Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-17
Maryland Governor WithhoIds
Views on Wickersham Plan
Until Formal Conference.
GOV. BYRD ADDRESSES
SESSION ON TAX REFORM
Declares Work of undermining
Archaic System Has Only Begun
in This Country.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW LONDON, Conn.,, July 1.-THE
second session of the twenty-first an
nual Governors Conference opened to-
day with attention focused on Gov. AL
bert C. Ritchie OF Maryland. the days
presiding officer because OF his promise
Of comprehensive comment" on George
w. Wickershamis letter on prohibition
enforcement. This comment was de-
layed, however.
The letter from Mr.. Wickersham, VINO
is chairman OF President Hoover's Law
Enforcement Commission, was read yes
terday by Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Of New York. 1t suggested that division
of prohibition enforcement between
Federal and State governments. the for
mer attending to importation, manu-
facture and interstate shipments. and
the latter to retail sale. might lead TO
modification which would make the
liquor laws reasonably enforceable"
Ritchie's Comment Delayed.
Gov. Ritchie's comment, planned for
AC4AbCly az IAIEo oCoo9OIIt " 0S
postponed because the session started
late. Gov. Ritchie merely introduced
the speakers OF the day. Three OF
these, Tax Commissioner william H.
Blodgett OF Connecticut, Gov. Harry
Flood Byrd of Virginia and Gov. George
F. Shafer of North Dakota, talked on
taxation, and the fourth, Harry F. Gug-
genheim of New York, president Of tie
Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Pro-
motion Of Aeronautics, spoke on avia-
ton.
Most of the governors made state
ments after the Wickersham letter was
read, but Gov. Ritchie withheld COM
ment until he had opportunity to make
1t formally before the conference. Il
am not going to make myself foolish" "
he said. by saying such things as
speculative and interesting or some
such silly things"
Warned on Taxation.
Commissioner Blodgett warned the
governors against allowing the national
authorities to erlcroach on State rights
in the matter of taxation, saying "the
estate tax has no business In the Fed
eral Government program In time OF
peace. It should be saved for war emer-
gency and dropped when peace begins.
You governors should have as one OF
your objectives here plans for ways to
keep the Federal Government from i'm
posing on your collective States in the
matter Of all corporation, inheritance,
personal and death taxes"
Gov. Byrd's talk was on the plan OF
segregating tax collection SO that an
amicable collection method would be
adopted by districts. cities and an en-
tire State to relieve taxpayers Of the
burden of duplicating payments on
property.
croachment by the Federal Government
on States rights In gasoline taxation,
pointing out the need by States of COL
lectionS on gasoline for maintenance of
highways and for construction of new
highways and of the advantage the
gas tax has in reducing local real
estate taxes.
"A Federal gasoline tax would proba-
bly, start q reaction against the en-
tire principle of taxation" he said. AL
ready $500. 900 900 are collected an
nually by the States on this one form
Of taxation and an additional burden
by the Federal Government would bring
on a reaction likely to have serious
consequences"
Progress in tax reform has been slow
in the United States, Gov. Byrd said
in addressing the governors conference
on Segregation Of the Subjects Of
Taxation"
The work of revising and moderniz-
ing archaic systems of taxation has
only begun in this country, he said,
and the highly unsatisfactory general
(Continued on Page S. Column 81