The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-03-03

ware of the Fact that the County
Commissioners Control Only About
Is Per Cent of the Levy, the Other
IS Per Cent Being Mandatory I'm
der Laws Passed During Mr.. Rit-
chie's Regime At Annapolis; and
In Addition The Board Has Nothing
To Do With Fixing Salaries of the
School Officials or School Teachers.
(The following communication, ap-
pearing in an emasculated form in
last weeks Mountain Democrat, was
brought to The Republican Office on
Monday by the author, Mr.. Clifford
Friend, of the Accident community,
who requested its publication as he
prepared it originally and who was
at loss to know why the Democrat
had cut certain portions from it and
printed the remainder. Editor The
Republican,
To the Editor of The Republican.
For the past several months there
has been a great deal of discussion
about taxes. Our farmers and bust
ness men have written down their
losses in red for two or three consec-
utive years now, and after they have
used every economy possible they
are naturally looking to the subject
of taxes. And why not? Taxes have
been steadily climbing since the World
War. They started to advance with
commodity prices and since this was
in accordance with the trend of the
times nobody thought of doing any
thing about it. But, alas! taxes did
not halt when commodity prices stood
still: In this county public salaries
already high, were pushed up another
notch. Our tax burden already too
heavy in boom times was made still
heavier right in the face of a price
landslide and nationwide panic.
The fact that great many of our
taxes are delinquent for 1930-31, and
that considerably larger amount will
be delinquent at the end of this year,
has rot apparently caused enough
CONGO I in the mind of our officials
who re responsible for the county's
fnan to cause them to take steps
to pt, in effect any economic meas
ures ! )r 1882 in order to provide for
the evitable reduction in revenue.
Howe jer, an increase in our tax rate
is being contemplated in order to pro-
vide the necessary funds to keep GER
tain superfuous county employees on
the pay roll. Meanwhile, certain other
high salaries protected by state leg
islation must either go on until
enough public sentiment is aroused to
force the enactment of laws that will
give relief or else until our remain
ing property owners can no longer
bear the burden.
The time is close at hand when the
majority of our farmers can not con-
tinue to pay. This is revealed by a
check-up in certain community
where eight out of fifteen farmers
who did pay this year did so with
borrowed money.
Those very fortunate persons who
are on the county pay roll would do
we'll were they to voluntarily accept a
reduction. They should know that
their is danger of destroying the
goose that lays the golden egg. Let
us take heed from those counties in
other states where the school teachers
are working month after month with
out the accustomed pay check.
During the past two years county
employees have benefited to the equiv
alent of forty per cent raise in sal
aries due to falling prices. Since the
money to pay these salaries must be
earned within the county, let us con-
slider the comparative cost to the far
mer on the basis of production:
Suppose we take the employee who
receives annually $1,000. In order to
pay that salary in 1924-25 the farmer
had to produce around five hundred
bushels of potatoes at $500 per bush
ell; or around seven hundred bushels
of wheat at $1.40 per bushel; or two
thousand pounds of wool at 30 cents
per pound. But in 1881 the farmer
had to produce twenty-five hundred
bushels of potatoes at 40 cents; two
thousand bushels of wheat at so cents,
or seven thousand one hundred pounds
of wool at IA cents per pound.
Even yet, this comparison hardly
gives one a fair conception of the
situation confronting the farmer, for
the reason that it is not possible to
produce five times as many potatoes,
three times as much wheat and three
and one-half times as much wool as
in 1925, and if it were produced there
would be no market. Therefore, the
farmers only hope lies in the direc-
ton of reduced expenses and not in
increased production.
Unless substantial change for the
better is made before the coming fall,
probably fifty per cent of our farm
taxes will be delinquent for 1882. At
the present rate of spending this
would mean tax increase of possibly
seventy-fve per cent to those of US
who are still able to carry our present
share Of the burden. Everybody knows
that the economic strain of such an
excess rate of taxation would surely
spell disaster. To raise our present
tax rate would be a serious mistake.
There is but one possible way and that
is to reduce expenses. Public eXpen-
ditures can be cut in Garrett county
just as they have been cut elsewhere.
Of course it means that sacrifices
must be made. 1t may mean that we
give up our county agent and our
health officers and will mean the par
ing down of road and school expenses.
These things can be done, regardless
of what certain persons connected
with our schools and offices tell US.
How can we do otherwise? We have
not the means to carry on longer as
we have been. Are we going to sit
still while the house burns and falls in
II