Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-03-20

the bill was called up as the 5IfAA
sat 3, Senator Lee offered an amend meet
n constituted an amendment % the va2ie
al, aud which instead OK legaIsing % eA~
emption provided that the.banks holding Y
stock in question should ~ .ato an e 1ity
eoart, prove that they have bee. --i'.sSi F7Ea
g. " the exiee, uffurir ieir-y Inronga DaY
ing cts stock thei lney beieged cou'd
gsed as scl 9H against city taxation on t-a
capital siosz
senate, lathicum began the Debate bg
cry ging for We bill and declaring 'hat t,s
.j1.ora CITY Senator's were untt 10 j. 20
pi lie resented Senator Lees interest in
.la idestiou, and said; "While tue ota
Aom Montgomery is good friend 10
win yoQ, he "a most pestiierons hieaa
havg agsins. yOu,
Seuetas Zoe has taken the deepest ~ as
ia tJ,s subject, aud as the result Of iega ~
cradaes Instituted by him tho Copr' APP
pea decided that city stock held aF Mont
gomory county national bank was aoS exemf
from taxation. II wna This decision that led
to the drafting Of Tho Cars BIZ.
In reply TO Senator Lluthicum, Senator Lee
said that the question Fee.ned to nav Oeen
thrr on dim by gete 1t involved something
like $50, 900 70 SlO0, 900 year in tax, nd
he IS glad 10 earn from Senator LII,
tina, baltimore city was so rich that 1t did not
lion off the rich corporations and putting 1t
or the shoulders of the poor. He thought that
If Baltimore city should straighten out Its tax
questions and place the burdens where they
belong, it will by reason OF its cheapness as
a place OF residence have an unrivaled posi-
ton among the cities of the United States.
"What" he asked, ''is the position OF bond
holderswho are afraid to go into court to
establish their equity They are ashamed OF
their case II they are opposed to this amend
ment."
Senator Lee then went on TO declare that
this was a question of taxation involving
the whole State and mott baltimore alone. He
said the Court of Appeals had uprooted the
system Of special privileges in favor OF wealth.
and the responsibility of re-establishing At
was on a Democratic Legislature. ''rhe
system" he said, 'gives the banks q ~ ex-
emption, when they might have had 80
cent one.n
The Senator read from the BALTIC. News an
editorial in which II was declared that Gen.
John Gill, president Of the Mercantile Trust
and Deposit Company, had withdrawn his
advertising from that paper because II had
published a statement from the judges oil me
Appeal Tax Court on this very subject oil
stock-tax exemption. Continuing Senator
Lee said there had been no investigation Of
this subject except by the Appeal Tax Court,
and read Mayor Mahools message on the sub
ject. "There is a great power behind this
BILL" said Senator Lee, with emphasis, land
do not blame the Baltimore city members
for being tenderfooted on the subject and
leaving this for some rash man. They don't
want to be rushed up against buzz saw"
Three members of the Baltimore City FL
nance Commission, Senator Lee declared,
were disqualified from acting on the ques-
ton because Of their connection with imam
cial institutions which owned city st.
asserted that there had never been ahs =
on Baltimore city stocks, as this was contrary
TO law, but the question was whethr the
banks shall havs double exemption. There
never was such an exemption known oil In
the United States, he declared.
''GOvernor Warfeld Is quoted in the pa
pers as in favor Of the Cans bill, said SEN
ator Lee, sarcastically. at Is the one thing
on which he and the Senator from Howard
seem to agree. 1t means $4,000 to Govern
or Warfeld' 8 company"
Senator Lee blamed the State Tax Commits
sioner for the mischief that had been done,
and said the city stock sold at higher prices
before the law Of 1886 was passed than IL
had afterward, and the higher prices did not
come about till the hocus-pocus had taken
place some time later.
Senator Lee spoke for nearly two hours,
making clear and able exposition OF the
case from his viewpoint and quoting legal
decisions in support of his position.
Senator German replied briefly, saying
Senator Lees argument was irrelevant and
that he had started out with the wrong prem
ises. lie argued that the faith OF the city
had been pledged to the exemption and that
IL was for the Legislature to confirm this
Senator Linthicum spoke again, and Sena-
tor Lee, in reply, said the question involved
a sum amounting to no less than ISL, $780,
900 in 10 years to Baltimore city. tie assert
ed that the Senator from Howard was deny
ing the right of the common people TO have
hearing. The Court OF Appeals, the APP
peal Tax Court of Baltimore City and Prof.
j. H. Hollander, the tax expert, had all de-
cided against the claim of exemption.
President Seth made short speech In favor
of the BILL and then the amendment was de.
feated by is to 2, the only member Young
with Senator Lee being Senator France.
There followed half dozen more amend
m ens, each designed 10 break the force OF
the bill or to make 1t less sweeping and,
supporting these Senator Lee said the senate
did not seem to know what serious thing
IL was doing, nor did 1t appear TO understand
tn question before IT.