The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-04-19
Maryland Counties Unique.

Maryland Counties Unique.
To the Editor of The Republican.
That every county in Maryland is
practically little province in itself,
with its own traditions and history is
the claim of the Baltimore Countians
who are resisting what they term the
aggression of Baltimore City. Failure
to properly consider this peculiar status
of the Maryland counties, they claim, is
indicated by the frequently asked ques-
ton: why don't you give the city
sometling?"
AS the various sections of Maryland
became more thIckly settled, it became
necessary to sub-divide the two or
three original counties for the con-
venience Of the inhabitants in transact
ing their public business at the county
seats. The lines Of division were in
many cases indicated by the Chesapeake
Bay, its wide tributaries or, in the
western part Of the Proli nce. by noun
tain ranges. In tha way Baltimore
County, which formerly included part
Of Kent County all Of Cecil, Hartford,
Baltimore and Howard Counties and
parts Of Anne Arundel and Carroll
Counties, as well as Baltimore City,
was cut Down to Its present size.
But, the Baltimore Countians claim
this sub dividing process has gone far
enough and there is now no question of
serving the convenience of the people
by making any new counties or chang
ing any boundary lines. 1t is pointed
out that never have the people of any
part of any county been transferred to
another court and taxing jurisdiction,
that is, to another county or to Bati-
more City, which the law regards as a
county, without their desire or consent
or against their will To do so, they
claim, would be manifestIy unfair and
against the unbroken traditions of the
State, as exempted in Section /,
Article l3 of the Constitution. In many
of the States of the Union the township
hundred or parish is the unit of division
and the counties are formed by includ-
ing convenient groups of these and the
county organization is more general and
less complete than in MARYLAND. The
townships possess, to a large extent
their own taxing power. which the
election precincts of Maryland totally
lack
The tax rate of Baltimore County is
approximately Sl,00, while that of the
city is about $500. The lower tax
rate of the county has enabled many
people, who would have been unable to
own a dwelling in the city, with its
higher assessment and double the tax,
to establish homes in the suburbs. These
people, in many cases, have carefully
parceled out their incomes so as to pro-
vide for living expenses, building as
soclatlon payments and insurance and
taxes, and it is <lrged that it would
amount to practical confscation Of their
homes to annex them to the city. The
County authorities state that 1t would
be impossible for them 20 designate any
section to be given to the city unless
the people living in that section ap-
proved the change, and that this APP
proval can only be expressed by a
referendum.
The advocates of annexation oppose
referendum, because they say, it
means the defeat of their plan. To
this the county people reply that moth
ing is more fair than referendum, and
the fact that the annexationists oppose
it shows that they know they are ask
ing for something which is not just.