Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-18

! candidates selected by a majority OF
1880 Democrats in a direct primary
but upon me as one individual who Il
not running in the obvious hope that
| unsupported attacks upon me will bt
good bait for my factiona1 enemies who
participated in the recent Democratic
| primary.
| Says Tax Plan FaIrest.
He characterized the basic tax plan
and general improvement program OF
! MONTGOMERY County for the past 10
| years as "the fairest to the general
| TAXPAYER that can be found anywhere. y
The real estate industry in the sub
urban sections of the county, he as
serted, is the largest business in the
county, but, differing from the practice
| in many localities, it Is not favored. but
| is made to bear the greatest tax burden.
He pointed out that real estate OPP
orators have been taxed not only to
pay the entire cost of their own local
| improvements. but also to pay the 'en-
tire cost of the county's general inn
provemsnt ard county bond issue pro-
grams, as we'll as for the increased
! teachers salaries and the county's new
police force.
New Subdivisions Taxed.
This has been DONE" Mai. Lee ex-
planned, by requiring the land in all
new subdivisions to pay, through front
foot benefit taxation the entire cost
of the street, sidewalk, gutter, curb,
water and sewer extensions. That is,
all money spent within the subdivision
is produced by direct special taxation
levelled in equal annual installments
against the lots of the subdivision.
The subdivision of land and the
building of houses and the increased
business values in the suburban busi-
ness cepters, due to the increased popu-
lation of the adjacent developments,
has for the past six years In Mont
gomery County produced $4,000, 900 in
creased county and State taxable basis
a year. This equals the total taxable
basis OF any two average north county
election districts.
This $3,000.00 increase in taxable
basis produced annually by the real
estate and building industry results
in 100000 new tax money being paid
into the county treasury each year,
which money is spent for general
county operating purposes or to carry
county bonds.
This $4,000 a year contribution
from the building industry, however,
was not enough to carry the county i'm
provement program of the legislative
session of 1927, which was the first
Legislature of which I was elected a
member.
Raise Taxable Basis.
at was impossible, politically speak
ing, to raise additional county taxes
from either the farms, the suburban
homeowners or the business people of
the county. Consequently, the only
possible source left which would permit
political survival was to raise the tax
able basis of the unimproved land Of
suburban Montgomery County adjacent
the District of Columbia in the gen.
eral reaSsessment of 1928
This, also, was not unfair, because
this land value enjoyed vast increase
during the five-year period preceding
the 1928 general reassassment. Conse-
ouently, the county assessors appointed
by the present Democratic Board of
County Commissioners did in 1928 in
crease the assessment of unimproved
land in the suburban county by $18,-
100000. which is Is per cent of the
total taxable basis OF the county, ana
consequently produces the last Is per
cent Of every county tax dollar.
mo tax money Of any general tax
payer, resident in Montgomery County
before 1928 is spent to finance the
county road, school, court house bonds,
because these bond issues are being
carried and paid of by the new county
tax money produced for the county
treasury by the increased suburban
land assessments and new house and
store values
Suggestions Now Law.
Mai. Lee declared that the Repub-
ncan charges that the affairs of the
county are administered in an Sin
efficient and unbusiness-l way
amount to some general talk about
systems Of bookkeeping" Ninety per
cent of their suggestions, he said, are
already the law and practice.
Answering Republican criticism OF the
county, bonding policy, the speaker speaker,
paid off ss7. 900 Of county bonds in 1929.
500 900 in 1890 and will pay OF S103.-
600 in 1881 The average requirement
of the future is $4,000 a year for
county bond payments" he declared
This, he said, represents but 33 per
cent increase for the future while the
county's taxable basis has increased 400
per cent due to suburban growth during
the past 20 years and can be expected
conservatively to maintain a similar
rate of increase.
He fatty denied allegations that the
schools were inefficient or poorly equip
ped and that the police force and Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Commission
do not function properly.
Richie Boasts of Roads.
- NKay-
land and 06 per cent of its population
are within 2 miles Of a modern, i'm
proved State highway, Gov. Richie as
serted. This is a record, he declared
of which no other State can boast.
Quoting figures of a recent survey OF
Montgomery County, he said that in
1920 but 81 per cent of its area was
within miles of State highway, while
at the present time 95 per cent OF It's
territory is within that radius.
The real issue Of the present cam
paign, Gov. Richie told his audiences,
is where will you get the best govern
ment?" If the Republicans are VIC
torious, he said, it will mean trans
fer of the policies of the Baltimore City
Hall to Annapolis. He charged the Re
publicans in Baltimore with locating
parks miles outside the city limits and
with splitting up contracts so as 70
avoid the provisions of the law re-
curing competitive bidding.
Discusses Own Record.
The governor discussed the record Of
his own administration, particularly In
regard to teh development Of schools,
public health and roads.
w. Preston Lane, Hagerstown lawyer
and newspaper publisher, who was
chosen Democratic candidate for attor-
ney general Thursday, was the only State
candidate to speak other than the gov
ernor.
He condemned what he said was the
invasion of fundamental rights, particu-
larly those of liberty and the pursuit of