The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-01-13

BY Miles H. Fairbank, secre-
tary- Treasurer Md. Farm
Bureau Federation
PART V


The report of the Tax Survey
Commission, recently submit
ted to the Governor and mem
bers of the Legislature, points
out that "all in all, it is a fair
statement that, at the present
time, an undesirably heavy
load of direct property taxa
ton rests upon the farmers of
the counties and upon the
house owners and tenants of
the cities. 1t proposes, as a
means Of relief, the mainten-
ance of county roads from the
gas tax and motor vehicle Ii
cense fund, and a lower county
rate on schools, the difference
to be made up from some form
of indirect tax
In these recommendations
the Survey Commission follow
ed the program laid down by
the Joint Tax Committee of the
Farm Bureau and the Grange
last spring, which program had
been Endorsed subsequently by
the various Boards of County
Commissioners and legislative
leaders.
On roads there is a general
agreement on the principle of
how this part of the program
could be carried out.
On schools there is a general
agreement that the counties
should be relieved of a portion
of the burden. The Survey
Commission recommended a
plan whereby no county would
be required to levy more than
40c on the $100, which if
the present educational stand
ards be maintained, would
mean that $3,2O0,00O.00 must
be found elsewhere. After
discussing briefly the difficult
ties attending the enactment of
a state income tax on sales tax,
the Commission recommended
a 10% tax on the pari-mutual
winnings at our four major
race tracks.
At first glance this looked
like a reasonable source of in
come, since it would average
about four million annually,
sufficient to take care of the
school burden and provide a
residue that should further re-
duce the State tax rate, AS
would be expected, this pro-
posal drew forth objections
from those interested in the
race tracks and also from
Judge William G. Walsh, a
member of the Commission.
In his dissenting report
Judge Walsh gives very sub
stantial arguments that the
proposed tax would seriously
jeopardize the present state in
come from the tracks and he
proposes as an alternative a
sales tax on certain luxury
commodities. A luxury sales
tax was recently Endorsed by
the State Grange as an alter
native if proposed levy on race
tracks was found to be imprac-
ticable.
The attitude of practically
everyone interested in this tax
reduction campaign has been
that the 1917 race track levy
should be supported if investi-
cation showed that the burden
on the tracks would not be in
creased to point that would
jeopardize the present revenue,
now totaling close to three
quarters of a million annually
to the state and substantial
amounts in county taxes to
those counties in which the
tracks are located.
So much has been written in
the press lately about the race
track levy that it seems I'M
necessary to launch into a dis
cussion of its merits here. 1t
is sufficient to say that it now
seems impossible to rally suf-
ficient support to put any such
measure across, since most of
our leaders are convinced that
the proposal is unsound.
While, doubtless a small addi-
tional tax will be demanded at
Annapolis next month, this
source cannot be considered.
r Il 4. A