Evening journal., 1898-09-09
A COUHTY'S FINANCES
CITIZENS OF QUEEN ANNE DE
MAND AN EXPERT TO OVER
HAUL THE BOOKS.

@-@~N
HAUL THE BOOKS.
Centreville, Nd, Sept. "a large
crowd of taxpayers assembled in Cen
treville Wednesday to perfect arrange
ments for having the Queen Anne
county finance matter looked into
Among other influential citizens and
large taxpayers present were the fol-
lowing: c. Carroll Tilghman, William
Collins,z. r. Collins. Thomas f. Short
all, Frank A. Bartlett, Alfred Green, P.
T. Forman, Israel Woodring,H. c. Nor
man, c. w. Butler, Edward Butler, J
Louis Rhodes, Richard Carmichael.
George Davidson. sr., John Dodd,
Thomas Dodd. Edwin II. Brown and
scores Of others.
These citizens came to Centreville for
no other purpose than to have an in
vestigation Of the county finances. AT
o'clock they assembled IN the office
Of John Dodd and elected George Dav-
idson chairman.
The following committee was ap-
pointed to wait on the county commits
sioners: c. Carroll Tilghman, H. c..
Norman and County Treasurer ]. Louis
Rhodes. This committee was instructed
to say to the commissioners that the
Taxpayers Of the county deemed 1t ad-
visable to have an expert accountant
to examine the books of the county so
that the people Of the county would
know the exact condition Of the county
affairs.
The county commissioners said they
were willing and ready for any COM
mittee of taxpayers to conduct an in
vestigation and offered their services
and the services of their clerk, as long
as they were needed, but stated that
they were not willing to appropriate
the peoples money to pay an expert
for the purpose Of satisfying the desires
of the delegation, who. the commits
eioners said, did not represent over
one-tenth of the taxpayers Of the
/ county.
The delegation was not Satisfied
with the result of the visit and again
instructed their committee to tell the
commissioners that nothing but an ex.
!
the people. The delegation appointed
Edward H. Brown, ex-state treasurer
chairman Of a committee to conduct
the investigation with an expert. Mr.
Brown asked that j. Fletcher Rolph
cashier of the Centreville Nationa
Bank, and Eugene Pennington, cashier
of the Queen Anne National Bank, bt
appointed on the committee with him
This was done and the names wer,
handed to the commissioners, but they
refused to employ an expert.
Mr.. George, one Of the commission,
ers, eaid he had utmost confidence II
the ability Of Mr.. Brown, and though
he and his committee should examin,
the books. Mr.. Brown stated that hi
had not the time nor had any othei
taxpayer to devote to this work. Fl
nally the commissioners told the com
mittee that they would consider thei
request for an expert and report [,
them next Tuesday.
The form Of petition was distribu
ted for general circulation in tn
county for signatures asking for an ap
preparation to pay the expert
There was not a Republican in tn,
whole Of the taxpayers delegation.
During the contest between them ant
the commissioners, a large crowd O
men gathered about the Court Hous,
and much excitement prevailed. Com
missioner George wanted the delega
tion to wait till after January 1, but tn,
, people want to know how the count,
was run during the first six months o
this year.
Edwin H. Brown said: This mat
ter is Of vital Importance to the Demo
cratic party. If there is any failure I,
make satisfactory explanations, it will
mean the defeat of the party in Queer
Anne"
George Davidson, who was Chairman
OF the delegation, is an ex-county com
missioner, and also an ex-iudge Of tn
Orphans Court. He said: II is simpl-
an outrage the way the taxpayers O
this county are being imposed upon
Not only has our tax basis been in
creased, but our tax rate has been in
creasing, until now it Is 81 on tn,
$780, He made other charges OF
more serious nature b..