Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-08-11
TO THE PUBLIC!
MIR. James W. Owens Announces
His Candidacy For The State
Senate In The Demo-
cratic Primaries.
PLANKS in HIS PLATFORM.
Absolute Repeal Of Haman Oyster
Law-0ppOsed To State Wide
Local Option But FavOrs High
~ License.

have previously announced nv
candidacy for State Senate to be de-
termined at the Democratic primaries.
l beg leave to state the following
items as platform on which l stand :
First-Absolute repeal of the Ha-
man Oyster Culture Law-$2OO,0 600
spent in surveys and salaries, and
every buoy in the rivers or bays de-
stroyed by the teredo so that there is
no starting point in leased grounds.
Second-Opposed to Statewide To-
cal option. l approve the present
high licenses and believe in strict en-
forcement of the law.
Third-That our county officials
charged with the duty should suppress
the liquor traffic in the Third district,
where twenty-eight saloons are now
running with United States Govern
ment licenses, without State licenses.
Fourth-Opposition to increased rep
resentation for Baltimore city. The
Baltimore people say that they pay
the greater proportion of the State
taxes, but in answer to this l respect
fully suggest that the exemption from
taxation of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road Company was the cause of the
building up of Baltimore and making
its increased taxable basis. If those
exemptions had paid taxes since 1928
there would be no occasion for the
levying of any State tax now, as the
franchise taxes and licenses would run
the State government.
Fifth-The Sheriff of the county re-
ceives salary of $4,000 a year, and
his fees for all civil business, and in
view of the fact that about five hund-
red cases are tried and disposed of
each year, the law and equity sides of
the Court, his civil fees must amount
TO So, 900 more. Therefore, cut down
the saalary.
Sixth-A salary of 81, 900 a year TO
the County Treasurer and $1,000 to
his Clerk. Really, as the Clerk does
all of the business and the county pays
for the bonds, this salary should be
reversed, the Clerk get the $4,000 and
the Treasurer $1,000. The Treasurer
now receives a salary of 1900 as
County Treasurer and 81 200 for col
lectioon of State taxes. Out of this
he pays his clerk. There about 5000
taxpayers in Anne Arundel county, at
least one-half of these are generally
in default, a taxbill is served by a
Constable who receives 25 cents for
it, and then there is an additional
charge of $1.25 for levy. The
amount of $1.25 against 1000 people
means $4,000. am in favor of
amending the treasury law, so that
no levy fee shall be charged, and the
poor taxpayers may have the benefit
of it.
Seventh-During the fiscal years of
1909 and 1910, and 1910 and 1911, the
county spent STA, 600 on roads, and
each year a similar amount will be
spent for clearing bitches. We want
permanent roads and the present sys-
tenn should be abolished and some
thing more logical adopted by which
we are to get permanent results.
Eighth also shall advocate that
no man who is Supervisor of Elec-
tion and appoints the machinery for
elections shall be eligible as a candi-
date for any Office after he has made
appointments of election officials.
Ninth agree with Senator Ray
ner in his letter published in the Sun
of August 10, in which he decrys the
fact that the political officials of the
county shall in their official capacity,
name ticket, when the object of the
law is Democratic principle of the
peoples ruling.
Tenth shall protest against the
appointment of corrupt election Off
cials. A number of those appointed
this year are viciously corrupt.
place no blame upon the Supervisors,
as they have to take the advice of the
district leaders as to the proper men
to appoint without really knowing
who they are.
(Signed) JAMES w. OWENS.
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