Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-05-22
LETTER TO EDITOR
Mr.. w. Meade Holladay Makes State
ment In Opposition To New Count!
Commissioner Law.

Commissioner Law.
TO the Editor Of the Evening Capital.
My Dear Mr.. Editor: After a care
full reading of your Editorial of May
II, on the question OF the proposed
referendum on the Bill providing for
three County Commissioners, instead
Of seven, as at present, l am COM
PEELED to ask your indulgence for
space to make a reply to certain
statements contained therein.
You say that, the bill was wide
open for discussion" during its pas
sage through the Legislature, and that
t went through. and was signed by
the Governor without any protest" "
never heard of the proposition to
pass such a law, until you made your
address at the Conference" at the
ton of the proposed law to take from
the County Commissioners the care
OF the roads, and place them in the
hands of a commission to he appoint
ed by the Governor. heartily APP
proved of your stand on that bill,
and its absurdities. / did not APP
! prove of your suggestion, however,
for three Commissioner bill, which
was prepared by you q understood
at the time), and introduced a few
days later, when the session was
drawing &c close. At the meeting
| Of the delegation which considered
the bill expressed my opposition
10 il, and gave as my reason that |
was quite old enough TO remember
when the county was working under
| three Commissioners, and some of the
| attending evils. | also remember the
sfforts made to get the Seven Com
missioner bill through at the 1900 ses-
sion.
/ think you must remember when
we had a Republican Commissioner
from Curtis Bay, and a Democratic
Commissioner from Annapolis juno
lion, who with the assistance of a
certain lawyer-politician absolutely
| controlled every action of the Board,
and the county was run as one
man machine. What did those gen
| tlemen know about the needs of the
J sest of the county? They came to
| Annapolis on the train, and never saw
any other part OF the county, unless,
perhaps they went on a "ducking
trip"
II hac oI.uovc caanad to ma tbot
the most important Office in a county,
vas that of County Commissioner.
The Commissioner spends the tax
payers money and has charge of the
roads; the two subjects most import
ant to all of us--who have no selfish
plans.
Under the proposed bill, at least
two of the Commissioners would in
all probability come from Annapolis.
or its immediate vicinity. How many
commissioners thus elected would
know or ever learn about the differ
cnt sections. or roads? How much
time would they be expected to give
for that $1,000 salary? A local man
knows his own section. and what his
people want. He naturally travels
those reads He sees where the
money goes. The people can get at
him. Certainly four of the districts
will be without Commissioners, prob
ably five, and possibly six. Is that
fair representation-is that represen-
tation at all? Is it matter of econ.
omy 10 save twelve hundred dollars
at the expense of representation?
Would you get any better service,
or any better men for a thousand dol
lars than we get now? My opinion
is that the taxpayers of any given
rural district would rather have a.
home commissioner than any one or
even two of the offices to be filled at
an election.
When the bill was introduced num-
bers of people protested to me
against its passage-representi
both factions. Not one soul asked me
to support it. / think at least one
other member of the delegation voted
for the bill under the impression that
it was to be amended so as to pro-
vide for a two, and mot a four-year
term of office. It was not, however,
amended, and feel quite sure that
the taxpayers of this county will
think long time before they decide
to turn the affairs of this county
|over.st0' 'two--AND POSSIBLY ONE