Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-04-09
) 1000 10 DIE present time

l3DJ. ....s.. lJlA .-.-'.' ed
1904. ....,.. 22h 1918. $3.50. y
1905........ 23h 1919 1885. y
1906....... 23h 1919. 3Zh
1907. 10 1910. 1900. ia
1908. ....s. 16
The principal part Of the differ
ence between the rate in 1900 and
the present and prospective rate Isl
the increase in the appropriation for
schools, in the appropriation for
roads and State institutions. In
1900 the levy for schools was 10 IL
cents, in 1911 it was raised to 70 l-s
at which figure it remained in the
levies of the following years. For
1915 it is fixed at II cents. In
1900 there was no levy for State
roads; in 1909 this item represented
Q cents in the levy, in 1910 3 IL
cents, in 1911 4 IL cents and IN
1912 10 cents. In addition we
are now providing for new State
Normal School, for new insane hos
pital loans, for an Agricultural Col
lege loan and for a sanatorium loan.
All these things represent modern
improvements, and though appro-
priatioms are justified for them all,
the taxpayers will wonder whether
substantial saving might not be af-
fected by a comprehensive system
Of coordination in State expendi-
lures. Under the present method
the Legislature comes together and
Aasfs on them en- masse, after hear
Ae statements and arguments Of
charge of the various public
ps and undertakings, and
Natives of the sem,-pub-
Is which have been ac-
Asiye State aid No
mafte bos d l'dgent and conseien-
tious a lSenaSsyor House eammittee
may be, its members are not likely,
in the time at their disposal, to
deal with the subject Of appropria-
tions on comprehensive plan or IN
scientific spirit.
They have little opportunity for
independent study or investigation
of what they are called on to do,
and must necessarily depend largely
on other peoples knowledge and on
Legislative precidents. When other
peoples knowledge is the knowledge
Of experts, their dependence is well
placed, but it unfortunately happens
very often that the knowledge on
which they rely is the knowledge Of
partisans and special pleaders OF
favorite projects and objects Of
which the legislative committees
know very little personally. With
regard to certain important State
work, such as roads, the improve
ment Of our schools and penal instr
buttons, the maintenance of our hos
pitfalls for the insane and our sana-
torium for those suffering from tu-
berculosis, it was inevitable that
the State tax burdens should in
crease unless our public affairs We're
more economically managed than
they have been. We had been so
long in a slipshod condition with
respect to these matters that we
were forced to bring the State up
to date. But that very fact renders
the necessity of economy and of sci-
entific planning in other directions
all the more imperative A careful
analysis Of the complete details of
the appropriation bills for 1918 and
1915 probably will reveal a number
of particulars in which very con-
siderable sums OF money could have
been saved had we an established
system by which all expenditures
could be surveyed and co-ordinated
in advance by some competent
authority. Until we do get such a
system we shall blunder alone as We
do now and waste great deal Of
the taxpayers money in ill-difected
generosity, as well as in Legislative
graft, such as we have Witnessed at
this and at previous sessions.
The people win not complain Of
any big expenditures wisely con
sidered and Of permanent benefit to
the State. But we imagine there
will be number Of comparatively
small items in the appropriation bill
for 1915 1915 which will arouse d
good deal Of wrath. And Il the
Legislature Ii wise II will cut a.
many Of them out as it still has the
power to cancel.
The truth is thar we could have