Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1923-10-05
islature and ratified by the direct vot
Of the people.

Women.
The political disabilities of women
have been removed, and they are now
eligible for any elective or appointive
office.
| State Tax Rate.
! When this administration began, In
1920. the State tax rate was SO 31-72 |
cents. For the fiscal year ending Sep
tember 80, 1924, the rate is 80 2-1S |
cents, decrease of over 8 cents.
! This decrease is not Offset by in.
creased assessments. Assesspents have
been increased every year for 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 II
has steadily mounted until for 1920
1at was soNer aeAcenta The FIRST year
for which this administration fixed the
rate was 1891. Assessments were in
Creased that year and new revenues
added but beginning with that year,
and in spite Of broadened public activ-
titles and higher costs, the rate went
down, and 1t 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 1921 OF 10 per cent.
(Which included new assessments as
well as increases In existing ones),
there was a decrease In the State
tax rate during the same period of
15 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 1t 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
eo-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
1ections and disbursements formally
made by different departments and
institutions are now being centralized
las rapidly as possible in the Comp
trolers office.
AS part of the reorganization, the
task of discovering instances where
inadequate license fees were paid was
assigned to the Comptroller's depart
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
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
ual advance in rating since 1918, be-
cause the comparative figures have
not been compiled.
At Teachers College, Columbia
University, 1923 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 1871 in 1920 to 725 in
1928; graduates from SO to 800. Add,
tional dormltorles at Towson and
Frostburg and new normal school at
Salisbury provided.
Large increase in first grade GER
tiflcate teachers. Salaries more near
~ adequate and made equal to those
of the adjoining Northern States and
the District of Columbia. Teacher
training developed through free ex'
tension courses, classroom supervision
and free Summer courses.
School attendance increased by IT,.
700 from 1920 to 1928
High school increased in number
from SO in 1920 to lat In 1928.
County rally days and athletic meet
held In every county. Fifteen thou
sand five hundred and seventy-seven
children we're examined physically
and 24,016 defects corrected by local
family physicians In 1921-1922.
A State equalization fund was pro-
vlded and apportioned among those
counties which cannot, with 67-cent
tax rate, carry the State program, and
State help to the counties with respect
to. high school, textbooks and other
matters was Increased.
Agriculture.
In addition to carrying on and ex-
banding 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 the
subject of cooperative marketing, and
special aid extended, to dairymen, to-
bacco growers, tomato growers, can
ners and various commodities along
cooperative lines
The work Of eradlcatlng tuberculosis
from dairy herds in Maryland prac'
tically started with the present adj
ministration, and $4,000 head Of dairy
cattle have been tested.
Liberal legislation passed for CO.
operative drainage Of farm lands.
Maryland has been the irst State
to complete a survey Of Its soil, and
It Ia now possible 10 plan crop rota-