The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-03-01
LEGISLATION FOR
DORCHESTER COUNTY
Number OF Bills introduced Affect
ing The Government OF Cam.
bridge. The County Commission
erS' Office, Etc.

1t has been somewhat difficult to
follow the legislative proceedings at
| Annapolis insofar as this county is
affected as few persons have received
| copies of the local bills that have
| been introduced.
Delegate Bradley has introduced
| some bills concerning the County
| commissioners office but so far no
one seems to know just what pro-
visions they contain.
Senator Gibson has introduced
some measures affecting the govern
| ment of Cambridge, one being to per-
| nit the use of uneXpended balances
of different items of the budget to
be used for other purposes. An
| ether was to give sanction to the
purchase of the new fire fighting
apparatus.
So far the repeal of all oyster
| laws, leaving oyster bottoms ac-
| cessible at all seasons and to every
| one, free from all restrictions, has
not been accomplished. Neither has
the Statewide game law been re-
| pealed.
Delegate Moore has introduced a
bill providing for increasing the pay
| of the County Sheriff.
Senator Gibson has introduced a
bill to regulate the tax levy of Cam
bridge. Presumably this is to al
low the Commissioners to increase
the tax rate. Senator Gibson has
also introduced bill to increase the
pay of Commissioners, the increase
being reported 10 be about $500 a
year. "
1t would really seem but right to
increase the pay of the judge of the
Orphans Court. At this time, for
instance, Judge Thompson, who lives
at Taylors Island, has to ride about
twenty-five miles to Cambridge,
serve on the bench during the day
and ride twenty-five miles home, all
for the sum of $4.00. Judge
Woolen and Judge Baumgartner, OF
the former Court, had to do the same
IL would really seem that with the
present imitation of prices that $500
q day should be the minimum for
these officials.
1t also does net appear that Jurors
are being properly paid for the
services they render. A man in the
Country leaves his farm, right at
the busiest season of the year, or
the business man is called away
from his business, an oystcrmen or
crabber is called away from his work
and in cost cases, compelled to-
come to Cambridge and pay board,
and to meet these expenses as well
as to compensate him for his SER
vices he receives the sum of $3.50 a.
day, less than the average day labor
er receives nowadays.
Then the matter of the compen-
sation of Election officials would
seem to require adjustment. Every
one else has had their pay increas-
ed in the last few years, but these
officials are asked to serve for the
same pay that they did a quarter of
century or more ago.
| At meeting several days ago.
held in the Court House. large
bend issue was leaftily appT0Ved
for county seLoo-s and roads. This
was all right, but there is no use to
bond the county for schools il they
are to be allowed to rot for lack OF
attention and for the expenditure
of the small sums that may be neces-
sary to keep them in repair and
there is no use to bond the county
for roads if the roads are to receive
no attention after they are built but
are to be allowed to go to pieces for
the lack of attention and repairs at
the right time. Why build a good
road and then deliberately tear it up
by cutting it all to pieces immedi-
ately following freeze-up by haul
ing heavy loads of shells over it?
Why build a good road and let every
little hole that comes into 1t become
dangerous before attention is given
to it?
The bond issue is all right but
with it should go provisions for the
proper up keep Of the buildings and
roads. A stitch in time saves nine
is an old saying and it Is true one,
but in Dorchester county that stitch
has not been taken in time for a
great many years and we are now
paying the consequences.