The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1940-03-28
THE WESTERN MARYLAND VOICE OF INDUSTRIAL LABOR


One OF the suangest incidents OF the recent
Municipal election campaign was the rambling
statement made over the local radio station
relative to the non-payment Of the N. & c.
Taylor tin mill taxes due and owing by the
Republic Steel Corporation.
The address was made in the interest OF
Mayor Irvine. The speaker read letter ad-
dressed to the Mayor by the Republic Steel
Corporation as long ago as January 18th OF this
year. Its reading over the air on March 9Th.
one day before the election was the first public
knowledge that such letter existed.
Its contents are very informative. The Re-
public Steel Corporation makes a pathetic at
tempt to excuse itself for hoaxng the South
Cumberland residents into believing that the
mill would reopen on December |. 1889. 1t
writes the excuse on January 4. 1910 and it =
made public on March i6, lo40lll
The Republic Steel Corporation says
that II il has to pay taxes to the City of
Cumberland, then prices for scrap are
very high just now! This is evidently an
inference that the Republic Steel Corpo-
tally an admission that what is being
maintained in South Cumberland is not
production plant-but rather q scrap ma
chinery storage!
What has the City OF Cumberland to lose by
insisting upon the collection of the delinquent
taxes for the years 1888. 1889 and l940?222
Surely the South Cumberland workers and
hue b. Hal he
scrap plant is likely to go into production
in the near futureo
The terms of exemption made by the Coun-
Gil are very specific. These terms are. in fact
specific. They say that the exemp-
ton is granted upon condition - and only
upon condtion-that the plant shall actively
operate for six calendar months of each fiscal
year.
The exemption order reads that the taxes
shall be due and owing for any year or years
that the plant is not operated at least six cal
endar months during each fiscal year.
Mayor lrvines spokesman said that there
had been much criticism of the failure to collect
the delinquent taxes But he gave no concrete
reason why they should NOT be collected
The spokesman very studiously refrain.
ed from any mention of the peculiar fact
that the city legal advisor, Charles z.
Heske;t, has also acted in the capacity of
local attorney for the Republic Steel Cor
poration in matters affecting the tin mill.
The spokesman was himself an attorney.
As such he should be familiar with the
ethical requirement of his profession that
an attorney cannot represent both parties
in dispute. Perhaps lawyers look at the
matter differently, but all the laymen we
have spoken to believe that the interests
of both the City Of Cumberland and the
Republic Steel Corporation cannot be
properly handled by one attorney. In this
particular case the City of Cumberland is
coming out of the short end of the horn
and one of its City Council orders is being
Hagrantly violated. While this violation
goes on there comes no word of protest
from the legal representative of
the City-of-Cumberland cum local. attor.
ncy-of-Republic-Stee Corporation.
The radio statement made on election eve
certainly gave no adequate or justihable reason
Why the Republic Steel Corporation should
cumberland
The fact that Candidate Thomas Post signed
he petition for exemption has no bearing on
he case of the present tax lodging. Mr.. Post
md other South Cumberland business men
igned with the thought that Republic Steel
corporation intended to keep its promise that
could actively operate il given the tax exemp-
ion. They seriously thought that the Republic
'teel Corporation intended to employ Cumber-
and workers in a production plant. they did
e: s"a: !.a; Hepa5.;e Steel ...;e.de. i. ..,...,-
ain junk pile or scrap store.
With similar thought in mind the Mayor and
-ouncil made it requirement that the plant
ctively operate at least six months during each
ity fiscal year.
Can the situation be any clearer The tin
Mill taxes are overduel
Save MIRA