Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-05
COUNTY OFFICIALS
SUCCEED THEMSELVES
Board OF Commissioners Reflect
President Walton
OTHERS RETAIN THEIR JOBS
War Department To Enforce Action
For Larger Draw Span Of Cur
It's Creek Bridge.

I
ers, all the members of which were re-
elected at the election held in No
vember, held their initial session un-
der their new tenure of Office yester-
day, organized and re-appointed all OF
| the officials about the Court House and
jail, and transacted other matters oil
business pertaining to the affairs oI
he county.
With the question of the probable
annexation OF big slice OF the Fifth
District to Baltimore City still being
greatly agitated and which will form
one of the paramount issues to come
before the approaching session of ths
! Legislature, the County Commission
ers are now confronted with anothe.
matter which would have a material
effect upon the taxable basis of the
county.
The new issue was presented in Il
letter from Mr.. John S. Doyle, of Bal
timore, District Engineer Of the
United States War Department, which
embraces a proposition to force the
county to the expense of practically
reconstructing the bridge across Cur
lis creek, in the Fifth District, which
would entail an expense of something
like $4,000. After thoroughly dis
cussing the matter, Chairman Walton
OF the Board, and County Engineer
Hayman were detailed to open a con-
ference with Engineer Doyle, and this
was begun yesterday when these two
1 sssSr L. 10 Dc
The letter from Engineer Doyle, in
short. is to the effect that the Curtis
Greek bridge is an obstruction to
proper navigation under the law, in
that there is insufficient clearance of
the draw span The War Depart
ment has been moved to action
through the fact that the government
has purchased a large area of prop
erty in Curtis Greek upon which will
be constructed government ware
houses for the storage of materials.
and attention Is directed to the fact
that ii win be necessary for big ocean
going vessels, suchsas transports, to
enter the waterway for the hauling OF
the materials, but that the present
draw works of the bridge are not only
insufficient TO permit of the passage
of such vessels, but also are danger
Gus, on account OF the shoals just in
side, this being due to the draw hay-
ing been originally badly located.
The situation is that the War De-
partment has the authority to proceed
to have it's desires satisfied, but of
course. the county officials will be
given every opportunity for a public
hearing in the premises 1t is stipu
lated that there must be a clearance
OF the draw span of at least 100 feet.
The letter from Mr.. Doyle also calls
attention to the fact that as far as
the War Department is able to learn,
there is no record to show that the
Curtis Greek bridge was constructed
under a government permit, and asks
the county to furnish information
along this line, together with the date,
and under what authority the bridge
was constructed.
When the Board proceeded with re-
organization, Mr. James A. Walton
was reelected President; S. 0gle
Tilghman, Clerk, and Ridgely Z. Mel
vim, Counselor.
Other appointments made, the ap-
pointees in each instance at. present
serving in their respective positions,
were:
Messenger to the Board. George w.
Saffield; custodians of the Court
House. John T. McCarter and H. M.
Tongue; county health officer, DR..
Walton III. Hopkins; warden of the
Jail. John II. Weldon. and assistants,
MIR. and Mrs. j. II. Smith.
|. The Board decided to meet in
special session today, from 10 A. NJ
to 4 P. NJ. for the purpose Of review
ing the assessment of real estate in
Annapolis. in accordance with the
provisions Of the new re-assessment
act