The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-06-11
J. D. BAKER ENUMERATES
CITY'S NEEDS.

elScLflc uSnL pant De put INTO uTSl-
rate shape and that the city go into
the public utility business in an ef-
fort TO reduce the cost of electric
current in Frederick, Joseph D
Baker, president of the Citizens Ma
tional bank, Monday night at special
meeting of the board of aldermen, sub
mitted a detailed plan to entirely mod
ernie Frederick and continue TO send
the city along "the line Of progress as
it has been going"
In my judgment, We are nearly up
the hill. but to reach the top Of tho
summit and survey our town in fine
condition We need a bond issue OF
about $4,000. $4,000 of this to take
care OF the reservoir and pipe line,
$4,000 to pay OF its floating debt,
$4,000 to enable the city to carry its
own tax bills from time TO time and
$4,000 for application to our electric
lighting system" said Mr.. Baker.
Mr.. Bakers statement:
Frederick, Md, June Z, 1915.
To the Honorable,
The Mayor and Aldermen,
Frederick, Nd. June 7, 1915
Gentlemen:-I have come here to-
night because I feel that there are
matters of Importance for the consid-
Grafton of this Board. | have some
strong convictions upon questions
which I think the Board ought to con-
slider and act upon promptly.
First, | want TO refer to the fact
that in 1883 the city OF Frederick IN
dertook TO change the bonded indebt-
edness of $512, 10000 from a ) per
cent TO a f per cent bound, that they
advertised for bids and failed to sue
coed in the undertaking and that /
was sent for, probably as late as 10
o'clock. p m. to consult with them
about the matter Even with that
failure and with them greatly dis
heartened. | took up the transaction
for the city and We succeeded in float
ing the bonds, thereby saving TO the
city over 100000 per anaum for the
last twenty-seven years. If you will
calculate that in figures you will find
that the amount of saving is S13S,375.-
90 less probably some little allow
ance to be made on account of the
bonds have been taken into the sink
ing fund.
Now, when we came down to the
question of changing this town from
horrible street paving to modern
street paving the man who prepared
the way and made it possible by GER
tain legislative acts was the late Will
lard c. Keller, TO whose memory the
city, in my judgment, owes a great
debt of gratitude. Without him that
1arrfr1a-sa- ~, i'd 4
not have been secured at that time
With the legislation secured the next
question was to get the work started
In connection with other gentlemen,
| started it on Church street and in
order to get it through I personally
expended some of my own money
Even then the street paving did not
take hold Of the people with great
force After that a piece of payig
was taken up on Market Street from
the square corner TO the creek. With
this was included sewerage. so i'm
portant in connection with paving
In that piece Of work I took a most
active interest The remainder of the
paving question in Frederick is known
to you all. It took such rapid hold
upon the people that the city could
not keep UP with the work that the
people wanted done, until nov, as You
all know, we have q modern city in
the way of smooth streets.
The next matter 10 which l want to
refer is one that is in the public mind
now and is being discussed in Fred
er1ck, namely the reduction in bank
taxes. Naturally, without knowing
most people would presume that
standing at the head OF a large fin
ancial institution 1 would have been
favorable to that piece of legislation
My answer on that question is my
public statement as made in the pa
pers at the time opposing this meas
ure and giving the reasons therefor
to the public. This legislation atthat
time was defeated and | am prepared
to offer the proof that l was largely
instrumental in defeating it for which
so far as | Can recall, very few peo-
pie took any interest in it except to
try TO have it passed. l concluded that
was not public official employed
by the city and county to single hand
ed take up this question again and
make fight, and that if there was
not enough interest from other quar-
tiers TO resist it would simply have
nothing to do with it which l did and
this legislation was passed.
Now, coming to the point, we have
Just had a report made by the Audit
ing Committee TO the Mayor and Board
Of Aldermen. This committee was
composed, in my judgment, of two
men well EQUIPPED for the work, Mr..
Willard and Mr.. Hedges, and l want
TO commend the Mayor and Board OF
Aldermen for having this work done
so that We could get an intelligent
view of the city's financial condition.
Since this report has been made
and it has developed that the city his
borrowed money to its limit and that
there is no money that can be at this
time provided for certain improve
n ents, feel that the impression that
will be made upon many minds is
that our present Mayor and Board Of
lIa,- Il.