Evening star., 1915-11-28
BIG BALTIMORE BOOM
DUE TO WAR Orders
Citys machine Shops Turning Out
Millions of Dollars Worth of
Munitions for Europe.
Many Municipal Improvements
Cause Sharp Rise in Tax Rate.
State Vice Report Ready.


Special Correspondence of The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md. November ~
This city is enjoying great era OF
prosperity result of the war in
Europe. Nearly all of the great ma
chine shops in and about Baltimore
have been turned into munitions manu-
featuring plants and all have millions
of dollars worth of orders yet TO he
l1lled. Big engineering concerns during
the past nine months have in many in
stances doubled the size of their plants
and are now employing thousands
where hundreds labored before. II is
estimated that the payrolls of the
plants now manufacturing munitions
exceed s3.000.000 month.
Tax Rate Increased.
The taxpayers who have watched the
many improvements being made all
over the city in the way of sewerage
improved streets and the enlargement
of parks are now realizing that to
dance one must pay the fiddler. The tax
rate for 1916 as fixed this week by the
ordinance of estimates is S2.13 on the
$500, an increase of u cents over the
tax rate for last year. The rate for the
present year was s192, which was
very low, and was due to the fact that
the surplus which was returned to the
lefty treasury from the various depart
ments at the end of 1914 and from the
Iexcess of taxes collected amounted to
over 100000.
For this year the surplus from the
departments and from tax collections
will be only 100000, so that the diff
ference between the surplus in 1914
and 1915 will account for nearly
cents offhe increase for next year. The
sewerage loan funds have been ex-
hausted and the city must take care
of the system out of the taxes. which
must also maintain the filtration plant
which costs S160,o00 a year. Another
item is the issue of city stock during
this year. amounting to slo,ooo.ooo.
which requires for sinking fund and
interest on the city debt $423.00o more
next year than was required this year.
and this item alone means cents on
the tax rate. Baltimore is now city
with modern sewer system. improved
streets, the tax rate is soaring and the
taxpayers are beginning to sit up and
take notice.
Vice Commission to Report.
The report of the vice commission.
appointed by Gov. GoldsborouGh, is to
be made public within fortnight, ac-
cording to DR.. George Walker, chair
man of the commission. In discussing
the forthcoming report DR.. Walker
said to The Star correspondent today:
Evidence rather than opinion has
| been sought by the commission. The
members have expressed very little
opinion in the report, but have tried to
collect evidence on all the various as
poets of the subject and place II in the
report so that those who read il may
draw their own conclusions. For that
| reason the report is voluminous. and II
will be necessary to condense IL great
ly before it is published.
Not only has evidence on Baltimore
conditions been submitted. but all the
larger towns of Maryland have been IN
vestigated. In the greater number OF
these vice is entirely clandestine; in
some it is open. The results of the
closing in Baltimore and the relation
of this result to the reported increase
of houses in Highlandtown, a suburb
of this city. are dealt with. The rela-
tion of poor wages paid to certain
classes of workingwomen to the vice
problem is illustrated by stories direct
ly from the lips of women who have
been involved in vice. DR.. Walker was
asked if he held to the theory ad-
vanced by certain persons in Chicago.
who had investigated the vice problem.
to the effect that working girls were
driven into vice by the poor wages
paid them, and he replied:
Il can speak for myself only. no, for
the members of the commission. do
not think poor wages form factor in
forcing the good working girl into vice.
No good girl starts such lie because
her wages are poor. But. after girl
has started that life, low wages DO help
to make her continue in that life.
Greater Baltimore Planned.
Attention will soon be focused on
Anna polls. where the Legislature is to
meet in January. One of The big
things to come before that body viii
be the Greater Baltimore bill. which
will provide for the annexation of All
towns and suburbs within a radius OF
five miles of the city hall If the city
leaders are successful IN passing the
annexation it will mean that Balti-
more goes back to sixth place, from
which she was ousted by Cleveland
some years ago, and viii bring the
city population close TO the million
mark.
For the first time in number of
years the republicans in the legisla-
ture will exert some influence. w hlie
the G. o. p. will not have enough
strength to control either branch OF
the legislature, ii will be able to mus
ter sufficient votes to command con-
sideration from the democrats If they
know how to play the game. TheY
will have eleven out of tWenty-seveh
senator's and forty-seven out of lel
delegates. which will give them gool
working basis All of the members of
the lower house-democrats and re-
publica ns-are newly elected, although
some of them nave served in former
sessions. One of the republicans who
has had such an experience is Oliver
S. Metzerott of Prince Georges county,
who was the party candidate for con
troller two years ago. MetZerott is
a man of considerable ability. and his
colleagues expect something from hum
at the coming session. II is generally
conceded that Senator Peter J. Camp
bell of this city VIII he elected presi-
dent of the senate. but the fight for