The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-03-31
MANY OF GOVERNORS PLEDGES
FULFILLED, MEASURES EN-
BODYING REFORMS
NEARING PASSAGE


out the State are. "Iiaw is Gov
ernor O'Connors program coming
along? VIII his proposed Reorgan-
i2ation of State Departments go
through? What about the many
pledges he made during the primary
and general election campaigns?
How are they being carried out?"
Well, to quote another famous
Democrat, Let's take a look at the
record. Admittedly, the State was
in drastic financial difficulties. when
Governor O'Conor took over on Jan
uary II. Like every other informed
person, he knew this, and he prom
Used, If elected, to do certain de-
finite things to correct this situa-
tion. In his inaugural address, he
aptly summed up his thoughts on
the matter when he declared "The
most important problem facing the
administration is that cf placing the
States finances on sound and en-
during foundation. We must not
live on borrowed money. :. There is
no easy remedy. We must balance
our budget and maintain our
credit"
He promised that relief expeDdi-
lures, instead of being pushed off
on future generations, would be in
cluded in his budget. that the
States finances would be put on
bona fide Pay-as-you-go plan and
that he would shave departmental
costs $750,000. All these pledges
have been carried out to the letter,
in his tax levy plan which undoubt
eddy will go through substantially
as presented to the Assembly. At
the same time he. gave assurances
that there would be no additional
taxes on real estate. mo general
sales tax or gross receipts tax.
and no licensing of gambling de-
vices. A bill, sponsored by the Gov
ernor and presented, provides that
the State tax rate be kept at the
present level, 1885 cents per hun
dred dollars the tax bill omits
any mention of sales tax or gross
receipts tax. J.. and, while mea
sure to continue the licensing of
pin-ball machines was introduced by
a member, 1t has not the Governors
sanction, and is not likely to pass
The backbone of the Governors
tax-raising plans was graduated
income tax. However, as the voters
turned this down, a classified in
come tax measure was substituted
and now premises to raise tbs great
err share of needed extra funds.
Not content with having pledged
himself to complete REQ, ganiza-
ton of the States Roads Commits
sion on a non-political basis, the
Governor, as one of the very first
official acts of his regime, made a
study of current State Road opera
tions, issued an executive order
stopping certain practices that were
unauthorized, and ordered a COM
plete study of the almost-completed
purchase of the old w. B. and A.
Railroad right-of-way, thus hating
the purchase. In measure Erepar
ed along lines recommended by the
Bowman Commission, he proposed
abolition of the present three-man
beard and substitution of a one
man control of the Roads activities
Whatever the outcome of pending
State Roads measures, action of thu
Governor to date insures that he
will watch closely the functionins
of the Roads body, which in previ
GUS administrations has frequentl.
been given most unfavorable public
ity, and see that it measures up tc
his required standards.
'NOn-POlitical' Conservation
In the matter of conserving the
States natural resources, the Gov
ernor promised "a thorough reorgan-
liza ton on non-political basis To
effect this, he had prepared bill
embodying the Bowman commits
sions recommendations When ii
became apparent to him and to the
leaders of the Assembly thai
this bill could not be gotten through
because of objections among many
of the senators and delegates to GER
| CdiIi VI lis pIOFlSlOIlo, GOfOiuOi
O'Conor worked out "a second plan
which retained the essence of the
Bowman recommendation while
eliminating the objectional pr9vi
sions, reduced the personnel of the
enforcement organization by 81 per
sons, and raised the pay rate of the
remaining ga SO as to attract q
higher grade Of enforcement officer
The very fact that the number OF
employees is cut almost in half,
While at the same time the enforce
nent budget is cut 100000 per
ear, would indicate that there was
10 thought of politics in its prepare
ion, as politicians rarely if ever re,
luce the number of jobs available,
II
Fee System To Go
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