The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-01-08
Work of State Boards.

VOA n Va os0SS NosSAS'
Functions belonging to the State are
more and more being exercised In
Maryland by State boards and COM
missions. Some of these functions are
new and grow out of modern conditions,
such as insuring workmen against in
dustral accidents, the regulation and,
control of public service corporations,
the control of sanitary conditions and
others.
One of the new commissions was
created under the Workmen's Compen-
sation law passed by the Legislature in
the spring. The commission consists
of John B. Hanna, chairman; Charles
D. Wagaman and James Higgins. The
act did not go into effect until Novem-
Der l. Since that time the new organ
ization has been very busy and has
| done a great amount of work. About
2 400 accidents, mos. of them slight
have been rep orted to the commission.
About $50 claims for compensation have
been made, and of these about 100 have
already been allowed, with others pend
ing. Very few have been rejected.
The State Tax Commission was also
| created and began it's work last year.
Its object is to bring about thorough
reform in taxation, equalization OF as
sessments in all parts of the State.
This is a work of years, bat the COM
mission has begun actively and syste-
matically and has made good progress.
The members are A. P. German, chair
man; Levin Wickes and Oscar Lester.
The State Board of Health was grant
ed largely increased authority by the
Legislature, placing Maryland in the
front rank of State in matters of health
and sanitation. Some of the new pow
ers of the board have been attacked in
the courts and the cases are pending.
DR.. John S. Fulton, for years the eff
Gent secretary of the board was made
State Health Officer. A thorough and
scientific sanitary survey of Dorchester
county was one of the activities OF the
year, the results of which are soon to
be ready for publication.
The Roads Commission had a busy
year. The last Legislature appropriated
Sc, 600, 900 for the completion of the
main arterial system and the construc-
ton of new concrete bridge to replace
the worn out Long bridge. The main
system of highway has been practically
completed from one end of the State to
the other, with the exception of few
gaps here and there, which will be filled
in 1915.
Early in 1915 it is expected that
Maryland will have continuous. con-
nected system of modern State high
ways radiating from Baltimore and con-
Meeting the county seats of each of its
% counties with each other and with
Baltimore, and it will be the first State
in the Union to have completed such a
system.
Moreover, Maryland will have the
longest continuous section of modern
road in the United States, stretching
nearly 400 miles from Oakland, in the
heart of the Alleganies, to the Atlantic
at Ocean City.
Altogether about $50 miles of road
were completed at an average cost of
from $4,000 to $1,000 a miles, and
about $50 miles of this has been con-
crete road, which the commission has
found to be satisfactory wherever it
has been tried.
The Roads Commission was reorgan-
lied early in the year by the appoint
ment of j. Frank Smith and John M.
Perry Democrats, and Thomas Parran,
Republican, to succeed Edward E. Cos
lin, Democrat, deceased, and w. Bull
lock Clark and Ira Remsen, who were
members of the board under the old
law, providing for two members from
the State Geological Survey.
The American Telephone and Tele-
phone Company announces that arrang-
ments have been made by which en-
ploYees of the Bell system who have
been two years or more in the service
and who so desire may purchase stock |
of the Company for s110. per share on
easy terms of payment.
No employee can purchase more than
one share for each $500 of annual wag-
es he receives nor more than ten shares
whatever his wages.
The terms of payment will be $500
per share per month beginning with
March, 1915, and the quarterly divi-
dends paid on the stock will go towards
paying for it after deducting interest at
4 per cent per annum on the unpaid
balances.
The American Company has paid 8
per cent dividends for seven years and it
is calculated that dividends at this rate
and the $500 per share per month pay
ments by employees will pay for the
stock in full by November, 1918. Any
employee who so desires can after
March /, 1917, but not before, pay in
he balance on his stock and receive
1s stock certificate
Should an employee leave the service