Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-02
MAJOR DOUW REPLIES
TO PRESIDENT WALTON
Former County Commissioner Takes
Exception to Statements OF
Head of Present Board.
MUCH ROAD-WORK STATE-AIDED.
Politics an Issue in Fifth District 1.-The
fractional Fight State Politics in
the Question of County
Finances.

Contributed }
Mr.. Editor:

1
County Commissioner Walton, repre-
senting the Sixth district of this coun-
| ty, has given you quite lengthy arti-
Gle in regard to the tax rate for this
county for a number of years. and what
has been accomplished by the Board of
| Commissioners during the last two
years.
Mr.. Walton states, quoting Pres
ident Lincoln, You can fool all the
| people some of the time but YOU can't
fool all the people all the time Evi-
IDENTIFY the article written by Mr. Wal
ton was intended to fool somebody,how
many, cannot state.
Mr.. Walton states. with great detail,
the expenses of the county and pre-
tends to show that these expenses have
been doubled in a number OF cases and
| that the tax rate has remained about
| the same. He fails to state that the
assessable basis of the county has been
materially increased, which, in effect,
is the same thing as increasing the
rate. He fails. also, to state that the
school tax has been increased material
ly on an increased assessment.
Mr. Walton makes claim and credit
rs follows:
First Compelling the State Roads
Commission to build the College Creek
bridge" The Commissioners did all
in their power land rightly so) TO make
the State Road Commission build the
College Creek bridge, but the courts
decided that the State Road Commits
sion had discretion to builG this bridge
when they so desired
Second Completion of the South
River road from Annapolis to Calvert
county"
/ I am under the impression that this
road was built by The State Roads Com
mission ana was paid for ny the State.
This is one of the causes for the in
crease in the State tax. What Presi-
dent Walton, of the Board of County
Commissioners had to do with il, fail
70 understand
Third Building of the Bay Ridge
and Arundel-on-the-Bay road This is
creditable work and should have been
done long ago but it is, / understand.
State and the taxpayers Of the Second
district. 1t does not come out of the
general rate of 60 cents.
'Fourth-Loan Of $125, ,000-saving
$4.562.50 for the year.
This is good finance, but is it not a
sad commentary on the condition OF
the county that such a floating debt is
in existence?
Elimination of Stone House
Cove bridge, Fifth district.thereby saw
ing nearly $500 yearly"
This is a matter that ! know nothing
about. but saving $500 is an item for
which the Board deserves great credit
Sixth ~ Installing heating plant
plumbing etc at the County Home"
Too much credit cannot be given the
present Board for doing this work as
the condition of the CountyHome was q
public scandal and needed correction
badly.
Mr. Walton states that the county
? has spent with State aid. s46.559.25 il
building roads This amount. also, die
not come out Of the general rate. but
was paid for by the districts in which
they were laid.
AS Mr.. Walton states. large part o
! the expenses for which the Commits
! sioners have to provide, are a matter o
I law. but the laws which compel thes'
2 expenses are passed by the local mem
D hers of the Legislature. oftentimes il
the face of protest by the County Com
q missioners themselves.
Mr.. Walton appeals to our people no
y to allow those parts Of the Fifth distric
l Dol 80 1,o
( by Baltimore city This, in my opinion
4 IS an effort to bring State politics int
the question Of county finances. A
everyone knows, there are two faction
in the Democratic party of this county
and one of them is supporting the Hor
|. Blair Lee for Governor. AS Mr. lie
stated that he was in favor of giYin
Baltimore city the right TO control ii
: surrounding water front, an effort ha
; been made to make our people thin
that if Mr.. Lee is elected our count
q viii lose large and valuable territor,
AS it would take majority vote of th
! people of this district to give any tel
!. ritory to Baltimore or any one els,
% the present campaign for the Govern
Is crship has nothing TO do with the mai
ter. and why the question should b
brought up in relation thereto, is be
5 yond my comprehension.
e Whether the county would gain G
II lose by giving up part of the FIT
district to Baltimore city is one ths
would require great study and though
= but when making any estimate of th
gain or loss, ALL income and ALL e.
q
Z alton before any correct estimate ca
:. be made. How the question Of th
Special Privileges Act can enter Int
the matter is beyond me.
a will admit that know nothing
the county finances at the present tim
but the income from the 5th distri,