Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-11-25
County Commissioners Hold
Important Conference At Annapolis
Continued from page y

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.
"The schools of my county are
costing entirely too much money. l
don't know what they want with
truant officers, attendance officers
and half-a-dozen other employees
around the high schools. When
inquired of boy in high school why
he did not study his lessons, he said,
Why, we must do our studying at
school during the study hours" Sem
ator Legg said the boy explained the
fine games he is taught 30 play at
school but when the lad further told
him that the teacher could put ice
cream on red hot stove without it
melting, he was through! In con-
! clusion he said: "Be men; don't fear,
but speak out. Just say you cannot
pay these salaries"
c. Ferdinand Sybert, counsel to
the Howard County commissioners,
voiced the sentiment of his board in
no uncertain terms, as did Rex A.
Taylor, counsel to the Wicomico COM
missioners, G. Clinton McSherry,
counsel 30 the Frederick county
board, w. P. Wachter, counsel to the
Washington county board, and others.
Major Lee, who occupied seat in
the front row during the one-sided
debate, asked for permission to ad-
dress the gathering and the priv
llege was granted to him. After
voicing his disagreement with any
plan to alter the present method of
providing salaries, 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 conferences which have been held
at which plans for raising money
without additional taxes were dis
cussed and said he favored a sales
tax on some Injuries like cigarettes.
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 commits
sion is willing to back legislation
that will enable it to take over main
tenance of some of the county roads,
but they were against handing money
over TO the county boards which
would hamper the States plans and
cut the State into % pieces, so far
as the roads are concerned.
"As a 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
AIR. Lee. Under this plan, the
county road systems have become
part of the State roads system. This
is the logical and inevitable pro-
cedure. Already 3,644 miles of road
in Maryland are part of the State
system, leaving 11,166 miles of the
various counties. That is, approxi-
mateiy twenty-five per cent 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 exceeded Baltimore
Clty's total contribution to all State
taxes except the gasoline tax and
nearly doubled 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 63.66 per cent of all
monies spent by the State Roads
Commission were expended within 25
miles of the city limits of Baltimore.
Baltimore city produced that wear
63.l1 per cent of all State taxes
except the gasoline tax. That wear
SS.0S per cent of the motor vehicles
were registered in Baltimore.
I'VE propose 10 expend a eonsid-
cradle portion of the reconstruction
fund in moving back all culverts
to a more adequate width, and the
early improvement of the lines of
vision on all bad curves on State
roads. The increased use of trucks
makes it more pressingly necessary