The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-06-02
FAILURE OF 81 AUTO TAG PLAN DUE TO CONCEALMENT
AND SABOTAGE BY The DEMOCRATS, GOVERNOR SAYS

A fair and unbiased reader will real
ize from these figures that was con-
WINGED that the time had come when
the motorists of Maryland could be re-
leased from a tremendous burden and
the pledges of 1922, long delayed in
their fulfillment, could be carried out.
Vital Matter Withheld
No one had the slightest suspicion
that political expediency was debating
the Withholding of certain vital infor-
nation without which it was impossi-
bic to discuss intelligently any future
financial policy of the state, whether
it be in the realm of license tags or
anything else. Yet such was the case,
as we learned to our CONSERVATION
after the 1884 election.
While mentioning the Withholding
of essential financial information re-
garding our state finances, let me as
sert that the approximate financial
condition of the state of Maryland at
the end of the fiscal years 1885, 1886
and 1887 has been available on Octo-
Der 1 of each period. Under no circum-
stances would I permit the people of
Maryland to be confronted with an err
roneous picture such as was before
them in October, 1884.
Destroyed Plans
After the election, figures released
by the financial officers of the state
for 1884 utterly destroyed my budget
ny plans. Instead of having well over
$12,000,000, as they told US we would
have, we had a general treasury in
come of only a little more than $10,-
100000. We had been told that the
treasury would have a surplus of
nearly 100000; as matter of fact,
it had only $156,000. They had told us
before the election that, for the year
1885, the general treasury income
would be almost $12, 100000, but we
found that instead of S12,000,000, we
would have less than $10,000,000.
Instead of the latest previous official
estimate for the year ending Septem-
Der 30, 1885, showing credit balance
of nearly 100000, the re-estimated
treasury condition for that year fore
cast deficit of about $2,250,00O,
which was subsequently cared for only
through the issuing of bonds-the rob-
bing of Peter to pay Paul,
Dumped On Doorstep
It is very easy to see that there was
being dumped on my doorstep mis-
cradle financial condition about which
l had not been given the slightest adj
vance warning. Is it any wonder that
practically every prediction program
which had been made was forced to
revision? l had, first of all, the job to
preserve the solvency of the states
treasury. In order to do this, | was
compelled to continue the transfer of
funds from highway income to gen
eral expenses, instead of using that
money as l had originally intended
that is, to redeem my So tag pledge.
There was another sad mess amid
all these jumbled finances, which fur
Their added to the collapse of the hopes
l had built up with regard to lower
motor vehicle license fees. In Novem-
Der, 1934-mark we'll the date as be-
ing after the election-the income of
the Annuity Bond fund, which sup
ports the state debt, was reported to
have shrunk SO greatly as to indicate
deficit in the fund of about half
million dollars for the fiscal year end
ing September 80, 1885. My first duty
was to insure the integrity of the
states credit. /, therefore, had to
transfer in my budgets presented to
the 1885 legislature, highway income
to the support of the state bonds pre-
viously issued for the construction of
roads and bridges.
Forced To Act
| | had to act in an emergency. | was
convinced that the General Assembly
would, by the levy of indirect taxes,
restore to the roads the temporary
transfers which this suddenly disclos-
ed treasury condition made obligatory.
/ Mindful of my pledge to reduce the
cost of automobile registration to the
motor vehicle owners of Maryland,
yet realizing that the financial muddle
which we had inherited prevented the
full extent of reduction to a fiat 81,
went half way in the direction of
what / hoped would be an ultimate
fulfillment of my pledge. constructed
a budgetary proposal which would
have established a twenty-five cent
per horse power rate instead of thirty
two. Along with my budgetary pre-
sentation, there was introduced in the
state Senate on February 6, 1885, an
administration bill providing for this
! reduction. The Legislature, Democrat