The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-03-02

WITH THE

Annapolis, March l. 1899

bills in the Maryland Legislature bv
members of the Garrett county deIega-
ton. After bills which are pending and
those to be introduced this week have
been acted on it will be the duty of the
Garrett county group to take part in
the enactment of important state
legislation. The printer now has bill
which will be introduced by Delegate
Darwin Martin and which calls for
the ALLEGATION of four hundred dollars
from the gasoline tax or by levy of
the county commissioners to be used
in repairing and maintaining the
streets and sidewalks Of the commune
ty of Kempton. Citizens of Kempton
do not deem it wise to incorporate
the community but they feel that in
asmuch as the total assessment of the
community is higher than that of
other towns in the county which are
now receiving aid from the county it is
only fair that they too should be aided
by the county in the development of
their streets and sidewalks. The bill
provides for the creating of a Civic
Committee of Kempton to be COM
posed of five members of which not
more than three shall be affiliated
with the same political party. The
committee would be appointed by the
county commissioners for at least
three years and must be registered
voters. Each year the committee
would make recommendations TO the
county commissioners who in turn
would make the suggested repairs or
improvements.
We understand that the tax bill
which has been amended in Senate
committee has been held up some
where along the wayside-at any rate
it hasn't reached the House. The bill
when finally uncovered will offer con-
siderable inducement to taxpayers to
pay taxes promptly and receive
sizeable discount. 1t is hoped that the
new plan will aid the treasurer in col
lecting taxes earlier and thereby
alleviate the financial condition of the
county.
The county delegation is working on
plan which will change the date
of the opening of deer season so that
sportsmen will always have five full
days instead of having one day of the
season fall in Sunday as has been the
case several times in the past. They
propose that the five day season open
the first Monday in December instead
of the first day of December and the
plan has the approval of State Game
Warden LeCompte.
Maryland's famed old political foot
ball-Conservation-is being kicked
around the legislative halls at An
napolis with the same old fighting
spirit that politicians have been dis
playing for years. At the moment
there are four measures before the
General Assembly calling for changes
of one kind or another in the conser-
walton department. In all four pro-
posals sectional jealousies, private
interests and personal ambitions are
evident and so Governor O'Conor calls
for compromise which in fact is COM
plete surrender to the same little
clique of Eastern Shoremen who have
been attempting to dictate conserva-
ton policies and have succeeded for
the most part for many years. Our
Governor must remember that conser!
walton isn't solely the perpetuation Of
a living for oystermen and crabbers
who are determined to destroy it,
Maryland has forests, minerals, soil,
and streams that need protection and
development-these resources must
not be abandoned for Easternshore-
men or any other particular sectional
group.
SOuSSINdIlOH uluSG care lOI al VI
our God-given resources and there
should certainly be brains and judg-
ment enough in our Legislature to
devise plan that will meet the situa-
ton and cope with it in a practical,
businesslike manner.
Although Governor O'Conor has
said time and time again that he
would make all appointments on
basis we have yet to hear
of the appointment of a Republican
even on the important state boards
that call for minority representation.
He has completely ignored all prece-
dent by failure to give the minority
any recognition whatsoever. Even
though all appointments have gone to
Democrats the Governor has been the
subject of much criticism in his own
party due to the fact that many major
jobs have been given to his personal
friends and associates. In neighboring
Allegany county much dissension has
arisen over some of the appointments
because Acknowledgement Walsh
handled the cards in this case and he
will be remembered as a supporter