The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-02-09
RETURN OF SUPERVISION
OF COUNTY ROADS SOUGHT
Bill Is introduced In Legislature
disappointment Of Lateral
Road Gas Tax Also Asked
SHARE BASED ON MILEAGE

Return of county road supervision
to the counties and reapportionment Of
the one and one-half cent lateral road
gasoline tax fund was proposed in the
Legislature at Annapolis on Tuesday.
The measure, introduced by Senator
]. Wilmer Cronin 3D., Harford) would
split the remaining balance of the lat
eral gas tax fund-after Baltimore
City and state aviation tolls are paid
between the State Roads Commits
sion and the counties.
Each county's share would be based
on the ratio chare of the mileage Of the
county's road system to the entire
State road system.
The State Road Commissions half
of the fund would be used for new con-
struction of farm to-market and lat
eral highways on recommendations OF
the County Commissioners.
Each county's fund would be used
for maintenance and reconstruction OF
existing roads, the bill proposed.
Cronin's measure recites that during
the depression, counties were empoW-
cred by the 1888 Legislature to turn
their road systems over to the State
for maintenance and construction. OF
the twenty-three counties, twenty OF
them awaited themselves of the privi
lege, and today the State continues TO
maintain the county systems there.
Maintenance of county roads by the
State has entailed excessive overhead
costs and employees Of the State roads
system have been compelled to devote
time to county road systems which
should go to State highway work, Gro
min said.
Claims Tax Diverted
1t was also claimed that approx
mately one-half of the lateral gasoline
tax fund has been diverted to State
purposes other than highways under
prior Administrations, so that the
half-and-half apportionment under the
proposed law will work no hardship
now that the Administration has
promised no further diversions of gas
tax funds.
Bridges are defined as part of the
lateral roads system under the Cronin
proposal. The Roads Commission
would be empowered to construct lat
eral road bridges from the half of the
lateral gas fund which would be al
lotted to the Commission.
Governor O'Conor's revenue propos-
ais has run into a furry of criticism
and Leon Abramson Oath Balti-
more) announced he would propose
amendments to give added exemptions
to small investors dependent on in
vestment incomes for livelihood.
Abramson said "a group" of dele
gates felt the O'Conor budget-balanc-
ing proposals worked an unfair hard
ship on widows and elderly folk whose
sole support is a small income from
investments.
Earned incomes of single persons
are exempt up to $1,000, but $1,000
income from investments would be
taxed two and one-half per cent under
the Administration income tax pro-
posal. Over $1,000, two and one-halt
per cent.
Abramson pointed to a concrete eX-
ample. A widow with $1,000 income
would pay S37 tax, while young
man, making $1,000 would pay only
$500.
"This seems manifestly unfair to
me-" Abramson said, at costs just as
much for one to live as the other, and
feel that the revenue plan should be
amended to exempt up to the nfst
$1,000 of investment income where II
is the sole income of the individual"
In an effort to side-track bitter
controversy on the floor State Sena-
tor Dudly G. Roe, administrator
leader in the upper House, has called
unon all groups interested in conserva-
ton measures to attempt to arrive at
Injecting of minds. There are three
conservation bills now before the
LEGISLATORS, and Senator Roe asserted
that each contained "some good.