The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-02-02

of the ballots or to replace those on
duty and have them later report at the
closing of the polls. If the former
complete returns would be available
an hour or two after the closing of
the polls and all officials would have
completed their labors within the
regulation day.
Your Committee prepared Bill
that the States Attorney should be the
legal adviser without compensation.
This Bill failed also. In our opinion
the passage of this measure would
have resulted in economy to the tax
payer without adding a burden to the
States Attorney
COUNTY AGENT
We have made known to the County
Commissioners the sentiment of Your
Committee and the taxpayers general
ly in regard to this office, appropria-
lions for which exceed $500 each
year This office may have merit in
prosperous times, this is subject to
considerable doubt, but in the strug-
gle for existence that is taking place
at present there can be no justifca-
ton for it, However, the County
Commissioners continue to appropri-
ate, this item being included in their
budget for the present year.
ORPHANS COURT CRIER
We have also urged the County
Commissioners not to appropriate for
this utterly unnecessary and useless
position The item of expense is not
very large but large or small If the
office is not necessary the cost of
maintaining should be saved to the
taxpayers. In this the Commissioners
do not agree with Your Committee
and the office, with its cost, will be
continued.
SUPERVISOR OF ASSESSMENTS
Your Committee prepared and had
introduced at the last regular session
of the Legislature a Bill eliminating
the office of Supervisor of Assessments
in this County Your representatives
were not successful in having this
enacted into law, the measure having
failed to make it's exit from com-
mittee.
Since the creation of this office in
1914, the taxpayers of Cecil County.
have paid salary amounting TO $685.,
900. We have no personal knowledge
of any benefit to the taxpayers from
this office and the records failed to
disclose any justification for it, 1t
seems to Your Committee 1t is high
time this wholly unnecessary office be
abolished with the resultant saving
to the taxpayers of this County
OUTSIDE INSANE
At the previous meeting of the tax
payers it was recommended change
be made in the law relative to the
commitment of the insane, making 1t
mandatory that one of the examining
physicians be connected with the
Board of Health who should perform
this service without additional COM
pensation. The duty of this physician
would be, in addition to the medical
examination, to ascertain the financial
condition of the person to be commit
ted and to report his findings to the
County Commissioners. This resolu-
ton called for some very dramatic
oratory on the part of one of the
members of the Bar and due to the
lateness of the hour and the compare
tive unimportance of the matter it
was not pressed by Your Committee.
Investigation discloses that we have
in our insane institution slxtyf1ve
persons, sixtytwo of whom are direct
charges upon the County. In every
instance it cost the County Ten ($1O)
dollars for the medical examination
with an average Sheriff expense of
Twenty Five ($25) dollars. The res
olution above referred to would save
one half the medical fee and the re-
cent Act of the Legislature, placing
the Sheriff upon salary, eliminates
that expense entirely.
The County records disclose that we
are charged for these sixty-two pa
tients at the rate of One Hundred and
Twenty Five (s125) dollars per year.
Of this number seven have estates
ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, an in
determinate number have property
and several were not citizens of the
County at the time of their commit
ment so we are informed.
We see no reason why the more &C.
onomical method could not be en-
ployed saving the taxpayers of this
year, especially since the proposed
change would not interfere in the
least with the care and tt eatment of
these unfortunates.
STATE ROADS
We favor the widening, improving
and identifying of Routes One and
Forty in Cecil County and are oppos-
ed to the building of a new highway
that would eliminate these two
routes. That the Administration con-
templates doing so is evidence by the
failure of the Governor 70 carry out
the provisions of the Act of Assembly
approved on April ~, 1882, which had
the Improvement of these thorough
ldItS DIS It's pOSe, anu tle IldHOeu-
vering of the Governor and his forces
at the Special Session of the Legisla-
ture. What happened at this Session
of the Legislature and its effect on
the property owners and citizens of
Hartford County is now matter of
history.
We know of no blow the Administra-
tion could level at the people of Cecil
County that would be as injur ious to
the citizens generally or demoralize
business conditions to a greater ex-
tent than the virtual abandonment of
routes One and Forty by the building
of a new highway Property along
the two routes would be depi eciated
in the hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars, the life savings and entire bust
ness investment of many that are de-
pendent upon the travelling public
would be destroyed, and the business
of many small towns along the !
routes would be stagnated. Nothing
could justify this terrific loss.
We own roads in Cecil County and,
we contribute our share to
State government, we will Pay for
these improvements, no matter of
what fhQvl CONSIST Can1naor eanaa