The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-10-10

an improved system OF accounting
whereby every dollar of expendi-
ture and receipt could be complete
ly accounted for and easily ascer-
tanned.
Third-General Shryock, as
treasurer, initiated and success
fully carried through funding of
the debt of the State earring 6 per
cent. interest into bond at : per
cent, thereby enabling the ad-
mlnlstration to reduce the State
taxes from ia cents to I6 cents,
although cents more than ever
before were added to the tax rate
OF the State for the pu- pose of
furnishing free school books to the
children and promot ng the cause
of education.
Fourth-Our comptrollers not on
ly carried out the policy of requir-
ing interest on the State deposits
to be paid to the State, which
policy had only been begun by
their predeces. Or in 1893, and
which had only yielded $1,000,
as against $500 under them, but
when Mr.. Goldsborough found
out that certain State collectors,
VIGOROUSLY the clerks of the court
of common pleas were receiving
interest on State funds and apply
ing it to their own use as a pc
quisit of the Office, he broke I'D
that improper practice and requir-
ed this interest to be paid over to
the State. He even went trrther
and instituted suits against former
officials in these post ions who had
appropriated Idndshom this source
and collected considerable sums
of money from the late I. Freeman
Rasin for interests received by him
when clerk of the court of common
pleas. I submit that although
these circumstances may not have
been considered or discovered by
the Sun in its search for facts, "
they may fairly be considered by
the public in determining whether
l was justified in saying that the
administration Of our Republican
treasurer and comptrollers was
efficient" and business-like.
Now, as to the question of whe-
Their the Republican administration
inaugurated the policy of dispos-
ing of the assets of the State held
in its treasury, thereby reducing
its public debt and decreasing the
burdens Of the people. If there
was any treasurer of the State of
Maryland who explained and ad-
vocated that policy until General
Shryock did so when he was treas
urer, from 1896 to 1900, it is very
proper for the Sun to enlighten us
on that point. Certain it is that
the Republican treasurer did so
most clearly and forcibly, especial
ly showing that by disposing of
the annuity Of 100000 a year by
the Northern Central Railway
Company on 3 per cent. basis
(Which could probably have been
obtained at that time) S., 900, 900
could be realized and the entire
debt Of the State paid off. More
over, by the act of 1896 the board
of public works was expressly
authorized to sell the ffty-fve
hundred shares of the Washington
Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad" (the sale Of which had
been prohibited by the act of
1922, the sale of which stock by
Governor Warfeld and the legis-
lature of 1906 was the sole reason
for the reduction of our State tax
rate from 23H cents to II cents at
the present time. The reason it
could not be sold at the time of
the passage of the act of 1906 and
for several years afterward at a
proper price was the impending
financial troubles of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad and its reorgani-
cation under a receivership.
The Sun, in order TO minimize
the effect of this act of 1906, states
that this act was believed to be