Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-07-13
OTHER MISREPRESENTATION
CORRECTED.
The Other Side of Important Local
Matters Fairly Explained.

Matters Fairly Explained.
TO the Editor Of the Montgomery Advocate !.
Permit me to congratulate you upon the
increased discussion and publicity In the
Advocate as to local matters which In the
past were handled quietly and without much
Information getting out to the public. In
order, however, to have weight with the
people your statements of fact must be &C.
curate and fair and should not omit or gloss
over the main points or facts involved In
any matter or discussion, especially where
such main point is one which would tend
TO controvert the conclusion you desire to
reach. Absolute accuracy is perhaps inn
possible even to disinterested mind and
political bias may tend to make 1t more
difficult Of attainment. This Is why in legal
and political matters, it Is always advisable
to hear both sides before reaching conclu-
sion upon any matter of importance. Par.
don these preliminary observations, but the
public will realize how important they are
especially in dealing with so strong par
tisan as yourself, Mr.. Editor.
Referring to your account In the Advocate
OF July 9th of the discussion before the
County Commissioners between Mr.. Pretty
man and myself, your publication omits to
mention the main points under discussion.
These were: LIST, Shall the Montgomery
County National Bank and other holders
In this county be exempted from county
taxes to the amount OF their holdings Of
Baltimore City stock or bondsf 2nd, Are
the firm of Talbot g. Prettyman, Attorneys
for the Commissioners and attorneys for the
bank, the proper lawyers for the Commits
sioners to consult In respect to bringing a
suit against the bank, or should special coun-
sci be employed In this casee
1t had been suggested to me OF late by two
attorneys and prominent officials OF Balti'
more that certain statute was being i'm
properly construed by the State Tax Com
missioner to give an exemption from taxa.
ton to holders of Baltimore City stock In
the counties. These gentlemen knew the
interest had taken In this matter before the
General Assembly last winter through my
efforts to have the burden OF taxation taken
of the farmers and other real estate holders
Of our county and properly placed upon or
shared by the railroads, banks and other cor
porations. These suggestions, 30 far as have
been able to look into them, seem well based
in law, and have been submitted BY me to
the County Commissioners. The Commits
soners agreed to investigate the question as
to whether this statute, which, as construed,
CAttLCly CAStuPtb tbO AAOAbe5oAASAy
County National Bank from county taxa
ton, is being properly construed by the State
Tax Commissioner. They agreed, as un-
derstood them, to push this inquiry vigor-
ously. A minor question arose as to whether
or not they should levy for this year regard
less Of the return OF the State Tax Commits
sioner. l thought 1t would be wise TO do 30
as the county's position might be strength
ened and could not be weakened by putting
10 claim for this years taxes which might
otherwise be lost.
The County Commissioners concluded not
TO levy for this years taxes and do not
dispute the wisdom of their conclusion, as
there may be other methods of recovering
it, The main discussion that arose, how
ever, was whether or not Mr.. Prettyman is
the proper lawyer to give an opinion to the
County Commissioners on this subject.
thought not, although / have long been q
strong personal friend of MIR. Prettyman
and have the highest respect for his legal
learning and personal integrity. 1t did not
seem proper that he should advise the County
Commissioners whether or not they should
bring suit against his client, the bank, to
collect these taxes alleged to be due, or that
he should in any manner pass upon this
claim against his said client. MIR. Pretty
ulhu lcuutEcu uin LCslBuetiOup IL bhO OOhA
missioners desired it, but that was wholly
unnecessary and there was no occasion for
the resignation. All that was necessary and
all that thought proper to suggest was that
special counsel should be secured for the
Commissioners in respect to this one matter.
There is no necessity because Of this case for
Mr.. Prettyman either to sever his general
relationship with the County Commissioners
or with the bank, but only In this case OF
conflicting interest all precedents demand
there should be special attorney. To illus.
trate the situation, what would be thought
of President Roosevelt If he had asked the
attorneys of the beef trust whether or not
the great officials of that trust should be
brought to the bar Of justice?
As legislative agent of this county and
as an individual taxpayer, am doing my
best to compel all corporations to pay their
fair shares of the taxes. Aside from all ques-
tions Of law involved In the case of the Mont.
gomery County National Bank, 1t strikes
me, as taxpayer, as singular that an insti'
tuition, deriving all of its resources from
Montgomery county, should think 1t proper
to buy stock, which the bank claims, ex-
empts it from county taxes, and thus, as one
OF the largest local corporations, escape pay
ing its fair proportion OF the county's ex.
penses. / understand that last year this
bank paid taxes to the amount of $527.80
ON capital stock. This year under the al
legged exemption 1t pays only $40 81 on capt.
tai stock. The difference, $461.13, Is an an
nual LOGS TO the county and must be borne
by other taxpayers unless 1t can be recov-
cred. Ii is most unlikely that an institu-
ton which has deliberately sought TO escape
lts fair proportion Of the taxes Will volnn-
tarily acknowledge The uBpatTiotic aspect
OF its conduct and offer restitution. tbs 10
broad question and affects every taxpayer
and applies to other corporations as well as
this particular bank, Not only should this
bank pay its taxes, but the exemption OF the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company'B
bridges should be repealed and every other
corporation should be compelled to share
with the individual citizens the burdens OF
Government. The only important Bills local
TO our county which failed In the General As
sembly last winter were those repeating the
exemptions Of certain corporations from tax
alton, and which failed through no fault
of the Montgomery county delegation, but
through the power Of the corporations we
sought to tax. am advised that the bridges
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in this
county, if not exempted, would contribute
about $1,000 annually to the county's reve-
nue. and greatly reduce the tax rate on the
people. While we are endeavoring to reach
corporations that have long escaped their
proper taxes, it is especially important that
the new departure or new exemption claim.
ed by the Montgomery County National
Bank should be vigorously opposed, for, II
freedom from taxation under this Baltimore
City stock be allowed for this corporation
In our county, others may rapidly avail
themselves OF it also and thus increase the
burdens now upon the people.
Respectfully,
BLAIR LEE.
Silver Spring, July 9th, 1905.