The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-12
COMMUNICATED.
To the Editor Of The RepubIican:


Many of the finest and most success
fully managed farms in GrantsviIle,
Accident. Number Eight and other
districts in Garrett county, are owned
and managed by members Of the Dun
kard and Amish churches.
More than sixty years ago many of
them came to my fathers saw mills at
Glendale for white and yellow pine lum-
Der TO build their houses and immense
barns. At first the boys were disposed
to make fun of their queerly cut clothes
with hooks and eyes in place of buttons.
have never forgotten the lecture my
father 1.-THE late Benjamin Tasker) gave
them all on this subject, viz: 'Boys,
want you all to remember that when
ever you see men clothed in that kind
of garments you are looking at honest
and truthful citizens and you must re-
spect them as such.
Later on I kept store and postoffice
for the late Richard Fairall at Accident
and always gave them credit for goods
when they asked for it, and they never
failed tospay up to the cent as promised.
In 1873 established the Garrett County
Herald as an independent newspaper
and most of them subscribed and | am
proud to say that they all paid their
subscriptions ike honest men, which, |
regret to say, is more than can be said
of members of other churches.
They taught our southern people how
to build bank barns 100 feet long. They
never 90 to law with each other, and
whenever they fail to agree they submit
their cases to arbitration.
As a class they are large,taxpayers,
and one object of this letter is to re-
mind them that they are paying at least
% per cent. more taxes than they ought
to pay, ard point out the way for them
to have their taxes reduced. In January,
1855 it was discovered that over two
million dollars worth Of coal lands were
omitted in Garrett and six million dollars
worth in Allegany county were omitted
from the assessment books. The com
missioners Of both counties employed
M as their Special Agent" to abstract
the titles 10 all these untaxed lands.
locate them on the pIats and report
them to the Boards. | was also request
ell to aid in securing the passage Of
suitable laws to end the boundary, dis
putes with West Virginia and Allegany
county | have have faithfully dis
charged my duties in these matters,
but the foreign corporations and trusts
that own these omitted Coal lands have
welded such a power in politics as to
keep these lines in dispute as a pretext
for keeping their lands off the assess
ment books. With Allegany solidly ar
ranged against Garrett there is no hope
of a settlement. have stuck to my Job
for twenty years and know what | am
writing about. The' only hope Of the
taxpayers IS to elect such men to the
Legislature this winter as will authorize
the Governor to appoint a State Agent
clothed with power to compel, if neces-
sary, p fair assessment of these omitted
lands. had such a law introduced in
the Senate last winter but after it had
been "favorably reported" by the
Senate Committee on Finance, it was
STOLEN from the files, presumably by
some of the hired emissaries of these
tax lodging coal corporations and
trusts.
Fortunately | have preserved 1000
copies the 'Tri-State Herald" contain
ing the most complete history ever
published of these outrages, and here
by invite all farmers and taxpayers
generally to call at the Hotel Man
haitian, Oakland, Md, and get as many
copies of these papers as will supply all
their neighbors, regardless Of creeds or
party politics. We are all in the soup
together and must unite in our efforts
to get out.
H. P. TAsKER