The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1913-04-26
TAX COMMISSION
MEETS AT ELkTON

AS announced In last weeks local pa
pers, The State Tax Commission held
public meeting in the Court House at Elk
ton on Wednesday afternoon from 4.sj 70
5 o'clock. The Commission, created y
the last Legislature, to study tax ques-
tions in this State and report thereon to
the next Legislature, is bipartisan
body. consisting OF three Republicans ana
three Democrats. Its chairman is Mr.. J.
Henry Baker. President Of The Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, OF Balti-
more; Allan G. Girdwood Esq is its Sec
retary; other members are ]. Barry Ma
hool. formerly Mayor of Baltimore;
Messrs. q. Stanley Gary and Vernon Cook
of Baltimore, J. H. Gambrill. Jr.. Of Fred
erick, and William N. Cooper, of Sails
bury.
The Commission Is visiting each county
in the State. carrying with it az official
stenoerapher Mr.. J. W. Mehling, Assist
ant Secretary OF the. Merchants and Manu-
| facturers Association. The object OF these
VISITS .s to confer with the citizens OF the
respective counties on tax questions and
receive from such citizens any suggestions
| they may have to make on the subject
Of taxation In State and county. Very
lew OF the cSrizens OF Cecil met the Com
missron;y amongst the public officials
| present were Clerk of the Court Cecil
Kirk, and Deputy Clerk Charles L. Pea
| cock, superintendent of SCHOOLS j.. NJ.
Mcvey, State s Attorney Henry L. Con-
stable and Dr. H. Arthur Mitchell, Presi-
dent OF Elktons Town Council. Several
members OF the bar, two or three busi-
ness men and eight or ten farmers made
| up the rest of the audience. The small
| attendance led President Baker, Of the
Commission, to very naturally remark in
has opening statement that the people
| OF Cecil county are evidently satlsned
with their. tax conditions and do not feel
| the necessity of interesting themselves
| IN any discussion of the matter" He
| then asked for remarks by those present.
Mr.. F. E. Williams emphasized the
point that Maryland scaIe or expendi-
lures mas very RAPIDLY r.sen OF late
years and that the burden OF taxation
mist necessarily go on increasing unless
there is some retl enchment in the lavish
expenditures and appropriations OF the
state. He called attention to the warn
| ing OF the last Comptrollers report
| "nlch ho.sts the danger signal and calls
| ,or sop to further large appropria-
| ions in the near future. Roads, schools,
elections and Courts, Mr.. Williams said,
are the four great public expenses; upon
which Secretary GIrdwood of the Com
mission remarked that the States most
LAVISH expenditures, next to that for
roads, are the great amounts appropriated
| Ior charipies >.
| Mr.. H. NJ Mccullough deplored the way
an unequal share OF the tax burden is
placed on real estate, personar property
not being fairly reached; thought some
way SHOULD be devised to remedy this
condition. Chairman Baker here re-
marked that in some counties securities
were not reached for taxation at all.
Chairman Baker asked for some dis
cussion of the relation of schools to the
tax rate and asked why it is that Cecil
has the largest per capita expenditure
for schools of any county in tbe State.
Superintendent McVey reviewed the sit
uation in this county at length, in re-
sponse to this question.
Messrs. A. b. and W. R. Cameron
thought that the improved roads resulted
IN an increased value to farm lands of
at least S1O per acre, but said no account
mas Deen taken of this Increased value
IN mak!Sg the last assessment Mr.. Will
laims thought that, while the stone roads
might make farms bring more money
\ When thrown on the market, it is an
open question in the minds OF practical
men as to whether they materially in
crease the value of farms as an operat-
| ing plant, in all sections. He had no
| doubt that the growing tax burden is
| decidedly against farm values and is
! creating great dissatisfaction and un-
| rest with farm life and farm Investments
Mr.. E. w. Dawson wondered why
| County Commissioners persisted in re-
| fusing to use so simple and inexpensive
an implement as the King Log Drag to
| save expense in care of roads
The Commission inquired as to why
the tax rate is so much higher in Cecil
| than in other counties There are lots
of people beside the Tax Commission that
would like to know why this is-if only
| somebody could tell.
Possibly some of the gentlemen, who
We're conspicuous by their absence,
could answer that question, as their leg
| islation and management of county af-
fairs have been largely responsible for
| hur1aDgnmn tnx rata in