The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-02-16
CHAIN STORE TAX BILL
TAKEN UP BY ASSEMBLY
Proposal Before House Commit
tee Would Put Tax Up To $3.50
On Chain Stores
WILL HEAR BOTH SIDES


and means committee of the House
turned from consideration of the bud
get today to hear proponents of the
proposal to place special tax of up
to $3.50 on chain stores, charge that
the chains were putting the indepen-
dent dealer out of business and taking
money from the state of Maryland.
The chain organizations were pic
tured by the witnesses today as an
octopus with tenacles reaching out to
sap up the financial strength of the
state and break down the former high
position the merchant enjoyed in the
community.
Tomorrow, the committee is seized
uled to hear the opponents of the
measure, and will then close all hear
ings on the proposition. Chairman
James J. Lindsay Dem, Baltimore
county,, of the committee, announced
his body would then deliberate over it
with view to expediting a report to
the house.
More than a dozen witnesses pre-
scented their views to the committee
today, and all agreed that the chain
stores, if permitted to continue to op-
crate, would eventually run the small
merchants out of business.
Samuel S. Stark, secretary of the
Retail Confectioners' Association of
Baltimore, carried his remarks to the
point of asserting that the innovation
of chain stores did more to bring about
the depression in this country than
any other single item"
John NJ. Pohlhaus, president of the
independent Retail Growers Associa-
ton, of Maryland, who presented the
witnesses, told the committee that one
of the chain store groups had an I'M
divided surplus for "the year of the
depression" 1882 of $105,000,000 OF
$14,O00,0O0 more than they had at the
end of the previous year. That, he
said, was made while everyone else
was becoming more and more in the
red.
The various witnesses testified that
not only are the independents being
forced out of business and the money
made by the chain storers being sent
out of the state, but that the imposi-
ton of the special tax would be a
revenue producing measure, and one
(which would be collected, not from
those who already are overtaxed, but
from those who can stand it we'll"
1t was estimated by Harry w. Wal
ker, secretary of the Independent Re-
tail Grocers' Association, of Maryland,
that the enactment of the measure
would provide tax returns from Balti-
more city of 100000 annually, and
from the state as a whole of 100000.
Routine Proceedings
Cutting allowance of Garrett county
Sheriff for prisoners board from 60
cents to 40 cents. Select. Favorable.
Adopted.
Delegate Fike introduced bill in
the house relating to fences in GER
tain districts of the county.
Exempting county from law pro-
viding that one-half of fines and for
FIXTURES shall be paid for libraries of
several courts, re-committed to the
Judiciary committee.
Senator McComas introduced bill
in Senate regulating the treasurer of
Garrett county.
Slash Budget, Coad Says
Senator Coad reasserted his belief
Tuesday that it was absolutely I'M
necessary to enact new taxes in order
to give the needed relief to the coun-
ties and Baltimore City.
In the Senate last week state in
come tax proposal was introduced,
which would place tax of one percent
on incomes up to $4,000 and would
graduate it up to three percent on in
comes over $4,000. He estimated the
enactment would bring about $4,000
900, which would be applied to the re-
duction of school levies in the coun-
ties.