The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-05-19
TO INACCURATE A SUCCESSFUL
CAMPAIGN.


The oyster campaign will be opened
in this State tomorrow evening at
the meeting Of the Deer Greek Farm
ers' Club. The principal address will
be made by Mr.. B. Howard Hannah,
who is too we'll known to require an
introduction to a Hartford audi
ence. Mr.. Hannah has made a con-
sistent fight for legislation on this
subject for number of years, and
from modest beginning he has now
reached the point when his efforts
will be rewarded by the next Legis-
lature, whose members will pass a
law on the lines that he has battled
for so earnestly.
The past twenty years has wit
messed progressiveness in almost
every walk of life, and in this evolu-
ton public matters have kept pace
with the times. 1t requires more
money today to conduct affairs of
state than it did then, and as result
the tax rate has been regularly creep
ing upwards, and a grave response
bility rests with our legislators when
they refuse to tax what ight be
made the most impor tant income to
the State. By tax, we mean the
renting of the oyster beds of the
Chesapeake bay and its tributaries.
Time and again the columns of the
-Egis have shown in figures the
amount of money that could be
raised if the broad waters of the
Chesapeake bay were leased out at a
moderate rental. There is no question
but what every foot of ground would
be taken at fair value if the State
should recognize the tenancy so that
the owners could protect their rent
ais. That this is not experimental is
proven by the more progressive COM
monwealths of the eastern part of
the United States-in fact, Maryland
is almost the only state on the At
lantic coast that does not derive
some revenue from its oyster indus
try.
Oflate years the question of good
roads has been agitated in such a
successful manner as to bring about
at the last session of the Legislature
the passage of the road law that
authorizes the expenditure of $780,
600 each year for the making of per-
nanent macadam highways. The
State officials are just now perplexed
as to whether or not the amount of
money that will be placed in the pub
lie exchequer in the ordinary manner
will be sufficient to prevent a deficit
on account of the adoption of this
law. Coincident with this is the
large increase in the State taxes to
meet the increased expenditure under
the new school law. The only bene-
fit that the average taxpayer gets
back in tangible form is through
these two important channels, yet
both now seem imperiled unless the
State tax rate is increased, or we
adopt progressive steps towards the
utilization of our natural resources
for public income. If a reasonable
measure is passed at the next session
of the Legislature, we can expect in a
few years time revenue from our
oyster beds which will look so large
in actual figures that we now hest
tate to use amounts.
There is no politics in this all i'm
portant matter. Democrats and Re-
publicans alike should unite on this
purely economic question. The tide
water counties have so far baffled
back public opinion in such a manner
as to prevent the desired legislation,
and it remains for the uplands to as
sumo the responsibility of passing
the needed laws.
The campaign of 19O5is just open
ing and it is the duty of every tax
payer to make a firm stand against
every candidate who will not declare
himself in favor of the measure.
There can be no question about expe-
diency or practicability. 1t is only a
few petty politicians who stand
against the people and their desires.
Now is the time to push aside these
triHes and let our State get into the
same class with her more progressive
neighbors, who have long ago
learned the value of their natural re-
sources.
The action of the Cecil county
Democratic Convention in adopting