Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-01-24
Awakening OF TAXPAYERS.
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING HELD
AT THE COURT HOUSE.
The County Commissioners Asked
For a Hearing In Regard to
Proposed New
Laws.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED ON
COUNTY AUDITING BILL.


siastic meeting yesterday. Heretofore
the meetings have been held in the
Court House and il was not generally
known until most the of county mem
bers had arrived in the city that the
court room would be occupied for the
trial of cases before the Circuit Court.
The association was without a room
to hole its meeting but in the absence
of better place the members were in
vited to assemble in the lobby of Hotel
Maryland
After calling the meeting to order
President Melvin stated that the COM
mittee appointed at the previous
meeting to consider the road law had
met and revised the law and that in
anticipation that there would be no
suitable room he had submitted the
law to the County Commissioners an
requested the board TO look into its
provisions and take such action upon
it as they thought proper. He further
stated that he had left with the Coun-
ty Commissioners the proposed County
Auditing Committee Law.
Mr.. William O. Crane stated that
he had every confidence in the present
County Commissioners and that while
he endorsed the action of the Presi.
dent in laying the proposed bill before
them for their approval or disapproval
he nevertheless believed that so rep
resentative a body of taxpayers as ours
ought to have decided views of their
own upon such important subjects as
are being considered and he moved
that committee of two from each dis
trict be appointed to wait upon the
County Commissioners and ask them
for hearing in regard to the proposed
laws. The motion was seconded and
supported in speech by Mr.. Henry
A. Bassford. The proposition was also
supported by Mr.. James Cheston.
Upon vote the motion was adopted
and the following committee was
chosen: First district James Oheston
and ]. Rogers Wollen Second district.
w. K. Boswell and Benjamin Wat
kins; Third district, Henry Bassford
and John T.. Pettibone Fourth dis
trio, A. A. Pumphrey and Arthur A.
Downes; Fifth district. h. l.. Shipley
and Dr. @. A. Brooke; Sixth distri ct,
A. L. Goodman and George /. Melvin !;
Eighth district w. f. Petherbridge
and w. +. Chaney.
The mmittee later waited upon
the County Commissioners and were
very courteously received. 1t was
agreed that they would have a joint
meeting on Friday, the Goth.
Mr.. w. A. Shipley moved that it be
declared as the sense of the association
that the law known as the Judges
Pension Law" ought to be repealed,
and that our representatives. in the
Legislature be requested to use their
best efforts TO secure such repeal. This
motion was seconded and supported
by Mr.. w. *. Boswell, but was op-
posed by Mr.. James Cheston. The
motion was carried. and the secretary
was instructed to communicate the
action of the association to our Sena-
tor and members of the House of
Delegates.
On motion by Mr. Boswell it was
ordered that the County Commission.
ers be requested to ascertain at the
earliest possible time the amount of
the floating Indebtedness of the coun-
ty SO that law may be passed placing
the county upon a cash basis.
The President submitted a letter
from Mr. W. Frank OhRney which was
read, and contained the following
recommendations:
81 fully realize that something
should be done to decrease our ever
| increasing tax rate. Several things
have suggested themselves TO me, and
l take toe liberty TO herewith hand
you a few of these suggestions, and
| feel satisfied that if bills through your
organization be introduced by our rep
resentatives and passed you will have
accomplished something that will re-
lieve to great extent the already over
burdened taxpayers and will make
your association so strong that you
will run every selfish politician out
of the county, if there are any such.
First-Urge our members to do all
in their power to repeal the law Civ
ing our judges 81, 600 per year pension
after they have reached the age of sew
en:y.
Second--A bill to require every per-
son who owns vehicle in our county
to nay a wheel tax, said tax TO 60 to
the road fund
Third--A bill TO require every voter
in Anne Arundel county who wishs
to exercise the right of franchise to
pay for such privilege the sum of 81
said tax to go TO the school fund.
Fourth-A bill 10 incorporate Brook
lyn. Eastport and Curtis Bay.
Fifth-A bill to place small toll
upon all the large bridges in Anne
Arundel county. a sufficient charge to
| keep said bridges in repair.
Sixth-A bill to require all towns in
Anne Arundel county to pay their
own court expenses in all cases where
the liquor traffic is the direct cause of
such cases.
The first of Mr.. Chauey's PROPOSE
tions was taken up and discussed and
on motion of Mr.. W. A. Shipley, was
approved, Mr.. James Cheston oppos-
ing the motion and Mr.. w. X. Bos-
we'll supporting it. The secretary
was directed to communicate the ac-
tion of the association to our Senator
and members Of the House OF Dele
gates and request them.to use their en-
deavors to secore the repeal of the
law.
/ The second proposition was adopted
] in modified form, so that the tax
should apply TO vehicles owned by per-
sons not on the assessment books The
action was unanimous on this ques.
tiob. The association disapproved the
third proposition. The other PROPOSE.
/ tions were discussed but no definite
action was taken. The association ad.
journed to meet next Tuesday.