The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-03-15
CORPORATION OFFICIALS
THROWN INTO 4 PANIC
Trend of Events al Annapolis Cause
of Much Worry to Them.
B. & 0. INVESTIGATION GOING ON

And is Being Watched By People All
Over the State-Vice President
Bond A Constant Attendant-rIr.
SeIby's Book Bill in a Bad Plight.
STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS, March
18th, 1906. The developments of the
past week in the B. e. 0. investigation,
and the attendant course of events
IN the halls of Senate and House have
been enough to throw the corporation
officials now in Annapolis, into about
the worst panic known to those officials
IN years. Maryland at least has awak-
ened up, she is beginning to wonder Just
what compensation she receives for the
peculiarly raw deal she has been receiv-
ing for number of years past, from
her most-favored corporations. There
are states where the people pay no di-
rect taxes at all; the corporations there
pay the entire expense Of State Govern
ment, as well they might considering
the fact that none in the State stands
more in need Of the protection of the
law, and the protection which the strong
arm of the State affords. In MARYLAND
the reverse is true. Every little house
owner pays his taxes to the limit. but
let the B. & O. buy his home, and that
property ceases at once to pay one cent
toward the support Of the State Gov
eminent. There are whole blocks Of
of property in Baltimore, around Cam
dem station, which the B. & O. is buy
ing for trackage facilities. This i'm
provement is necessary and is crafty
ing to Baltimore, but every house pur-
chased and every lot bid in, is a house
and lot removed from the city tax list.
At the b. q O. committees meetings
every afternoon, there is a peculiar
looking, heayy-faced, eXtremely-cold-
looking, man who sits Just back of and
very close to the Baltimore and Ohio
witnesses, as they testify. He usually
has his arms folded, and his head with
its eXpressienless face turns slowly. al
most mechanically, until the eyes can
take in whoever it is that is speaking,
the witness, or one of the inquisitors.
From time to time, when making an
swers, these 3. & O. employees turn to
look at the man, as though for corobor-
alton or sympathy. They might as well
expect the one from a block of ice on a
January day, and the other from new
hooked shark. The gentleman is Mr..
Hugh Bond, vice-president of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, and the man
who can tell, if he is questioned proper
Iy, more than anyone, or possibly every
one else connected with the road put to-
gether, for he has grown up with all the
deals 1t has made and all it's transac-
tons, than is Mr.. Murray himself, who
is comparatively a new conner.
Mr.. Bond has been described as own
ing an eXpressionIess face, this will'gen-
orally be conceded, and yet as he sits
in the old Senate chamber, evening af-
ter evening with his arms folded, and
his eyes never away from the faces of
those who are speaking, there is some
thing extremely suggestiveIin the mans
whole bearing, attitude. He looks as
though he-were fairly boiling over with
rage-suppressed rage The arrogance
OF high railway officials is proverbial,
and Mr.. Bond is the personifcation of
the railway official. He is down at An
napolis watching his witnesses, no hear
what they testify, and waiting until he
shall himself be called. He is too cold,
passionless, of course to do any such
thing, but if his supposed rage could be
pricked to the bursting point by as ex-
man as Mr.. Hayes for
example can be in questioning, the hear
ings might be greatly enlivened. 1t is
if any in the room would ap-
preciate such development as this more
than his own subordinate railway offic-
ials If may only be an appearance, but
the expression on the face of every one
Of these when they have looked around
at him intentionally from time to time,
has been almost Enthusiastically, fear and
dislike. They might be imagined as
liking him, just as easily as the could
be conceived as admiring and feeling
fondness for a cuttlefsh, perched there
in his place.
The compromise oyster bill will pass
the Senate, but what will happen to it
in the House it is impossible to say
Two weeks ago the Hannah bill, appar-
emily had less chance of passage than it
had had in many years. When the mea-
sure finally came up, in the Senate it
was discovered that there were sixteen
votes at hand in the measures favor, or
enough and more to pass the bill abso-
Iutely. If the Haman bill is the iniqui.
tous measure which the Eastern Shore