Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-04
TAXATION QUESTION
BEFORE THE GOVERNOR
Ways and Means Committee and
Finance Committee Going In
to Merits of Hosts of Tax
able Bills.
TO ENFORCE RULES.
Hearing and Discussion On Senator
AFcher's Bill Designed TO Eliminate
Supervisors Of Assessments.

Governor Harrington and members
Of the Ways and Means Committee of
the House. and the Finance Committee
Of the Senate, ere today scing into the
merits ana femirifs of the hosts OF
taxation bills which have abeen piled
into the legislative hopper and have
been accImIlaiug in tEe haclIwatcr OF
the committee rooms
The state Tax Commission biz
delegation from the Merchants ana
Manufacturers Association. as velI as
practically he whole membership OF
the Senate and a number of the mem
bers from the low er branch are m at
tendance Their presenc, was very
particularly urged yesterday by Chair
man Cooper. Of the Senate Committee
that they might hear the bills discuss
cd in committee and relieve the mem
bers of the committee from lengthy
explanations on the iioor OF the hous-
es when the bills are brought up.
Alien Girdwcod counsel 10 the Tax
Commission. who was be first person
heard by the committee this morning
consumed several hours in discus
sion or and strenuous registration of
oprosiuCu 10. Senator ArchCr's ian le-
signed fo 10 away with he present
county supervisors OF assessments who
receive 200 annually. and tlcir as
Tistants who get 5000 and place tre
work these officials are now doing in
the banGs OK The clerk 70 tie respective
boards 81 County Comni eiucrs.
Mr. GirGwood discussed the whole
taxation question at great Length. de-
Tending the present systcm. Tie as
serod that 10 DO away with the asses
sors who are now named by the Tax
Commission and give the work into
the hands os the County Commission
er's clerk, would take away from the
tax body any authority to enforce its
r0les and to secure real results lie
used a great mass of figures 10 show
that the work of the assessors had put
thousands 1f dollars OF heretofore mo-
assessed or under-assessed property
upon the tax books
One Of his points was that the mere
action Of the assessor in obtaining
from the county records the real con
sideration given in an deeds where
properly It's transferred resulted I'm a
big increase in income to the State.
To do away with the assessor. who ia
nov under control of the central state
board, would Mr.. Girdw0od coutonded.
leave no active assessing body in the
counties. which could be depended on
to keep up with the changing values
I'm the various localities.
The Merchants acd Manufacturers
Association delegation with Robert
Beacham as spokesman, called upon
Governor Harrington before ATTENDING
the committee hearing, and opposed
the various bills proposing material
increases in the traders license fees.
They win be herad, too. by the com
mittep sometime during the day. The
proposed plan for Increasing tho tax
on mercantile motor trucks IS an
other of the measures which this dele
cation viii oppose.
During the mornings discussion OF
the workings Of the county assessor
system in getting real values on prop
erty transfers. Senator Ogden annoanc
ed that he viii again introduce the bin
offered by him and killed ia the House
two years ago, making it unlawful FOR
clerks OF courts or other officers of
record for land transfers tc receive for
record any papers involving transfers
ii property which do not how the ac
tual consideration or the transfer