The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-07-13
AROIzsID TOWN
WITH THE EDITOR

w u D n
/ wonder what's happened to the
1949 financial statement of our city
government? If my memory is right
the 1948 statement was made avail
able in May of last year.
Police Commissioner M. E. Filing
er, who was the guest speaker at a
combined meeting of the Kiwanis
and Lions clubs at the Hotel Alex
ander last Thursday, not only gave
the more than two hundred who
were present, a wealth of interesting
facts about our police department,
but also made an urgent plea for
men of responsibility to take more
active part in their city's govern
ment.
The Commissioner, during his adj
dress, not only showed his listeners
that he had read everything he could
find that pertained to the successful
operation of police department, but
that he had also given, not hours, but
days of his time, to visiting other
cities, so that he could obtain first
hand information from other police
departments well as the FBI-
that would enable him and the Off
GERS of his department to give the
citizens of Hagerstown, an efficient,
as well as a courteous, police admin
iStration.
On the front page of Monday af-
ternoon's DAILY Mail" l read the
horrible story of the brutal murder
of seven American soldiers who had
been taken prisoners by the North
Korean communists, which is just
another reason why the whole civil
lized world is grateful to the United
States for having at last taken firm
stand against these filthy beasts who
are supported by communist Rus
STA.
Although we all hate the thought
of war and the death and destruc-
ton that follows in it's wake, / don't
think there is a -blooded Amer
lean who isn't 100 per cent behind
the firm stand taken by President
Truman and who doesn't feel that
the United States, with the coopera-
ton of every other civilized nation,
should stay in the fight until these
communists have been whipped to
their knees.
With the story of these atrocities
still leaving me shaking with horror,
| turned to the back page of the
mail" and read the story that State
Senator D. Kenneth Mclaughlin had
been appointed chairman of the
Washington County committee in a
campaign to alert Maryland voters
to the need of supporting the Ober
Law in the November referendum.
It seems almost unbelievable to me
that a campaign has to be put on
in order to get the voters of Mary
land to keep on the statute books a
law that will prevent these treach-
erous communists and their SYM
pathizers from holding any state,
city or county job in Maryland. All
that the Ober Law requires is that
anyone holding job in Maryland
that is paid for by taxpayers money
should sign pledge of loyalty to
the government of the United States,
and unless miss my guess, the refer
endum to keep this law on the statute
books will be carried by a over
whelming majority.
l am just the editor of small
weekly newspaper and an ordinary
average American citizen, but my
blood boils at the knowledge that
there are people living in our state
and even in our own city and county
VINO nave 1OQSIlI, dllQ SIlll dl : l15lA1-
ing, to get the Ober Law killed.
The continued friction between
the Board of County Commissioners
and Simon Chopper, the County Tax
Assessor, is bad for the county any
way you look at it, and it seems tt
me that unless Mr.. Chopper stop:
fighting the Commissioners at every
turn he should resign his post.
The Tax Assessor has perfec
right to his opinion, and he also ha.
right to propose assessments O.
property at rate that he consider!
fair. But when, after careful con
sideration, the Board of County Com
missioners change any of his pro
posed assessments he should, in al
fairness, accept the recommends
changes made by the five men VIII
are not appointed, but elected b.
the taxpayers of Washington Coun
ty to, in fair and equitable man
ner, protect their interests.
I finally nut Ford BRYAN, who