Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-03-03
THE COUNTY SUBSCRIPTION
To The Baltimore And Southern Maryland
Railroad.

To The Baltimore And Southern Maryland
Railroad.
A bill has been introduced in the
Senate by Senator Williams and fa-
vorably reported authorizing Anne
Arundel county to subscribe two
hundred thousand dollars to the cap
ital stock of the Baltimore and Sou III
ern Railroad Company. A synopsis
of the bill is published in another
column of the CAPITAL. The bill is
carefully drawn and the county
seems to be fully protected by its
provisions. Before the bonds can be
issued the people of the county must,
at special election to be held on the
third Monday of May, next, by their
votes approve the issue, the road
must be completely constructed,
equipped, put in running order, aud
opened for regular passenger and
freight service" from the Calvert
county northern line to Millersville
in Anne Arundel, and trains must be
running regularly six days In the
week from the Calvert county line to
Baltimore city. Messrs. James Ches-
ton, DR.. Thomas Welsh, Frank S.
Revell, G. Thomas Beasley, Frank
lin Mewshaw, DIR. Thomas o. Wal
ton and John L. Hutchins are APP
pointed commission to say when
the road is fully constructed and in
operation and no bonds can be issu-
ed until majority of the commission
reports fa7orably upon such con-
struction and operation. The act is
TO be published in the newspapers of
the county for two months before
the next election for members of the
General Assembly and the issue of
the bonds must be approved by the
next General Assembly.
There is no provision for the pub
LEGATION of the bill before the special
election in May which, we think, is
necessary that the people may know
exactly what they are called upon to
vote for or against.
The Maryland Republican, of this
date, referring to the Act, says:
"There is little question. We
think, that a railroad through
this section of our county would
be great benefit, and, indeed,
blessing to its people. 1t would
unquestionably, open up the most
favored section of Anne Arundel
and could not fail to increase the
value of lands of the whole lower
section of the county, from Millers-
vile to the Calvert county line. We
believe that in few years the in
creased value of the lands would be
such that the increase in taxes would
more than repay the county for the
outlay for interest and sinking fund
for two hundred thousand dollars of
bonds. If the road is economically
built, and not too heavily bonded
there is no reason why the county
stock of two hundred thousand dol
lars should DO of little or no value as
is too often the case with public sub
scriptions to the stock of railroads.
If the roao is built and equipped
with view to the interests OF the
stockholders there is fair chance
that the stock will have value and
that the county viii not be paying
two hundred thousand dollars for
an indirect benefit to be derived
from an increase in the taxable basis.
The matter is worthy of the serious
consideration of the people of the
county and We should be glad to
hear FROM them. Indeed, the SUBJ
scription should be fully discussed
prior to the election in May. We
would like to know from the pro-
motors of the bill the financial con-
ditior of the Baltimore and Southern
Railroad Company, its ability to con-
struct and equip the road, the prob
able, or estimated cost, and when
it is proposed to begin work, in case
the people, at the special election in
MAY next, vote for the subscription.