The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-16

COnvontion.-ln pursuance OF the call of
the Committee of Fifteen the annual nom
partisan Taxpayers Convention met in
the Court House at Towson at II O'Clock on
Thursday morning. The attendance, although
not large was composed of representative men
of the different walks Of life Hon. John Hub
ner, LIST district, presided, and Mr.. Samuel M.
Shoemaker, Sd district, was secretary.
The convention gave its approval to the pro-
posed measure for the improvement of high
ways by the Federal Government. It also in
dorsed proposition to have the State of Mary
land appropriate certain sum of money each
year for the improvement of the highways of
the several counties, as contemplated in bill
| for State highway commission, which will
be submitted to the Legislature during the
| present session.
The first general discussion took place when
an Endorsement of the Hannah oyster and road
bill was proposed. 1t was announced that Mr..
| Hannah would be present in person to explain
the scope and purpose of his bill, but he could
not be present, owing to sickness. The con-
vention, however, Endorsed the bill by unan-
| imous vote.
The next matter before the meeting was
| one that closely concerned the convention, for
| it sought to provide an entirely new road sys-
tenn for Baltimore county, and to wipe from
| the statute books all the local road laws. The
bill is a voluminous affair covering sixteen
| typewriter pages. 1t was taken up section
| by section and discussed. Nearly all of the
| discussion, howsver was limited to the sec
tons providing for highways commission.
Mr.. 7. Scott Offutt offered as an amendment
10 the bill that, instead of the section which
provided that the commission be composed of
five members three of whom were to be Coun-
ty Commissioners, and the two to be appointed
by the Governor, all the members be appointed
by the Governor, and that the commission
should be entirely independent of the County
Commissioners.
1t was upon this amendment that the con-
vention divided. The amendment was second
ed by Mr. John s: Ensor, a member Of the
committee. MIR. Offutt in stating his position,
said that he did not care if the commission
| was partisan or bipartisan, but that he wanted
| it independent; that if the county was to pay
| for an independent commission it was entitled
| to have one and not simply to have the County
| Commissioners given more pay and more in
| huence and then be called roads commits
| sion. Mr.. Ensor said that he, too, opposed
| the bill as it stood. He declared that the idea
had been to have an entirety independent COM
mission, which the proposed measure would
| not give.
Mai. John 1. Yellott, chairman of the COM
| mittee which drew the original BILL said that
all the members of the committee were in
| favor Of such commission as was indicated
| in the amendments offered by Mr.. Offutt but
not be made q law. He asserted that the
| measure as offered, was the best practical So
luton of the problem. The convention took
this view and voted down the amendment.
Mr.. Ensor offered a resolution embodying
practically the same amendment, which was
also lost substitute was then offered by
Mr.. Offutt and seconded by Mr.. e. Lynne
Painter, that the entire control of the roads of
the county be given to be County Commission
ers. This was also lost and the bill was then
accepted as q whole.
The provisions of the bill are substantially
that highways commission shall be created
to take charge of all county roads, each menu
Der of which is to receive an annual salary Of
$780, The roads engineer is to be secretary OF
the board Three members of the board are
to be County Commissioners, and the other
two are to be appointed by the Governor.
They must be residents of the county and pay
taxes on real estate valued at S. 900. The rest
of the measure relates to the actual operation
of the commission.
The convention expressed its dsapproval Of
any legislation changing the terms or number
of the County Commissioners of the county.
A proposition to build an addition to the
Court House was laid on the table.
It was directed that the jail be either remod-
eed or rebuilt. Mr.. Frank l. Duncan sugges-
ted that all needed improvements could be
made for $1,000 or $1,000. He said that the
improvement should be made, for the present
Jail is unsanitary, unsafe and disgrace to the
county.
A motion was passed recording the apprecia-
ton of the taxpayers for the services of the re-
firing roads engineer, Mr.. W. W. Crosby.
The convention recommended that the State
appropriate fund for a suitable agricultural
exhibit by Maryland at the New Orleans Pur-
chase Exposition.
After thanking the roads committee for its
work in preparing the road bill, the conven-
ton adjourned subject to the call of the COM
mittee, which is composed OF Messrs. o. Her
bert Rice. R. Pierce Choate. G. T. Cockey, Sr.,
W. G. Nicholas, Sr Daniel Shamberger, Mel
Choir Hoshall g. Albert Mays, e. Cuttings
Merryman, D. G. Mcintosh, Edward s. Peerce,
e. F. Raphel, Gottleib Stengel, James Ritten-
house, Alex. Mccormick and Thomas B. Todd.
THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
We respectfully urge upon our representa-
| tives in the Legislature the necessity of fair
primary law for Baltimore county. with Sc
| cret ballot as at general elections and we re-
| commend the extension of the General Primary
| law now limited to Baltimore city to Balti-
| more county.
That we are opposed to any change in the
| number of County Commissioners or in the
length of their term of Office.
That the recommendations of the several
| grand iuries in regard to the building of a new
| Jail should be complied with at the earliest
| possible date.
That we earnestly urge in the appointment
| of the Roads Engineer the selection of the
| man best qualified by experience to NIL this
| important position and that the question: Of
| his present residence be considered only If all
| other qualifications are equal
That this convention Endorses the Brownlow
| bill providing national aid to highways.
| That we do hereby indorse and urge the pas
sage of the bill providing State aid to the high
| ways in the form in which it was adopted at
| the good-roads convention held at the Carroll
| ton Hotel, Baltimore, December I'd last.
| That this convention does hereby indorse
| and approve the measures known as the Ha-
man oyster bill and Haman road law, believ-
| ing firmly that the former offers the best solu-
ton Of the question Of oyster legislation and
the latter provides the most equitable distri-
button of the revenues that may be derived
from the waters of our State.
Has Attained a Good Old Age.-On
| Tuesday last Mr.. John Lindsay celebrated the
| Goth anniversary of his birth at the home OF
| his daughter Mrs. John W. Gollery, OF Wood
| bourne avenue, Govanstown. when family
reunion was held. Among those present were
a daughter, seven grandchildren and three
great-grandchiIdren. During the day Mr..
| Lindsay received congratulations from many
| friends He is still active and has q wonder
full amount of energy for one so aged. Mr..
| Lindsay was born in County Tyrone, ireland,
on January IL, 1914, and came to this country
| when quite young. He has been resident OF
Baltimore and vicinity for ffty-three years.
| He is a carpenter by trade and was among the
/ first mechanics to volunteer in the Civil war.
| He was at Fort Sumter off Charleston, 5. G.,
| when that stronghold was bombarded Dy the
| Confederate troops in 1861. He was one of the
carpenters in the garrison and constructed the
coffin for the first Union soldier killed at Fort
| Sumter.
Death Of an Aged Colored Man.-Charles
| Robinson, colored, who lived for many years
| in his little home on the Jarrettsvile pike, at
| Sunnybr brook, 10th district died few days ago
! at. the age Of about SO years. Charles was
slave to the Sterett family, who then owned
large body of land in that district. A short
time before the outbreak of the Civil War be
ran away, but did not get far from home. 1t
seems bis whereabouts was known BY the late
Charles Bosley. who bought his time from the
Steretts aud soon thereafter he reappeared.
Charles married Mary Ann Daniels, who was
raised by the late Mrs. David Longnecker, OF
| Dulany's Valley. She died few years ago
and her husband, who owned a small property,
left no one near of kin to inherit it. BE left
q will in which Mr.. W. II. Curtis is named as
executor.
A Greatly Afflicted Family This week
DR.. j. 8. Baldwin, sanitary officer for the 9th
district, reported to the County Commissioners
that there are six cases of diphtheria in the
family of George II. Thurman, who lives near
HoffmanviIIe, in that district. 1t will be me-
cessary to burn some of the bed clothing. and
the wearing apparel Of the members of the
family to prevent the spread Of the disease.
l. hoo m