The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-13
OAKLAND'S NEW CHARTER.
o Meetings Held to Adopt 1.-THE
Saloon License.

pwo Meetings Held to Adopt 1.-THE
Saloon License.
i IT has long been fact known to
OF ty of our citizens that the pres
v n charter of Oakland is defective
Y try,any of its provisions, some of
dts measures being too liberal for
the public good and others too
stringent with regard to the powers
sof the council, etc.
With a view to the reparation of
these evils, the town council of
Oakland prepared and submitted to
the citizens of the town new char
ter, which, after some amendments,
was adopted, and will be sent to the
General Assembly Of Maryland for
approval.
Fwo meetings of the citizens were
: = ;s....sssoe. TITS. Hal on Friday
night of last week and Tuesday
night of this week. The meeting
Friday night was called to order by
president of the council, Mr.. Jos.
Smithman. Upon motion Mr..
John Shartzer was called to the
chair and Mr.. Robert Townshend
made secretary. The charter as
passed by the council was read and
then taken up by sections and
adopted. The principal changes
from the old charter that will effect
the people most, as near as we can
gather them, are about as follows:
The right of the council to re-
move the balliff or other appointive
officers for attendance to duty
or other just causes. This right
was denied the council in the old
charter, and we think it Just that
the council should have this power,
for mistake is sometimes made in
the appointment of these officers,
thus leaving the town practically
without official capacity.
Another change will materially
effect the collecting of taxes. The
levy is made on the first of June
and the power Is given to collect
these taxes by law after sixty days
from the time said levy was made.
Heretofore taxes were only collect
ible by process of law after January
lJ,gtg and this gave great many
transient property holders a chance
to get away from the town before
the taxes could be collected.
A section gives the council the
right to collect license from cir
cuses, theatrical troops, peddlers,
livery stables, drays, delivery wag-
ons, stores, meat shops, etc.
A tax not to exceed one dollar
was also placed on dogs, at the dis.
cretion of the council.
The licensing of saloons brought
forth considerable discussion. A
clause of the charter as adopted on
Friday night left it to the discre.
tion of the council to fix the license
not to exceed three hundred nol
less than twenty-five dollars. This,
it was feared, would result in hav.
ing fight at every municipal cleo
ton for a low license or q high
license council. At the meeting or
Tuesday night it was moved tc
amend this clause to fix the license
at one hundred and fifty dollars
which amendment carried bo a vote
of sixty to forty-seven. This
amendment also makes it compul
sorry for the saloons to close at 1913
O'Clock p. m.
At the meeting Tuesday night
the council desired the expression
of the citizens in regard to the
lighting of the town. The will Of
the majority as expressed gives the
council the right to put up SIX extrs
arc lights, and run the lights al
and every night, and were instruc
ted to make such contract with the
owner of the electric light plant.
Dead Letter List.