Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-02-01
TAXPAYERS LONG Meeting.
THE OFFICERS OF ASSOCIATION
ARE ELECTED.
Agricultural Department In Sym
pathy With Movement Ad-
vccating Economy.
HONEST METHOD FOR WORK
ING ROADS.

The attendance upon the meeting of
the Taxpayers Association on Tues
day was probably the largest since its
organization. Every district was we'll
represented. President Melvin and
Secretary Boswell were present. Mr..
G. l.. Tate acting secretary until the
arrival of Mr.. Boswell. The meeting
was called to order at IL O'Clock and
the minutes of the previous meeting
were read and approved
The President announced that under
the constitution the election Of officers
for the ensuing year was in order.
Mr.. ii. l.. Shipley nominated Mr..
George I. Melvin for president There
being no other nominations, on mo-
tion of Mr.. w. IT. Claude, the secre-
tary was instructed TO cast the ballot
of the association, aud Mr.. Melvin
was declared elsrt = president
Mr.. Samuel Garner, Mr.. w. K
Boswell, MIR. c. T.. Remsen and Mr..
+. l.. Combs were placed in nomina-
ton for secretary. Upon ballot, Mr..
w. A. Shipley and Mr. II. 5. Mancha
acting as tellers, Mr.. Boswell received
majority and was declared elected
secretary. Mr.. w. A. Shipley and
Mr.. @. K. Remsen were nominated for
lEEAAEEt
the election of Mr.. ShipleY.
The President. representing the spe.
cial committee TO confer with the
County Commissioners on the road law
and other legislation, made a report
that the majority of the committee
had agreed upon the proposed Read
Engineer Law, but that after meeting
the County Commissioners they had
decided to report it back TO the Tax
payers Association for its further
consideration
The President then laid before the
Association the following letter re-
ceived from the United States Director
of Public Roads. which was read
U. S Department of Agriculture,
Office of Public Roads,
Washington, ID. @.
January 30. 1906.
Mr.. George T. Melvin, President Tax.
payers Association. Anne Arundel
County, Annapolis, Md.
Dear Sir:
Replying to your favor of the goth
inst, regret that the time is too
short for us to make arrangements TO
send an engineer to address your meet
ing. There is greet pressure of work
upon this office now and our entire
force of engineers is busy in the South
| and West ia the construction Of object
lesson roads.
This office is entirely in sympathy
with you in your efforts to show the
| Taxpayers the great benefit and econ
| omy of having construction work done
under competent engineers. Mr. A.
N. Johnson, who was until very late.
ly the Highway Engineer Of this office,
/ and who is at present State Highway
Engineer of Illinois, prepared an adj.
| dress covering this ground, which was
delivered before the Missouri State
Dairy Association. jefferson, Mo. This
paper was reprinted in The Prairie
Farmer. aud inclose you copy here
with, with the suggestion that you
| or some one else read extracts from
this paper, which you will, no doubt,
| find of interest.
Regretting that we can do no more
| for you at this time
Respectfully,
A. S. CUSHMAN,
Acting Director.
The address referred to in the above
letter by Road Engineer Johnson, at
present State Highway Engineer of H.
linois, headed Systematizing Rural
Roads Under a County Administra.
tion, " was read to the Association by
Mr.. w. Hallam Claude.
Mr. W. &. Boswell su omitted a mi
| nority report of the committee to con.
fer with the County Commissioners.
which was signed by himself, taking
the position that the proposed Road
Engineer Law was not what the peo-
lie wanted and that the present road
law, with some amendments. was all
right. He admitted that changes
should be made in the present law, but
failed to mention what these changes
were, or how tEey should be remedied.
He spoke at considerable length. Mr..
Boswells contention was sustained by
Mr.. ID. X. Dorsey and Mr.. A. A.
Humphrey in short speeches.
Messrs James Cheston, Samuel
Garner, H. l.. Shipley, H. S. Mancha
and others opposed the views of
Messrs. Boswell, Dorsey aud Pumph.
rey, and argued that a new road law
was absolutely needed and that the
engineer law was in the main a good
law. Judge Magruder also took this
view.
Before taking a vote as to whether
the new road engineer law should be
again endorsed by the association, or
whether Mr.. Boswell's opposition
should be sustained, the Presidet call
ed Mr.. w. A. Shipley to the chair and
took the floor, stating that he regret
ted that there was apparent irTeconcil-
able difference of views among the
taxpayers as to what would be a eco
nomical, business system for working
the roads. He said that in the hope
of securing a good law he moved that
the proposed road engineer law and
such other suggestions as taxpayers
may have to make be submitted TO the
County Commissioners and that they
be requested TO have prepared law
which shall secure honest and modern
methods of working the public roads.
Mr.. Melvin's motion was seconded
and unanimously carried.
The question of a county auditor, or
auditing committee, was called up
and the President brought to the at
teDtion of the Taxpayers Association
the following resolution adopted by
the Business Mems Association of An
napolis On January Is. 1906:
1T is the sense of the Business
Mems Association that a law be pass
ed by the legislature authorizing the
appointment of a committee of three
discreet business men aud experienced
accountants to be known as a county
auditing committee 60 examine, audit
and make a statement once a year of
the books aud accounts of all county
officials collecting aud discussing pub