Of taxation are equally and
uniformly borne. If the notion
that great deal Of land is escaping
taxation be erroneous, the agitation
Of the subject should be dropped
and let the county have a fair
chance in her race for prosperity.
| do not think there Is anything in
our assessment, taxes, or method of
collecting them to discourage set
tiers.
BOUNDARIES.
The agitation Of what is known
as the boundary line question has
not been profitable to Garrett
county. 1t is claimed by some that
Garrett county is losing great deal
annually by not having the boun-
Diary between Garrett county and
Allegany relocated. The law under
which Garrett county was formed
provides that this line shall begin
at the summit of Big Back bone or
Savage mountain where that noun
tain is crossed by Mason and DIX
on's line, and running thence by a
straight line to the middle of Say
age river where it empties into the
Potomac river. The law also pro-
yides for the running of the line by
the surveyor of Allegany county,
and report Of the survey to the
governor.
The line was surveyed and re-
ported to the governor, and the
new county was established by that
line. 1t is now claimed by some
that the surveyor did not begin at
the summit of Big Backbone but at
q point west of the summit, and
that Garrett therefore did not get
what she was entitled to under the
law. If this be true, there is moth
Ing in it for this county. The fact
is, the point was selected and run
from at the highest point. The
survey was adopted and the COVER
nor's proclamation issued, and the
line as run is the boundary estab-
llshed according to existing law.
Having been thus established the
line cannot be changed, under the
constitution except with the con-
sent of a majotity Of the legal vot-
ers living in the territory to be af-
fected by the change. If it be de-
sirable on the part of Garrett
county to have o slice of Alleganv's