Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-01-12
TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION.
PRESIDENT G. T. MELVIN'S
ADDRESS.
He Explains Its Aims And Pur-
poses Branch Associations
to Be Organized.

ton Of Anne Arundel county the Even
ing Capital herewith prints the adj
dress of President George T. Melvin.
delivered at the last meeting of the
Association on Tuesday of this week.
1t follows:
81 cannot recall that there has ever
been such an urgent need of organiza.
tion and cooperation among the tax
payers of Anne Arundel county as
there is today. In every work of ma
terial development, in every work of
administrative reform. in everything
in which our public interests are con-
cerned. we can accomplish more speedy
and effective results as a united har
monious body of taxpayers and bust
ness men than we can as individuals.
AS body we can act together; as in
dividuals, without organization, we
cannot. As an organization we can
discuss and agree upon measures and
effectively carry them out, where as
individuals holding discordant views
we would fail.
"There are thousands of acres of un-
productive land in our county on
which the owners pay taxes and are
land poor. And yet there are thousands
of homeseekers from foreign conn
tries landed in Baltimore every year
who would gladly buy our surplus I'M
cultivated acres and establish homes
in our midst if we would only open
our doors and invite them to come to
us. AS it is they come ashore aud pass
us by as if we were not ON the map.
They find at the wharf only the eager
representatives of the enterprising
West ready to receive them and hurry
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turn this tide of immigration into
Anne Arundel county? We have vast
ly more attractions for them than they
find in the West We have the most
salubrious climate in the world We
have fertile lands We are convenient
to the city markets. We have hos
pitable people. We have all these
without the disastrous floods and
billiards and drouths of the West. If
by cooperation we can devise means
to bring these people here and locate
them in our county, is there not some
thing to be accomplished by organiza-
ton?
"And there is the matter of taxation.
Who has better right to speak upon
this subject than the people who pay
taxes? We are required TO pay into
the treasury the necessary money to
defray the Legitimate expenses of the
county government economically adj
ministered, and this we cheerfully do;
but we have right to insist that it.
is obligatory upon those into whose
hands the administration of affairs has
been intrusted to exercise diligence
and good Judgment and good con-
science in the performance of their
duties, to the end that our money
shall only he paid for a just and hon.
est equivalent. We have right TO
protest against the payment of the
public money for work not honestly
done or for supplies not honestly fur
nished VIII not our protests against
wrongs be more attentively listened
to and more effective it made as an
organized body?
"Our county commissioners are at
present exercising authority given
them by act of the legislature in re-
vising and equalizing the assessment
of property. In doing this they are
performing very important duty. l
have no hesitation in saying that such
work is greatly to be desired and it
should be carefully done by capable
men. Ii all the taxable property in
Anne Arundel county were fairly and
equally and proportionately assessed,
the general basis of assessment would
be increased at least % per cent, and
the tax rate would be reduced in the
same pIopo tion. 1t is therefore our
plain duty TO render to our county
commissioners every possible assistance
in performing this work thoroughly
and efficiently. Let the committee on
TAXATION aud assessments use every
effort TO bring upon the assessment
books all unassessed real or personal
property AMI have an increased assess
ment put upon all property which is
now undervalued.
1.-The public schools should have our
earnest consideration. In the state as
we'll as in the county, there is better
hope for public education at the pres
emit time than there has ever been.
Governor Warfeld has shown more
energetic and intelligent interest in
this direction than any of his predeces-
sors. His efforts have already borne
good results, and he has promised to
keep in close touch with the school
work in every county. In recent
speech he said I'VE intend to put
our public school system upon plane
equal. if not superior to the public
school system of any state in the
Union. We taxpayers can do much
towards increasing the efficiency of
the schools. In the language of the
Governor we can keep in close touch
with the school work, and see, as we
have a right to see, that it is we'll
done. We can insist, as we have a
right to insist, that every man and
every woman employed in the service
of the public schools, from the highest
to the humblest, who is paid salary,
shall faithfully perform his or her
duties and earn that salary. We have
a right to insist and we shall insist
that all expenditures of the school
funds shall be carefully and economi-
cally made.
Laws and legislation will also claim
the attention of the association. 1t
may be safely asserted that there is al
ways moro fault to be found with the
bad and imperfect execution of exist
ing laws than there is with the lack OF
enough laws. If the laws we already
have were faithfully observed and en-
forced by those charged with their
execution we should have far less 10
complain of. Therefore, our work in
dealing with this subject will be d.
rected towards making present laws
effective as well as securing the pas
sage of new legislation. At every SEES.
sion of the Legislature local laws are
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