Evening star., 1923-04-18

January. But there is a possibility
mat 1T Will not pass. In the event
that 1t doesn't, in my judgment the
time has arrived when reciprocity
must come. gas tax Or no gas tax.
Il believe. however. that the gas
| tax is the only fair way to bring II
! about The Maryland two-cent gas
tax proceeds are to go to reduce the
january the present tax OF so cents
horsepower will be reduced to 25
cents or "a cents. making the tax
now charged OF $13 on a car come
uoWn to about $6.
I feel that the passage OF that law
means something. 1t Is much better
than raising the law from license fees
while l believe that the difference I'm
Juuem ement on the technicallty OF i'm
posing fee Is fair. il is. / believe.
more important that the people of the
Dlstrict feel that Maryland IS treat
ing them right. than is the particular
'nethod or raising the revenue.
Reciprocity Assured.
Some day before next January" he
predicted. you will see 1t brought
about"
Gov. Richie said that there are
many avenues for the development of
good will between the people Of the
District and the people Of Maryland
he pointed to the great suburban belt
around Washington. in Montgomery
ana Prince Georges counties. There
are people there who work in the
District. Maryland furnishes your
suburban section. many people who
work in Washington. The Montgom-
cry county police force, he cited. is
doing good work. the effects OF which
are felt by the people of Washington.
pointing out that the time is not far
back where the county was bed of
gambling houses and other bad ele-
ments, which now have been run out.
Then there is the public school
system. with a standard In Maryland
that I've have every right to be proud
OF. and we are trying to live uD to
100 per cent" He said that Maryland
was doing everything on earth that
can be done. so that every boy and
ton every bit as good as in any pri-
yate school in the country.
Close Contact with ID. G.
"The park system OF the District.
running up to the Maryland line. is
another reason that binds US close
~ to the District In closest contact.
The things you do most intimately
in the District are the things we are
interested in in Maryland"
Government. he said. has two
sides-the business side and the hu-
man side.
"You business men asked" he said.
why government is not AZ econon1i-
Isn't as efficient as private business:
Perhaps il ought to be. and one of
the CHIEF reasons IL isn't is because
there Is no continuity OF office. A man
goes into office. He is efficient and
runs it we'll but in three years
another unframed man comes in. You
couldn't run any business efficiently
with that sort of system.
Can Always Disagree.
Then there is another reason.
When you vote for a man for office
you don't vote for him because Of his
ability, but because he agrees with
YOU on the issues. is a good mixer
and YOU like him. There is always
a ground for diss greement.
How many business men here"
he went on, could stand up. il every
act he did, If every decision he made.
was to be reviewed by the public?
You commit errors OF judgment and
no one knows it but when a public
official commits an error Of judg-
Gov Ritchie then outlined the
method Of handling penal institutions
in Maryland. There was a time. he
pointed out, when a boy or girl who
went wrong carried that stigma
through life. But that is not SO now
There were the shackles, close
cropped hair and stripes. These have
all gone. and the work In the penal
institutions has been placed under
the department of education. where
serious work is done to send those
who have committed wrong back into
stigma which those Of years ago who
committed wrongs carried.
Last year the state tax of Maryland
was reduced from Sc cents to 80 cents.