Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-03-02
Baltimore Is A Sleepy Town.

respects delight-in Baltimore. We may
believe that, untrammelled. Baltimore
should be certainly the second shipping
point on the eastern coast of the United
States, with its excellent harbor and pro-
tected approaches, with a rich country
back of her and with the ability to tap
productive regions of the West and North
west. Opportunity to know her citizens
brings respect and regard for their genial
qualities and high character.
Baltimore is proud city. proud of her
past exploits, Of her educational facilities.
OF much that is creditable in the history
Of Maryland. but she is also with less
reason
Proud of her wealth and proud of her
pride
And proud Of thousand things beside"
Baltimore is not doing her part to-day
In the work Of the State and in her own de-
velopment. She does not possess noble
discomfort" She says she is conservative /;
this Is mistake. She is not conservative
she Is simply asleep.
Other cities try to maintain a sort of
bowling acquaintance with the science Of
taxation. Baltimore has not walked up to
the fact that there is such a science.
powerfully affecting commercial and in
dustrial welfare. New York raises two
thirds Of her public revenues from land
values and about one-third from industry
and the products and results Of Industry.
Philadelphia discouraees taxation on per-
sonal property though still adhering to
taxation on buildings. Pittsburgh, still
more advanced, is approaching a point
where so per cent Of the taxation on
buildings will be struck of. II we 90 to
the antipodes. we shall find that the City
Of Sydney in New South Wales, having
population Of 100000. approximately the
size Of Baltimore. does not tax thrift in
any shape. but raises all city revenues by
taxation Of land values. Not so far away.
we discover that Vancouver. Victoria and
practically all the cities Of British Column
bia do not tax improvements and personal
property. but like Sydney raise their in
come from taxation upon the value of
monopolized land. Returning to Baltimore
by the way of contrast. we discover that
In this city. SO per cent of her taxes are
levied directly upon buildings and per-
sonal property, including money, and only
Al tho xFa1.,A Of Land h..
power to tax Is said to be the power to
destroy. and Baltimore uses 1t to stranele
and destroy human comfort.
Meanwhile. some petty privilege taxes
are being urged by the Mayor. and num-
Der OF business men Of Baltimore are up
in arms about II. C'est rire. Certainly
1t is to laugh when the business men of
Baltimore quietly and patiently submit to
paying millions Of dollars Of taxes on the
fruits Of their industry, and rise in their
wrath when called upon TO pay few ad-
ditional dollars for less harmful taxes.
The men who have built up Baltimore.
despite the hampering burdens laid upon
them. are straining at the gnat Of privi-
leee taxes and swallowing the camel Of
taxation on industry with all its hoofs.
hide and fetid breath. Few men Of Balti-
more outside of trade unions have shown
any indication of real knowledge Of this
subject
There is no freer constitution on the
subject Of taxation in the whole United
States than that Of Maryland. The State
government. the county governments. the
government Of the city Of Baltimore. have
all right to levy taxes upon whatever
they may find to be justly subject to taxa
ton, and not to levy them when such levy
Is against the best interests Of the people.
The business interests Of Baltimore, great
and small. and her home-owners do not
seem to have discovered this fact or. II
they have discovered 1t. lack the courage
and independence to insist upon the ad-
vantages it gives them. rather prefer to
belive that. like Baltimore as a whole. they
are only asleep.
Every town in Germany and almost
every town in England recognize that
public franchises belong to the public and
preserves this common wealth to the com
monwealth. In this country. Cleveland
and Toledo have walked up over this sub
ject and can already show results Chicago
has been agstated and accomplished some
thing. San Francisco is finding a remedy.
Baltimore. to the extent OF millions and
tens Of millions Of dollars in value. without
a thought or word turns over these fran
chises to private companies for exploita-
ton. Baltimore sleeps on. No Utopian
dreams disturb her slumber. II she even
INDUCED any dreams. her future were more
hopeful.
When we turn to political conditions.
we find that Baltimore has retained her
double barreled City Council. although such
a system has been discarded In almost
every progressive town in the whole United
States. Baltimore pursues the good old
plan Of treating public appointive office ms
the property Of the highest officials tenn
porarily In power. and Of the machine back
of them. without thought or suggestion Of
change. New York finds civil service re-
form in municipal matters a necessity.
Chicago lie in like case and other cities
are following In their train. but Baltimore
sleeps. One side Of her brain wakes up
when fight is on between different fac
tons. but the other side. which should be
concerned in reform. regards the struggle
with the same detached indifference which
her citizens would exhibit over the result
Of conflict between Zulus and Matabeles
Never once does II occur to Baltimore that
the heht Is over her and her property and
that the expenses Of such fight have "a
be borne by her people.
Although in the respects indicated al
well as many others, she has fallen faI