The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-08-26
DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
County Statement.

Taxpayers should read the statement OF
receipts and expenses of the county as given
elsewhere is this issue. 1t is a matter they
are interested into know how much money
is collected and how it is expended.
The total receipts of the county are nearly
100000. OF this ST., 214.O7 is derived from
a tax of As cents on the $4,000, Sl,7l9.96
from tax of 80 cents on certain class of
securities, S773.2S from fines and miscella-
neous sources, 100000 from mortgages,
S5.419.S 81 from corporations and sl1,S60.So
from road tax. The County Commissioners
have no control over the road tax. The levy
for roads is fixed by the district road com
missioners, and the County Commissioners
collect it and disburse itupon orders from the
road commissioners. About seven or eight
thousand dollars more are spent on roads
than under the old system, and a marked I'm :
movement has been made in our highways.
The heaviest item of expense is for public
schools, SIS, 100000, about one-third of the
whole sum received by the county. About
81 900. 90 are required for court expenses
The sheriff IS salary and Jail expenses con
sumed s., 524.O0. Salaries of tax collectors
amounted to 81, 10000. More than half of
this could be saved by adopting system such
as a number of counties on the Eastern Shore
have, where the county treasurer collects all
the taxes. For pensions there were paid out
s.. 1861. 90, and the Aims House cost -, 1885
above the amount received from the sale OF
products from the farm. New bridges and
repairs to old ones cost s,O55,60. For care
of insane "a, 4sl.l were paid. --
The matter of registration and election
under the new election law, passed in 1896
and amended in 1898, is very expensive.
Formerly an election cost less than $1,000.
Last year $I7O7. so were paid to registrars and
Judges of election; S209.00 for room rent,
S9l7. so forsalaries and expenses OF the super
visors of election, total Of s., $500. And
this is not ALL The printing bill Is nearly
double what it formerly was, and for election
reforms(?) the people are paying over two
and ahalf times they used TO pay, aud the
elections are no fairer now than then. he
work of the supervisors of election, which now
cost nearly 100000, was formerly done by
the County Commissioners and the extra cost
to the people was very little. A glance at
the expenses Of the supervisors will strike one
that some at least are such that ought TO be
curtailed. For instance, $4,000 for locating
and erecting booths and 5000 for delivering
books to registrars Of voters There are sew
eral bills for carpenter work, amounting to
SITS. This carpenter work must have been
in connection with locating and erecting
booths and they should have been added to
the $3.50. 90. making the amount Si61.15.
The supervisors also spent sl22 for postage,
and must have had an enormous correspond
ence. And the attorneys fees seem 70 have
been quite sufficient, considering the service
rendered.
-EaE. managing the affairs Of the eountf-'sfe
Commissioners received total Of SS24. One
received 1922. 90 and the other two S265.O0
each. For the disbursement Of 100000,
care of Aims House and Jail, looking after
bridges and attending TO the many matters Of
business it must be confessed that the Com
missiouers have been poorly paid. In our
neighboring county, Baltimore, each Com
missioner receives an annual salary Of $1,000,
sum Sl76.0O greater than all three Of the
Carroll Commissioners receive.
Although poorly paid the service rendered
has been competent II may be said TO have
been excellent. With a continual tendency
toward increased expenses upon the part of
the people for new roads, new bridges, more
school houses, pensions. &c, the Commission
ers have been able to manage well and to keep
the tax rate the lowest in the state.