Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-12-29
TAXPAYERS COMMITTEE
DEVISE LEGISLATION
For Betterment of Conditions in the
County--lnteresting Meeting.
THE ROAD LAW DISCUSSED.
Want Doctors Fees Abolished
School Teachers Salaries Raised,
Election Law Amended.


Committee of Taxpayers to devise leg
islation for the betterment of condi
tions in the county was held at the
Court House yesterday. lasting we'll
into the afternoon.
Practically all of the members of
the committee which is made up of one
member from each election precinct
in the county, were on hand. and the
aroused interest of the taxpayers of
the county was manifested in the pres
ence of a number of prominent men
from all sections of the county. who
spent considerable time in the room
listening to the discussions and the
suggestions of the various members
and the county officials. who We're
called in for advice and TO give the
needed information upon the various
questions which came up.
Beginning about 1890 o'clock and
continuing until nearly o'clock in
the afternoon. without recess for lun-
cheon, the meeting was not only a
business-like one. indicating the earn
estess of the members, but further than
this the discussions brought out some
interesting and enlightening facts
about the county government and the
need not only of reduction i'm eX-
penses, but the further requirement
for laws which will allow and indeed
make necessary an application Of
more business7like methods in the
county administration.
Throughout the whole session Sen
ator-elect Frank NJ Duvall was pres
ent and manifested the keenest inter
est in the proceedings. The most
lengthy and enlightening discussion
was that over the road law and the
entire system Of eXpending the tax
payers money on the county high
ways. During this discussion County
Engineer Hayman was present and
answered a number of questions tbst
were put to him.
Engineer Hayman told of many Of
the difficulties, including among 9th
ers the fact that in one district the
working foreman lived over fifteen
miles from the county stable, where
the county teams and road machinery
are kept, and the necessity to pay a
stableman $35 per month to care for
the teams and get them out in time
to go TO the road working locality
Mr.. Bruner r. Anderson. one of the
committeeman, expressed himself as
more than pleased with the interest
being taken in the efforts to devise
legislation which will better condi-
tions in the county, and told of Sen
ator Duvall having expressed to him a
determination to abide by the commit
tee and the taxpayers.
Another of the county officials pres
ent was S. Ogle Tilghman, Clerk to
the County Commissioners, and during
his talk upon county taxation and fl
nances, it was again shown that large
sums of corporation property in the
Fifth and Third districts escaped tax
alton under the 'plant-exemption" law.
One corporation alone gets exemp-
tions amounting to over a million
dollars
Briefly summarized, here are the
things the committee has definitely
determined to get into shape for leg
islative action and the backing of the
Senator and Members of the House OF
Delegates from this county:
A new road law which will abolish
the present cumbersome and expen-
sive system and return to a contract
system of building and maintaining the
county highways.
The reduction of the County Treas
urers salary to 81 200 a year with the
absolute abolition of all "extras" and
| fees.
The adjustment of the office OF
Clerk to the County Supervisors OF
Assessments, which now pays $500 a
| year.
Adjustment of all fees and pay
ments to doctors for autopsies anC
| post-mortem examinations. except
I when such post-mortems or autopsies
have ben authorized by the States
| Attorney
Amendment of the County Home OF
| Aims House law so as 10 place the
| management and responsibility en-
! tirely with the County Commissioners
Amendment of the County Home Law
so as to require that all supplies bt
| purchased only after competitive bid.
haYY been advertised for
Absolute abolishment of the present
| system of granting so-called "plant.ex
emptions" in the taxation OF manufac
| tories in the county
Amendment of the Election law 81
as TO have clerks and judges of elec
tions qualify and swear in before jus
tices of the peace or notaries public.
Enactment of a law providing thai
| the state roads yet to be built in the
county follow the lines of the Original
/ Crothers' Road Commission survey 81
that there will be a state road running
from Glen Burnie. TO BenfieId, to Bald