The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1921-07-01
Friday, July |, 1921

tenn of betterment for the State
Government, was held last
Thursday and was suspicious OF
success, not only in point of at
tendance, but also in the charac-
ter and ability of the men
and women who were there.
There was almost a full attend
ance of those asked by the Gov
ernor to serve on the Commits
sion and every section OF the
State sent some Off ablest men
and women to aid in the work OF
the Commission.
Judge Burke, of Baltimore
County, was elected Chairman,
and the futher working organl-
cation was promptly completed,
and there will now be no delay
in getting down to work. The
indications therefore, are that
before the meeting of the State
Convention in September, a sys-
tematic plan will have been pre-
pared which will embody such
changes in the laws as will en-
able the State administration to
make very considerable reduc-
tons in the number of officials,
and will also provide for such
decided economy In the amount
of certain appropriations that a
material reduction in the tax rate
will be the result. The members
of the Commission were all
agreed on the point that no
matter what might be proposed
in the way Of changes, it must
provide for a lowering of taxes.
or it would not go through. 1t
was a unanimous opinion that no
matter what or whom it affected,
the appropriation must be scaled
down, and that the expenses of
every department of the State
government must be cut down
to the lowest possible amount,
consistent with the cost of a
reasonable efficiency in the pub
lie service. There are many
government luxuries which are
being urged ssupon the admins
tration, and which we would all
like to have" said the Cover
nor, "but for some time to come
Maryland will have to do with
out all these luxuries, and be
contented with those things
which are absolutely necessary
to the public welfare. And
men and women who are serv-
ing on the Commission all seem
ed to agree with the views ex-
pressed by his Excellency.
It lis rather an odd sort of
situation which seems to be fac
ing the public officials, National,
State, County. and Getty, in all
parts of the land. The cry on
all sides is for economy in public
expenditures of all sorts, and
this cry is rising louder and loud
er from day to day until it Is
almost becoming a howl.
Mingled with this cry for econ
omy, is the cry for a reduc-
ton in the number of public
officials-for a decided reduction
in the number of these who are
feeding at the public crib, whom
the late Governor Hamilton call
ed, 1.-The great army of the tax
eaters" The number of these
has gone up by leaps and bounds
in all departments of the Nat
ional, State, and municipal gov
ernments, and the demand for
the dismissal of large bodies Of
these men is becoming more and
more urgent as the days pass by.
The indications therefore are,
that the questions, which will be
the issues in the State and
County elections this year, not
only in Maryland but in all parts
of the Country, will be based on
a reduction of public expendi-
lures and a reduction of public
taxes of all orts-National,
State, County, and City. The
wall of hard times and proverty
is rising loudly throughout the
country, and the men in control
of public affairs, must hear and
pay heed to it, or retire from
public office and public life. The
officials and public men of Mary
land generally are looking out
for the coming storm, and are
preparing for it before it reaches
a dangerous height.
PAUL WINCHESTER,
Hotel Rennert, Baltimore.