Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-09-29
|horm Adopted By Maryland
Democratic State Convention

cents. For the fiscal year ending Sep.
1ember 80, 1924, the rate is 30 2-1S
cents, a decrease of over cents.
/! This decrease Is not Offset by in
creased assessments. Assessments have.
been increased every year for a great
many years and new revenues have
been added, too, but the State tax rate
has gone up just the same. In 1907
the rate was 16 cents. Since then it
has steadily mounted until for 1920
1T was over SO cents. The first year
for which this administration fixed the
rate was 1921. Assessments were in
creased that year and new revenues
added, but beginning with that year..
and in spite Of broadened public activ-
aties and higher costs, the rate went,
down, and it has been going down ever
| Increased assessments since 1921.
have not yielded the State anything
like the amount which the tax reduc.
tions have saved the taxpayers. While
there was an increase In assessments
In 1923 over 1891 OF 10 per cent;
(Which included new assessments as
well as increases in existing ones)s
there was a decrease in the State
tax rate during the same period Of
rs per cent.
Every dollar realized from increased
assessments in 1923 and 1924, the
period of the present budget, is, or
will be, intact in the State Treasury
and available for the. redemption of
the State debt and the further reduc.
tion of State taxes, for which purpose
alone it will be used by US.
Finance. :
:, In assigning the assessment, insur-
ance, auditing, banking and purchas'
ing departments to the Department OF
Finance, the Reorganization act has
co-ordinated those agencies which re-
late to the financial activities of the
State, and rendered possible closer CO.
operation and supervision by the
Comptroller. who Is elected by the
people. Each official collecting State
money Is now required to report
monthly instead OF quarterly, and col:
Elections and disbursements formally
made by different departments and
institutions are NOW being centralized
las rapidly, as possible in the Comp,
troller's Office.
AS part of the reorganization, the
task of discovering instances where
inadequate license fees were paid was
assigned to the Comptroller's departs
,ment, and this has resulted in adding
at least $4,000 annually to the rev
enues of the State.
Public Schools.
The rapid progress and development
of our public school system under this
administration is known to everyone.
In 1918 Maryland's index number Of
school efficiency, according to Ayres.
was 1902, and we ranked thirty-fourth
among the States. In 1922 Maryland's
index number was 65.1. With this
rating in 1918 Maryland would have
ranked fifth among the States. 1t Is,
however, not possible to give our act
Iual advance in rating since 1918, be-
cause the comparative figures have
mot been compiled.
: At Teachers College, Columbia
University, 1928 summer session.
Maryland was cited and recognized as
having the best school legislation and
the most promising type of effective
school administration and supervision
in the whole country.
Among important specific accom-.
plishments may be mentioned: :
{ Students in the normal schools in
creased from 181 in 1920 to 725 in
1923; graduates from So to 800. Add;
tiohal dormitories at Towson and
,Frostburg and new normal school al
Salisbury provided.
Large increase in first grade GER
,tifisEe teachers. Salaries more near
fly dequate and made equal to those
iof the adjoining Northern States and
the District of Columbia. Teacher
training developed through free ex
tension courses, classroom supervision
and free summer courses.
0CIlOOI dIIOuudACS 1nCICdSOu W 49,
TOO from 1920 to 1928.
High school increased in number
from sc in 1920 to lat in 1923.
County rally days and athleticSmeel
held in every county. Fifteen thou
sand five hundred and seventy-sever
children were examined physically
and 24,016 defects corrected by loca
family physicians in 1921-1922.
A State equalization fund was pro
vided and apportioned among those
counties which cannot, with a 67-cent
tax rate, carry the State program, and
State help to the counties with respect
to high school, textbooks and othel
matters was increased.
| Agriculture.
| In addition to carrying on and Ok
panding the States regular agricul
tural activities, such as county demon
stration, extension service and expert
ment station, the following are some
of the recent accomplishments:
Modern legislation passed on thu