The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-10-25

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What is a city?
Many persons believe that it is a
large collection Of people and houses,
with streets, railroad terminals, troll
ley cars, street lighting ana other
facilities for business and comfort
Others seem to think that a city con-
sists of a mayor and city council, a
multitude of other office holders, a
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 is 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 1t is known to business
men elsewhere, consists of the whole
big settlement located about the
navigable portion of the PataDsco
river. Part of it is under the control
of a mayor and city council and has
the other municipal features mention
ed above, the remainder is under tie
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 we're created
for the people, not the people for the
governments.
Lack Of proper consideration Of this
fact, il is claimed, causes some per-
sons unwittingly to fall in with the
scheme to extend the political houn-
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
people without their consent It is a
fundamental maxim Of law that ali
government should be by and with the
consent of the governed.
= <Ryhe county people allege that the
1 that baltimore must have room
TO grow" is a subte-fuge. They in.
sist that the city, in it's real sense Of a
large collection Of people, with all their
paraphernalia Of business and pleas
ure, is growing all the time-much
faster than if it We're all controlled By
the Mayor and City Council Within
the past few years, owing 20 a 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 if the cry
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 juris.
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 Office holders of the city was ST.
219,392.11 in 1915, the last year fer
which a published City ComDtrolle~'s
report is available, according to state
ments of the anti-anneXatiOnisrs. who
point out that the corresponding nav
roll for Baltimore county was sos.
1874. The tax rate Of Baltimore
county this year is $106, while that
of the city Is $198. But the county
pays all its expenses from its tax levy.
Claim City Wants More Power.
To 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 tho
former residents of the corporate city
have moved into Baltimore county.
Many more have gone into that 500
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 PEG.
pie and all the wealth of the suburbs
and thereby acquire the power which
mass Of people and taxable prop
e4U 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. 1t is contended
that If the voters of Maryland will this
fall elect the Democratic candidates
for State Comptroller and the Legis.
lature this plan will fail, for the
Democratic party has declared in
favor Of annexation, but with a refer.