The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-01-30
Written for g The Enqurer.'
Taxes and Taxation in Prince
Georges County.

Now we have had our supper l feel
better natured, and am ready to have you
explain how you propose to correct the
abuses existing in your local governments
whereby your taxes are so high that fee
sure no one can pay them and have any
thing left But first [ wish you would
tell me what proportion Of your taxes are
for schools and for roads? How much Of
it is State tax, how much county and how
much is town. you have asked of me
more than am able to answer suppose
by going to the County Treasurer 1 coulc
get the desired information" But, il
you have paid your taxes. you must have
a receipt for the money paid and what II
is paid for?' mo, nothing of the kind
My receipt simply shows that I have paic
something over one hundred dollars fol-
the year 1909, but it is a lumplot. have
no means Of knowing, so far as my receipt
shows, what paid it for. 1t may have
all been to run the courts, or it may have
been all for schools or for roads. l don't
know what it was for. l suppose that oul
officials in their wisdom think that /,
would not be for our good to know, ii
might make US disconnected if We cid
know. You speak of town tax There is
no such thing here as town as We have
| it in the West. The county is divided
into districts here for political purposes,
which is much the same as the townships
OF the West, but they have no district
government, as 1 understand it. The
county gov eminent is centered in five
County Commissioners, much the same as
in Illinois prior to the township organiza-
ton of 1852 They make the levy to de-
fray all county expenses. There has been
within the last three years Board of
Road Commissioners established who at
tend to the roads, that is, they see that
the road money is all spent and draw upon
the County Commissioners to pay it,
which seems to be quite relief to the
County Commissioners, and 1 think was
move in the right direction. Here in
Maryland each county has laws of its own,
that is, what is law and applies to Prince
Georges county does not apply necessari-
lv to Anne Arundel and rice rersG. A
man might be good lawyer in Prince
Georges and not know little bit in
Frederick, and we have a chance to see
the workings of the different systems.
For instance, 1 live on the line of Anne
Arundel and Prince Georges and pay
taxes in each county. In Prince Georges,
as think told you, the Road Commits
sioners authorize anyone to go on and do
road work and bring in their bill for the
same. There is no competition in getting
the work done whatever, consequently a
large amount of money goes but little
way and cur roads do not improve at all
and hardly hold their own. Three years
ago they commenced the contract system
in Anne Arundel county. Everything is
let to the lowest responsible bidder. If a
bridge is to bc built it is let by contract to
the lowest bidder, if scow load of shells
is to be put on the road the man that will
do it for the least money puts them on
and if so or 100 loads of gravel are wanted
on the road the man that will do it for the
least money gets the job. Here is case
in point: Fifty loads of gravel on road
and 2 planks to be put on bridge was
wanted and bids advertised for to do the
work There were three bids for the
work: one for $50 70, one for $27 and one
for $21, a difference of $3.50 for putting
on so loads of gravel and planks. The
$21 fellow may lose money on the job, but
he will do it, and the county will be the
gamer. Here is another case in point,
only in Prince Georges county: Two
years ago parties went before the County
certain piece Of road was almost impass
able during the winter and early spring
(Which was fact) and asked for an ap-
preparation of SIS to be expended in
graveling said piece of road and the
Board granted the appropriation of the
$75 asked for. 1t so happened that the
man who was active in getting the appro-
priation was white man and the acting
road supervisor was colored man. The
white man expected TO get the work be-
cause he had worked up the job and the
colored man wanted it because it was in
his road district. They were both after
the milk in the cocoanut. Neither was
willing to divide with the other, and they
went before the Board to see who should
be authorized to do the work, or rather
get the money, and the Board wisely said,
If you can't agree among yourselves, we
think the order had better be rescinded,
and they resided it, and we have had to
wallow through that hole ever since.
Now, the difference in the two systems is
this: While the taxes in Anne Arundel
county are as high as in Prince Georges
county they get something for their money
and we don't; their roads are nearly all
graded so that the center is the highest
and manv Of them are shelled and gray
eled, in fact, the improvement since they
commenced the contract system has been
wonderful, while, as l said before, ours
have hardly held their own. But it is
time to 20 to bed, and l know you must
be tired and will give you more of it in
the morning, if you don't start for home.
E.P GIBBS
Finds Way TO Live Long.