The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-03-26
Special Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM ANNAPOLIS.
STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS; Nd, !

LII - = Ao@s IAsO-A~ @~~s~'~~-
STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS, Nd
March "a. 1904.
Baltimore county affairs have had large
share of the time in the State House this week,
and on Wednesday and Thursday the now no
torious road bill was the subject OF hours OF
discussion before the Committee on Roads and
Highways, into whose charge the measure was
committed last week.
Large delegations of prominent citizens OF the
county were here and able and eloquent speeches
were made on both sides Of the case. 1t was in
teresting as well as amusing to see so many OF
these old line Democratic workers, VINO mao TOT
years acted together in their party organizatlon'
on different sides, glaring at each other as they
controverted statements made and making sioe
remarks as to the motives of each other, wnicn
would lead stranger to believe that all tne
purity and goodness in motive was on one sioe'
while the other side was wholly bad. Tnere was
Walter II. Townsend and his followers taxing
the side against the bill as "ring measure
while Osborne /. Yellott and w. W. CROSBY
praised it as a most meritorious bill, and so on
through the whole list.
But the weight of all the arguments was
against the bill. Those who favored 1t were on
the defensive throughout. and many OF them
squirmed as question after question OF the
most pointed character was put to them, many
of which they could not answer at all, ana
others were answered In such way as 10 De
practical admission of all the criticism brought
against the proposed law and its hackers. Ihe
members of the committee were so evidently
impressed with what was said that the oppo-
nents were led to believe that the report Will be
unfayorable, and that it will be defeated. The
hardest sort of work is going on to get votes
against it, and the prospect of success Is bright,
even il the committee should make favorable
-report.-4he main objections raised against the
bill are as follows:
Five hundred dollars more for Roads Engineer.
Taxes raised from rs to IS cents.
Road map to be made at any cost by County
Surveyor.
The new Highways Commission. "is a"Court"
to render judgments carrying "costs."
It is also legislature with power to create
crimes and fix their punishment. (Sec. III.
lines 40 to 5O) Also may alter or make new
criminal regulations at any time.
The Commission" spends annually $2OO,OOO
and gives 10 bonds individually, yet the Super
visors they employ give from $1,000 to $1,000
bond. The Supervisors can only spend sums
under $50, except by order of Commission.
The Supervisors can work and make contracts
with the county with the consent of Commits
sion: TEMPTATION to fraud abolished at request
| of taxpayers in 1902.
| Cost of administration is several thousand
| dollars greater under new law.
Unconstitutional, as it either gives the County
Commissioners a new office, or it increases their
salaries after election.
New Commission has sole charge of roads +;
therefore, the County Commissioners are not
liable in suits, the very fatal defect found In
present law by the Court of Appeals decision.
No one responsible for defects in roads.
Impossible for the Commission to give pre-
| vious consent as required by law, to every re-
pair over $50; as our roads are about 100 miles
creates invincible political machine.
Supervisors removed at any time without
charges, at mere pleasure of Commissioners,
during any political contest, converts Super
visors into mere party workers.
Two independent members of Commission
struck out by proposed law.
MAY grant franchises. page II, Lines 4S and 50.)
Mr. Carroll's (of Harford) bill to extend the
time limit for racing in Baltimore and Hartford
counties to forty days has passed the House and
now goes over to the Senate.
The Governor has signed the bill providing
for building a bridge between Baltimore and
Anne Arundel counties over the Patapsco.
1t is the expectation of the Ways and Means
| Committee of the House that the Omnibus
Appropriation bill will be ready for introduce
ton in the two branches of the Legislature
some time this week. The large appropriations
| for internal improvements, such as the State
| House buildings, Spring Grove Asylum, Mary
| land House of Correction and the Agricultural
| College, are to be taken care of in the proposed
loan of $l5O0,OOO which will be recommended.
For the rest the committee has followed al
most entirely the recommendations for appro-
priations made in the report of the Board OF
State Aid and Charities.
An the bird and dog legislation proposed by
authorize new school house at Arcadia was
passed.
AT Monday nights session of the House the
bill authorizing the refunding to George Brehm
& Co. of money enormously paid to the Balti-
more county Treasurer, was passed.
On Tuesday night Mr.. Fitzsimmons introduced
bill in the House to sanction requests to the
Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, Baltimore
county.
Mr.. Linthicum, of the city delegation, intro
duced at the same session measure to regulate
the installation of electrical connections in Bal
timore city and county. This is good measure
and should have been passed long ago. but for
some reason it always acts as bell-ringer, draw
| ing cloud of people anxious to kill it.
On Tuesday night the bill to amend the act
legalizing granting of franchises by County
Commissioners of Baltimore county; the bill
introduced in the House by the Speaker, pro-
| hibiting the use of wood alcohol in compound
ing prescriptions, and the bill to regulate the
construction and maintenance of public build
ings in the 18th election district of Baltimore
county, were passed in the Senate.
Baltimore county, by Mr.. Germans amend
ment, is exempted from the provisions of the
Wilson election bill. doing away with the party
| designation on the ballots.
| Mr.. Biddison has introduced bill in the Sem
| ate, which, while general in scope, has pointed
| local application. The bill amends Article 81
| of the code of Public General Laws of Mary
land. title "Crimes and Punishments," by adding
two additional sections, under the subtitle
Explosions" These sections prohibit the
storing of dynamite and other explosives within
half mile of public buildings towns, cities
and villages.
This measures local application applies to
Hoffmanville. where powder and a dynamite
mill are both within half mile of the village,
and where as high as 80 tons of dynamite are
stored.
Mr.. Biddison also introduced bill to amend
"Clerk," by adding an additional section pro-
viding for the preservation and recording of
plats fled in his office. PAUL WINCHESTER
NO SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION.
Correspondence Baltimore San.
MeSsrs. Editors I'm your issue of March 18th
~. B. L., of Cockeysville, gives many points in
Ca ,1f %ad