The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-07-02
A Letter From One Who FavOrs the
Incorporation of Mountain Lake
park

A Letter From One Who FavOrs the
Incorporation of Mountain Lake
Park.
To the Editor of The Republican,
Inasmuch as l am deeply interested
in the welfare and future of Noun
tain Lake Park, can not refrain from
asking the privilege of little space
to set forth my views on some of the
questions involved in the matter of
the incorporation of the Park, espec-
tally after reading some of the letters
published in your columns concerning
the matter.
l should like to point out at the out
set that there seems to be consider
able confusion in the minds of some
concerning the existing laws and
methods Of governing this community.
1t must be kept in mind that the Mt.
Lake Park Association is distinctly a
private corporation and as such has
absolutely no governmental authority.
The authority of government is vested
in "The Community of Mountain Lake
Park, a quasi public corporation de-
irving its authority from charter
granted to it by the Legislature. I'm
der the charter granted this latter en-
tity, provision is made for the selec-
ton of an annual Committee and in
it is vested the executive authority of
governing the affairs of the Communi-
ty. Provision is made for the selec-
ton of this Annual Committee in the
following manner: The Mt. Lake Park
Association has the right to select two
members, the lot owners, two men,
bers, and the four thus selected, Sc
lect the fifth member. In event the
four members are unable to agree on
the fifth member, then the Mt. Lake
Park Association has the right to
name the fifth member. Thus you
have a situation whereby a private
corporation has the balance of power,
in fact the absolute domination and
control of any community, through
the executive authority, whether that
control is in the hands of an indivi-
dual or Of corporation, is wrong,
un-American and should not be toll
Grated any where at any time. e
citizens of any State or of any politi-
cal subdivision thereof should always
have the right of self government and
this doctrine is one Of the fundamen-
tai principles of our entire system of
government.
There has been considerable discus
sion as to the effect the incorporation
of this community would have on the
activities of the Mt. Lake Park Asso-
citation. AS one who has favored the
incorporation of Mt. Lake Park and
who has heard much discussion of the
subject, / am convinced that there is
no disposition whatever on the part
of those who favor incorporation to
interfere in any manner or hamper
in the slightest degree the activities
of the Association any more than they
would wish to interfere with the acti-
vities of any other individual or cor
poration. The desire of those wishing
incorporation is solely the wish and
desire of any intelligent, Christian
people who want the right of self
government and the right to say how
their tax money should be spent and
am sure the people of this communi
ty will desire the Association to con-
tinue their work freely and unrestric-
ted in any degree.
In your issue of June 10 there ap-
pears d SIdCSiIlSHI ONSl Vic olSho-
ture of the Board of Directors of the
Mt. Lake Park Association in which
there appears the following: "* ~
the Park, by reason of it's short term
of operation, has never met expenses.
Formerly stock holders and friends
furnished money to meet annual def
cts. There has been no exception to
this rule since the Park has been I'M
der the direction of the Board of For
eign Missions of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, except that the deficit
has been carried by the Board of For
eign Missions rather than by subscrip-
tions raised on the ground or from
friends of the Association. This def
cit with certain repair costs for up
keep, now amounts to $110, 1851"
By what authority or on what theory
do you suppose that the Board of For
eign Missions of the church would
have the right to spend money that
undoubtedly has been contributed or
L. L. L e L.