The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-11-24

schools. L know it is difficult but
that is why we are here. We have
been made helpless by the artificial
standard set up by the State. Isn't
there some one here who can say how
we can cut down overhead without
Juggling figures ?"
Mr.. Balch enumerated number
of "frills" which he said could be
eliminated from the schools, and con-
cluded by stating that his county
found it necessary to build some
roads to accommodate school busses
which could not get through some of
the dirt roads in winter. His re-
marks were greeted with much ap-
plause.
Former Senator j. n. C. Legg, of
Queen Anne's county, whose remarks
were received with laughter and APP
plause, said in part: "As far as the
Eastern Shore is concerned, the time
has come when we've got to act. If
we propose to cut salaries some will
say why you are against public
educationD Landlords are worse off
than their tenants. In my county,
real estate is now a liability. 1t has
reached the point where feel it is
the duty of every taxpayer to say
what he really believes.
eve now levy $1.70 and could run
the county on 80 cents if it was not
for the schools. We felt that it was
necessary to cut every salary but
when we looked into the law, we
found that the teachers salaries and
other school expenses are fixed by
statute. The tax rate has got to be
reduced and there is no use in shift
ing the burden from the county to
the State. There must be an actual
reduction.
C. Ferdinand Sybert, counsel of the
Howard county commissioners, voiced
the sentiment of his board in no un-
certain terms, as did Rex. A. Taylor,
counsel to the Wicomico commission
ers, G. Clinton McSherry, counsel to
the Frederick county board, w. P.
Wachtel, counsel to the Washington
county board, and others.
Major Lee, who occupied seat in
the front row during the one-sided de-
bate, asked for permission to address
the gathering and the privilege was
granted to him. After voicing his
disagreement with any plan to alter
the present method of providing sala-
ries, and stating that as a taxpayer
of Montgomery county he was in
favor of maintaining the standard of
the schools and that no one, in late
years, had succeeded in amending
the school laws. He spoke of con-
ferences which have been held at
which plans for raising money with
out additional taxes were discussed
and said he favored a sales tax on
some Injuries like cigarattes.
Mr.. Lee said the State Roads COM
mission is in complete sympathy with
the county commissioners and is will
ing to help work out the problem, but
not along the lines suggested in the
resolution. He said the commission
is willing to back legislation that will
enable it to take over maintenance
of some of the county roads, but they
were against handing money over to
the county boards which would ham,
per the States plans and cut the
State into % pieces, so far as the
roads are concerned.
GAS means of working out the
road problem, the State Roads COM
mission favors the general system
recently adopted by the States of
North Carolina and Virginia" said
Mr.. Lee. "Under this plan, the
road systems have become part of the
State roads system. This is the logi-
cal and inevitable procedure. Already
3,644 miles of road in Maryland are
part of the State system, leaving H.
166 miles in the various ounties. That
is, approximately, twenty-five percent
of the total road mileage of the State
of Maryland is now in the State
system.
money expended within 25 miles
of Baltimore City's limits is spent
for the trade of Baltimore City and
their motorists. The total amount
so spent slightly exceeds Baltimore
City's total contribution to all State
taxes except the gasoline tax and
nearly double the city's obvious per-
centage of contribution to the gas
tax which produced the road money.
Complete figures for the State
fiscal year which ended December 81,
1880, show that 1896 percent of all
monies spent by the State Roads
Commission were expended within 25
miles of the city limits of Baltimore.
Baltimore City produced that year
63.11 percent of all State taxes ex-