The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-07-03
TINE TO MAKE A FIGHT

If our readers will glance at the
items of the county levy, published
on the first page of this issue, they
will notice therein levy of $4,000 for
a New Assessment. When this item
came to our notice We naturally went
up in the air. This county has spent
thousands of dollars in making new
assessments in the last few years, and
all to no purpose other than the pro-
viding of "jobs" for a few of the faith
full and the saddling of additional ex-
pense on the already overburdened tax
payer. What then, in the name OF
common sense, could the County Com
missioners mean by levying $4,000 for
a new assessment. We wanted to know
YOU know; and naturally took our in
curry to the Commissioners Office.
There we were informed that the Com
missioners put this $4,000 item in
their levy because they had letter
from the State Tax Commission or
dering them to levy not less than
$4,000 for a new assessment.
Well, here's how-dy do! The
State Tax Commission orders the
County Commissioners to levy $4,000!
BY what authority? When did we so
materially alter the form of our gov
eminent as to take the decision of
such matters out of the hands of our
own duly elected local authorities and
place that decision in the hands of an
unreachable and autocratic State
Commission?
We opposed in the last State Sen
ate Though We stood alone in our
opposition) the Bill creating this new
State Tax Commission, We opposed
it for two reasons. In the first place
We saw in it only another one of the
numerous partisan schemes to saddle
a lot of new and expensive offices on
a people already overtaXed. In the
second place We seriously doubted
whether the whole scheme would be
of any permanent value to the people
of the State Our doubts have been
more than justifed-in this county at
least. What results have the people
of this county gotten from this new
scheme? We have been saddled with
a new salaried official in the person of
DR.. Merle Black, at salary of $1,000
per year for an occasional trip to Elk
ton, together with additional clerical
help which runs the expense of the
new office up to some $500 to $4,000
per year.
But the county was to get ample
returns for this added expense by a
large increase in its assessable basis
due to the efficiency of the new
scheme in bringing to light untaXed
property. Has it gotten any such
increase? AS matter of fact the
County's assessable basis shows de-
crease of about one million dollars. In
other words we have reduced source
of income, but an added list of eX-
penses, as the only thing to show for
this new scheme.
And low comes the order to add
$4,000 more to cur outlay, to our tax
burdens, at the instance of the State
Tax Commission. Again we say,
"why and by what authority Is the
county unit under the administration
of its own local officers or under the
administration Of the State Tax Com
mission?
1t looks as if we were going to have
to fight this thing out for the pro-
lection of our local self government
and our business welfare. We call
upon the County Commissioners tc
stiffen their backbone. We call upon
the people of the county to make
themselves heard. This multiplication
of useless officials, this rapidly in
creasing burden of expense and taxa
ton, must be stopped-if we are to
entertain the hope of being content
ed and prosperous State