The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1913-04-25
Friday, April 18th, 1913
Taxpayers Association

approved. Report of Committee on
General Welfare read and adopted.
Motion was made to suspend the
rules and adopt resolution relating
to horse racing at Upper Marlboro.
The motion was carried and the reso-
luton was rejected.
The Committee on Roads and
Bridges reported favora bic on the
resolution referred to it at the pre-
yious meeting, viz;
Resolved, That the Road Engineer
be and is hereby requested to prepare
for the use of the Taxpayers Asso-
citation Prince Georges county, and
the people of said comfy generally,
special report, to be submitted to the
public by or before the first day Of
October next. embodying the follow
ing information;
1st. The location of such portions
of county roads as, in his opinion,
come under the provisions of law
which requires the assistance and
supervision of an engineer in bringing
same into condition Of permanent
usefulness.
and. The location OF each bridge
and culvert which he NAV think
should be of permanent construction,
together with an estimate of proper
cost of same.
grid. The location of each steep hill
or other place requiring an expensive
change of grade and of each stretch OF
road involving an important drainage
problem.
4th. Any further data which, in his
opinion, would be useful to the public
in determining the need, if any, of
further funds to be raised by taxation
or the sale of bonds for road purposes.
Resolved further. That the Secre
tary of the Association be and is here
by instructed to send copy of these
resolutions 10 the Road Engineer of
this county, asking him to acknowl
edge receipt of same and indicate the
extent to which he can comply with
this request.
Upon motion the report and reso-
lutions were adopted.
MIR. E. P. Gibbs was called upon to
give his promised lecture on the sub
ject: How can we best improve and
maintain our Highways"
He disposed of the same with great
ability, showing that our county roads
could be improved and maintained in
good condition bv the use of the road
drag, at much less cost than by the
present unsatisfactory and inefficient
methods.
Mr.. Gibbs is practical road builder
and speaks from experience, and the
improved condition of the roads in
his neighborhood are the result of his
skill in road work. A vote of thanks
was extended to Mr.. Gibbs for his
instructive lecture.
Upon motion the following reso-
luton was adopted, viz:
Resolved, That the President of the
Tax-Payers' Association appoint a
Committee Of three to arrange for
course of lectures on the subject of
Good Roads, to beld on alternate
Saturday afternoons, at 3 O'Clock, in
the hall at Mitchellville.
Committee appointed Franklin
Weems, E. P. Gibbs, John M. Bowie.
The Special Committee on Schools
submitted the following report, which
was adopted upon motion, viz:
Reply of the Tax Payers Associa-
ton to the communication of School
Board:
To the Honorable School Board
of Prince Georges County,
GENTLEMEN :+Your esteemed reply
to the resolution of this Association
was duly received. and we respectful
ly submit the following acknowledge
ment
Whilst we are gratifed to be in
formed that you were paying a per
cent. ant not per cent, interest upon
your Indebtedness, we were surprised
by the statement, as he banks gener-
ally are paying per cent interest
upon their savings deposits, and it is
scarce ly reasonable 10 suppose that
they should invest the money upon
the same terms.
Whilst the receipts of the School
Board for the last fiscal year amount
ed to the enormous sum of SIoz,5IS az.
yet it seems that only $500 were
paid in its indebtedness, and there is
yet a debt OF $4,000; and notwith-
standing these deplora BILE conditions,
the School Board is evidently in favor
of erecting larger and fre-proof
building at Capitol Heights, where
there is already commodious and
practically new building, to satisfy
the unreasonable demands Of the pop
ulation and to enhance the value of
their property when some of the
school buildings in this section are
practically uninha bitable, and GER
tainly none hre-proof.
We were rather surprised by your
statement, that $Ioo, and not 500,
was the cost of advertising by the
0(h0Oi WHICH TIC secretary
report for the last year plainly shows
that the bringing cost the taxpayer
$Io3.75; advertising S1oo. and print
ing again S5S.53-and these three
items alone certainly amount to over
SIoo.
Besides it was published in one of
the county papers fully weeks ago,
that S7oo had been paid for this work,
and which statement was never con-
tradicted before by your Board.
Whilst the Secretary of your Board
receives salary of 81 200 year, 5000
are also allowed him for expenses,
which is generally considered ex-
cessive, and, besides this. the fax
payers are even forced to pay him $40
10 defray the cost of his bond, which
is justly considered an injustice and
an imposition upon them, even if law
full
Included in this last report is a
charge of s.. 522.S1, under the caption
of Incidental and Sanitary Costs"