Evening star., 1941-02-15
Revised Forms
Ordered Sent
To Taxpayers
O'Conor Will Sign Bill
Cutting Income Levy
EurIy Next Week
Nv the Associated Press.

by tbe Associated treSS.
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 15.-With the
new Maryland income tax bill before
him for his signature, Gov. O'Conor
announced today that he had di-
rected the State controller to begin
preparing and mailing new forms
showing the revised rates.
The tax measure passed the
House yesterday and Gov. O'Conor
said he would sign it early next
week The controllers Office pre-
viously has mailed out forms under
the old rates.
The new measure, retroactive to
include 1910 income, reduces the
levy on unearned income from 6
to 5 per cent and that on earned in
come from 21a to 2 per cent. 1t per-
II mits installment payments, the first
to become due April Is.
Passage of the tax bill, which was
sponsored by the State administra-
ton, high-lighted a session which
also included passage by the House
of legislation prohibiting fireworks
and the introduction of rs bills be-
fore the Legislature recessed for the
week end.
Governor Signs % Bills.
One Of the new bills would pro-
vide a constitutional amendment to
authorize the General Assembly to
impose a classified, graduated or
progressive income tax which may
be in lieu of taxes on real or
personal property" 1t was offered
by Delegate Jerome Robinson,
Democrat, of Baltimore
Meanwhile, Gov. O'Conor signed
% bills. The majority either repeal
obsolete laws or are local in ma
ture. One. sponsored by the Unem-
ployment Compensation Board, puts
a $4,000 ceiling" on unemployment
compensation taxes. Taxes may be
collected only on the first $4,000 Of
an employees salary, under this new
law.
The Senate received nine new
bills and passed and sent to the
House 10 others while the lower
chamber received II new proposed
laws and passed Is measures.
Appeals Court Reorganization.
Among new House legislation was
bill, sponsored by the Maryland
State Bar Association, to reorganize
the Court of Appeals. The bill,
introduced by Milton Tolle, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore County, provides
for six judges instead of the present
eight.
Two judges would come from Bal
timore City and the other four from
the counties. One judge would rep
resent the nine Eastern Shore coun-
ties; another, Hartford, Baltimore,
Howard and Carroll Counties; a
third, Prince Georges, Charles, st.
Marys, Calvert and Anne Arundel
Counties, and a fourth, Garrett,
Allegany, Washington, Frederick and
Montgomery Counties.
The appellate judges would be
elected for 15-year terms. beginning
with the 1916 election, and the Gov
ernor, with Senate confirmation,
would appoint the chief judge. The
jurists would do only appellate work.
Senator. Thomas Johnson, Demo-
crat, of Worcester introduced a bill
to provide for creation of a law
revision commission to correct de-
fects in the States civil code.
Establishment of a State Board of
Naturopathic examiners was re-
quested by Senator George w. Della
of Baltimore
Revenue Source Sought.
Delegate John T. Booth, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore, proposed Stater
wide license for claw machines and
similar devices while Speaker
Thomas Conlon sponsored legisla-
ton to license alien Lloyds associa-
tions in Maryland. The association
would not be permitted to conduct
a life insurance business.
Operators of vehicles causing the
death of a person would be guilty
of "manslaughter by motor vehicle,
locomotive, street car or train" as
the case may be, under a bill ad-
vanced by Delegate Tolle.
A committee appointed by the
1ONC1Il " SCCh a oOulS vi 1CNclluC
to enable the State to make salaries
of colored school teachers equal to
those of white teachers was reported
considering taxing the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
Committee members said the
Pennsylvania pays no gross receipts
tax on its revenues in Maryland be-
cause it operates over tracks leased
from subsidiary companies, who pay
the tax on the portion of the Mary
land roadbed leased to the Pennsyl-
vania.
They said it would make an ap-
preciable difference in the States
revenue if the Pennsylvania paid the
tax instead of the subsidiaries. They
pointed out the subsidiaries pay the
tax only on the lease price, whereas
the railroad would be taxed for its
gross revenues in MARYLAND