The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-02-02
COUNTIES SEEK SHARE In
GASTAXTN HOUSE MEASURE
introduced in Lower House On
Monday And Is Referred To
Ways and Means Committee
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

The County Commissioners
Association plan for gasoline tax
distribution to the counties and
Baltimore City was placed be-
fore the House of Delegates in
the form of bill Monday night
by Delegate Street Baldwin, a
Democratic member from Baltl-
more county.
The measure was referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means
This is the first of the recommen-
.dations included in the four-poi..t
program of the association to be IN
troduced in the Legislature.
He said that the bills will be Of
fered in the House at later date
embodying the other three assocla-
ton proposals, but that it is expected
the biggest fight will be on the gaso-
line tax division plan.
Would Relieve Tax on Real Estate
AS explained by Baldwin, in a
statement he issued in connection
with the introduction of his bill, the
bill would reallocate "the proceeds OF
the gasoline tax to relieve the local
taxes on real estate in the various
counties and in Baltimore City, the
same having been approved by the
fifteen boards of County Commits
sioners at their recent meeting IN
Annapolis"
"The association thinks that this is
the fairest allotment of the tax pos
sible without impairing the functions
of the State Roads Commission and
at the same time retaining the i'm
portant right of local self government
for the counties and Baltimore City,
Baldwins statement said.
"Realizing the plight of the tax
payers of Baltimore, as well as of the
counties, the commissioners, through
this bill, raised the percentage OF Bal
timore's share from 20 per cent to 30
per cent on the entire Accent tax, and
also, in contrast with the State Roads
Commissions plan Of the money to
be spent by the State Roads Commits
sion. turned the same over to the city
to spend as it sees fit, relieving its
levy for maintenance and reconstruc-
ton of it's streets and highways.
Con the basis of the tax collected
for 1882, this will mean relief to the
taxpayers of Baltimore City of two
million four hundred thousand dollars,
or about rs cents of their rate.
Create Fund To Retire Bonds
"This bill also complies with the
Governors plan to use the balance OF
the one-half cent tax originally Great
ed for overhead crossings and bridges
to retire State bonds created for road
nurposes. 1t also leaves intact the
present distribution and adminlstra-
ton of the one and one-half cent lat
eral road tax by the State Roads Com
mission, thereby continuing the pro-
gram new COIlS III WIN
Gus counties, as at present, which
means quite bit to the unemploy-
ment situation now existing.
"After deducting 80 per cent for
Baltimore as it's share, the bill allo-
Gates one-half of the two-cent recon-
struction and maintenance gasoline
tax refund to the various county COM
missioners, to be used for relieving
their levies for maintenance and con-
struction of their county road systems
and for not other purpose. This, IN
the case of the smaller counties, will
wipe out entirely their road levy and
very materially reduce same in the
larger counties"
Of the seventy per cent OF the re-
turns from one-half of the two-cent
gas tax, which would go to the coun-
ties on basis of road mileage and
IConcInded on Page Four)