Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-01-24
CONTROLLERS ROAD REPORT.
Stale Official Issues Timely Warning
N His Report To legislature
People faxed Demand Their
Rights.

Rights.
State Comptroller Harrington, in
his report to the Legislature, issue $
a timely warning to the law-making
1 body of the State that finds a ready
response from the taxpayers.
The burden of his song is economy
( in public expenditures, particularly
in the appropriation for unnecessary
or Improbable investments. The
Comptroller says Notwithstanding the
State tax rate has nearly doubled in
the last seven years, being now 81
cents on the S100-Rnd in the name
of the people calls halt.
In addition he asks the lawmakers
to increase the States income, that
is now less than the expenses. He
proposes to do this by increasing the
license fees for large dealers doing
buiness in the State and might have
asked that sll the license money paid
by dealers of all kinds be pail into
ths State treasury, instead of being
diverted in large part into che treas
uries CT local municipalities. Under
the present laws these municipalities
now absorb over a million dollars that
properly belongs to the State tor the
privilege of doing business within its
borders aud for the prOte ction afford
ed them in the use of their licenses.
These diversions are made in Balti-
more city, in Havre de Grace and
other towns in the State This rem
edial legislation will largely increase
the States revenues, but not suffi-
cient to Justify the useless appropriaJ
tions TO many sectarian institutions
that should be- left-suppoIting and
now reader but little service to the
State
The warning Of the Comptroller, if
he eded, will cause our lawmakers to
stop, look and listen when the State
Roads Commission asks for $1,000
600 for making macadim roads, and
such roads &c the people who pay for
them, the farmers of the State, can
not use without risking their lives
and property. Everybody wants good
roads, if they can be made without
taxation that is unduly burden some
and the roads when made good are
not so good that horses cannot stand
on without great difficulty-and the
effort required to keep from falling,
is successful, is. a greater strain on
the poor beasts Shan in drawing a
heavier load over a rough road, where
they can obtain a sure footing.
This is true Of nearly all thu State
made roads in the counties of the
State, and must be known to their
representatives in the Legislature
and the people Of the counties want
no more of them at any price. 1t is
not believed the State Roads Com
mission made the State roads for the
sole purpose of excluding large
majority of the farmers and other
business men of the rural districts,
who ride and drive horses. from
using the State roads, but that is
in effect what has been done.
These citizens naturally object tC
being driven from the highways
they have paid for, and are now
compelled 10 make circuitous
route to reach places to which these
State roads lead. Naturally there
is a protest from all the counties
of the State against building more
of such roads at their expense.
The auto owners are now practical
~ the only benefciaries and de-
stroyers of these overdone State
roads.
II these owners must have them
they alone SHOULD pay for them, and
the non users Should not be compelled
to pay for their making and main
tenance, unless there is made on each
side of these slippery HIGHWAYS a
reasonably good road, on which horses
can safely travel and haul fair load
Of farm produce. As the Legislature
fs now in session, and the State
Roads Commission is now asking fer
10000 to continue the work,
which must be available before more
of these roads are constructed, those
who are now denied the use of these
prohibitive State roads expect their
representative in the General As
sembly to consider their welfare, in
connection with others, and if they
grant the $4,000, 900 appropriation
asked for, put into the grant a def
rite and enforceable stipulation that
ell State roads, old and new, are to
be so made that all the taxpayers and
the general public can use ther~with
any kind of an animal and vehicle
that will not materially injure the
road bed.
This is the right Of the people who
are taxed for the construction and
maintenance Of these highways, and
they naturally expect their represen-
tatives to protect them in the enjoy
ment of these rights.