The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-08-25
(From The Marylander)

(From The Marylander)
There is a very evident impression
and one that is growing in strength
that there must be a new deal in the
political affairs in both parties prior
to the next State and City election and
that the time is about to come when
those who have the interests of the
public at heart, regardless of partisan
politics, will be obliged to assert
themselves in order to stem the rising
tide of public extravaganza and call
halt on the reckless expenditure of
money for all sorts of things, which
are unnecessary for the well-being of
the people.
On all sides, in county, city and
state, at the present rate, the taxes
levied, instead of being reduced will
mount up, and with additional loans
and bond issues year after year, the
levies will reach almost confiscatory
amounts and any great increase in
the assessments will render it practi-
cally impossible for people of moder-
ate incomes to own their own homes
or to own property, to rent at a profit.
Even now, it is less expensive to rent
residence property than it is to own
it in Baltimore City and in the larger
towns, and rents have already reached
the highest point which people of
moderate means can afford to pay,
and with assessments on the increase,
and the consequent increase in taxes,
property owners are in a quandary as
to what they shall do. Taxes, insur-
ance and repairs are now eating up
large share of all incomes from resi-
dence property, and there is appar-
emily no possibility of any reduction
in the amounts required.
And there is no probability that the
extravaganza in the public expendi-
lures will become any less in the near
future. AS the late Governor HAM
ilton used to say, in his contests with
the politicians, "the taxpayers are
continuing to build palaces for the
tax-eaters to live in" What would
he say now, were he living, and would
see not only the vast palaces they
build, the quadrupling of salaries, the
vast increase in the army of office
holders, and others feeding at the
public crib, but greatest of all extrav-
agances if he were to see this vast
army of office holders riding to and
from their offices, going around, when
on duty and off duty, in automobiles,
hundreds of automobiles, owned, fur
nished and maintained by the State,
city and county governments. No Of
fetal today of even second rate au-
thority and Importance is without an
automobile furnished and maintained
at the public expense. All the officials
Of the higher grades have large, ex-
pensive cars, which they and their
families use as their own, and for
which the repairs, renewals and gaso-
line are paid out of the public treas
ury. The subordinate health inspec-
tors, both men and women, cannot go
around on their tours in the usual
public conveyances-they all have
State owned and maintained automo-
biles. School attendance officers, both
men and women, in the city, the coun-
ty and the towns ride around in auto
mobiles (and an arrogant lot they
are), and when one machine gets worn
out or becomes old, a new one is
promptly furnished. And recently it is
reported that one of the departments
of the State government purchased at
one time for the use of his force twen-
ty-four Ford cars-and there are lit
orally hundreds of them is use by Of
ficials of all grades, from one end of
the state to the other. And at times
the congestion of city-owned cars
parked at the City Hall is so great
that it is impossible for any ordinary
private citizen, in his humble car, to
get within a block of the municipal
palace where the great chiefs of the
army of tax-eaters hold sway, sur
rounded by their obedient satellites.
And even the satellites, when they go
on errands, have their city-owned and
maintained Fords in which they are
enabled to take their families out to
visit their country relatives and their
friends on Sunday-or if they have
no families they go joy riding at the
public expense, not only on the Holy
Sabbath day, but along the tree lined
roads of the suburbs after the shades
of night have clothed the earth in
darkness.
In the olden days, not SO long ago
as time flies, city officials either walk
ed or rode on the street cars when on
duty, at their own expense. The only
official who ever had a conveyance
was the late Mayor Latrobe, whose old
gray mare Git was his own, and was
not maintained at public expense) was
famous in song. He used an old
fashioned buggy, and Robert, his col
ored driver, would take him down to
the City Hall in the morning. Robert