Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-10-12
CITY SEEKING POWER
Plea For Room to Grow" Term.
ed Subterfuge
Opponents Claim Suburbs Are Enjoying
Cheap County Form OF Government,
Which should Not Be Taken From
Them Without Their Consent

Partisan Citisens' Protective tommittes)
What is a cityf
Many persons believe that II Is q
large collection Of people and houses.
with streets. railroad terminals, troll
ley cars, street lighting and other
facilities for business and comfort.
Others seem to think that q city con.
sists Of a mayor and city council,
multitude Of other once holders, .
bonded debt, high taxes. minor priv.
ileges and similar things which are
Characteristic Of municipal govern.
ments. The opponents Of annexation
urge that the actual city 10 not neces.
sarily the same in extent as the
political city, and may grow at liberty.
regardless Of the boundaries Of the
latter.
Baltimore, they urge, in its true
sense, and as II is known TO business
meE elsewhere, consists Of the whole
big settlement located about the
navigable portion of the Patapsco
river. Part of 1t is under the control
Of a mayor and city council and has
the other municipal features mention.
ed above. the remainder Is under the
governments of Baltimore and Anne
Arundel counties. The residents OF
each section, it is asserted, are salts
fed with their present form OF govern.
ment.
Governments For the People.
The settlements came first; the
county and city governments came
afterward to facilitate the business,
safety, comfort and pleasure OF the set
tiers. The governments were created
for the people, not the people for the
governments.
Lack Of proper consideration of this
fact, it is claimed. causes some per.
sons unwittingly to fall in with the
scheme to extend the political boun-
daries of Baltimore. These boundaries
were set to define the section over
which the people residing therein
wished the city government to have
control Of their public affairs. The
city officials. It is urged. have no in.
herent right to extend their sway over
l
fundamental maxim of law that all
government should be by and with the
consent of the governed.
| The county people allege that the
cry that Baltimore must have room
to grow" ID a subterfuge. They in,
sist that the city. in It's real sense OF q
'arge collection Of people. with all their
| nh aita NH
ure, is growing all the time-much
faster than II It were all controlled by
the Mayor and City Council Within
the past few years, owing to q great
expansion In manufacturing, the rate
Of increase In population and property
values in the suburban sections has
been very rapid.
No Factories In Annex OF 1888.
The annexationists claim that this
Influx of big business would have
come just the same, even IL the city
had controlled all the territory In
which these factories are located. The
answer Of their opponents is that the
city now has thousands Of acres OF
vacant land In the Annex OF 1888, and
not one factory of any consequence has
been located there. On the contrary,
they say, there are many instances
where large plants have been located
Just across the line-in the counties
and purposely. TO be beyond the jurls.
diction Of the city government.
County Government Cheaper.
The counties have the commission
form Of government, which is cheaper
than that OF the city. The salary roll
Of once holders of the city was ST..
219.0e2.11 In 1918, the last year for
which published City Comptroller's
report Is available, according TO state
ments Of the Observation-Disclosures, who
point out that the corresponding pay
roll for Baltimore county was Sl0s..
s73,74. The tax rate OF Baltimore
county this year Is s1.06, while that
Of the city h S1.9s. But the county
pays all Its expenses from its tax levy.
oieln City Wants More Power.
10 enjoy the lighter taxes and other
attractions which the county has to
offer in the way Of fewer restrictions
and more room and quiet, some OF the
former residents Of the corporate city
have moved into Baltimore county.
Many more have gone into that sec.
ton from other parts of Maryland and
from other States. The opponents Of
annexation claim that the rulers OF
the political Baltimore which they in.
sist is not at all identical with the
real city. want to grasp all these peo-
pie and all the wealth of the suburbs
and thereby acquire the power which
this mass Of people and taxable prop
erty would give them-a power which
It is alleged would enable them to ex.
pand the limits OF the city at will
thereafter and control the political af.
fairs OF the State. II is contended
that II the voters Of Maryland will this
fall elect the Democratic candidates
tor State Comptroller and the Legis.
lature this plan will fail, for the
Democratic party has declared in
favor OF annexation, but with a refer.
endum, The opponents OF the pro-
a Id.