Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-22
SOME LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
ITEMS OF INTEREST GATHER
ED AT STATE HOUSE.
The B & o. Wrangie-Talk Of "A
Fair Price" For States
Stock Old And New
Bell Ringers.
OTHER WAYS OF KILLING DOG
THAN BY CHOKING.

THAN BY CHOKING.
The men who are representing the
people of Maryland in the fight against
the B. x O. now going on ut Annapo.
lis. have no right 20 talk of selling
the States interest ia the Washing.
ton Branch OF the Baltimore aud
Ohio Railroad. for cent less than
all il is worth.
A fair price is not a fair price
unless it represents the greatest sum
which can be exacted Tor this proper
ty. No iudivid lal, with any sense.
would sell for less-why should the
State
The people should he thankful for
prospective fair price, aud still mere
thankful that this Legislature has
discovered that $500 a share is not q
fair price. But, further investiga-
tion may develop that $3.50 a share is
not a fair price either. The lure of
speedy reduction Of the tax rate ia ex.
change for an immediate. but proc
ably sacrifice sale, even at $3.50 a
share. is not a new idea.
Apparently there is no real good rea.
son for selling the States interest in
the Washington Branch of the B. & O.
at once, except that a number of gem
tIemen now in public life soon come
up again for reelection and as they
will know. the plea Il lowered your
taxes, . is a good campaign argument.
1t undoubtedly is, but If YOU hadn't
been in such hurry, someone might
have lowered them still more may
not be a bad answer Who in the
world but politicians playing politics
on time margin would talk Of sell
ing property as soon rs possible
when Congress has already appro-
priated S 500, 600, and when all that
the State has got to do is wait in
order to get its due proportion
Most any individual would want this
appropriation first and would talk
sell" afterward.
The present State administration
seems TO be doing everything in it's
power to be in position to avail it
self of this campaign plea when the
sale at $3.50, 600 was apparently a bet.
ter business proposition-Mr Vandi-
yer did not think so-provided the
cash be received now, than half
million or million or two, to be
paid later on, possibly during the ad-
ministration of someone else, who
might get the credit for it.
- -, a..
Branch investigation is strongly anal
gous to tue tail wagging the dog, with
all the fleas on the-6og in constant
frantic terror of being shaken off.
There has been very evident fear of
the b. q .. among some members of
this comm ittee since the investigation
began, and the attendant talk of
selling at a fair price" CT "rea-
sonable price" rather than Ego into
what will certainly prove long and
expensive litigation" is hut an evi
deCe of that fear. This view Of the
situation completely ignores the great
strength of the States case. 1t also
ignores the fact that right and justice
are at times more TO American peo-
pie than mere money. Has il come to
such a pass with the people of this
State that there is nothing any more
in their sight but money, money,
money
Talk Of a fair price" until the in
vestigation has gone the limit, and
everything possible to learn has been
learned is perfect foolishness or almost
criminal personal interest, as anyone
who will look at the situation for a
moment must see 1t is impossible to
tell. short of a complete investigation
how much the b. q G.. has mulcted
the Washington Branch dnring all
these years n unfair arrangements of
every kind terminals, undue assess
ments, withheld dividends, excessive
commissions and every ether sort of
rank leg. pulling which an individual
would naturally suffer at the hands Of
an unscrupulous and unhampered
power, which is at once paymaster.
sole checks on his own accounts. and
sole arbiter of the charges he shall de-
| serve 1t is. further, impossible to
tell, short of a complete investigation
how much of all this vast sum may be
| recovered by proceedings It is not
impossible thar By the time such IA
stage has been reached the B. & o.
will be ready and only too willing 10
ESCAPE Aul tl4eE punishment Dy paw ylUg
all that this ioots up TO, besides q fair
valuation on the stock conidering such
price what the property is worth to
it and recognizing the hopelessness Of
ccntesting what even now appears an
incontestable case. a big corpora
tion is no more anxious to go into
expensive litigation than is the State.
and is just a. much less anxious. as
its case is weager. The very purpose
of this Investigation is TO determine
what the stock is worth. aow does
anyboay know what il is worth
$3.50, 000-any figure Is guessing. Ii
may total up to 50, 600 share for ali
any member of the committee can say
to the contrary.
Also there are many more ways Of
killing dog than by the prosaic old
method of choking him to death on
too much Lowney's; the b. & o. 3
tax -emptioH privileges are iireparabIe.
and have long been allowed to liass as
an unavoidable evil and yet we all
know that there IS way to reach
this situation and that eventually 1t
will be reached. Is there no similar
wav TO club thick headed rorn--a