Evening star., 1941-02-18
Bill 70 Outlaw
Maryland Tax
On Rea|tyAsked
Would End Levy
After Payment Of
Bonded Debt
BY BEN III. PEARSE,
Star Staff Correspondent.

ANNAPOLIS, FeU. 1o.-A COiloIl-
tutional amendment to eliminate
State taxes on real property after
Maryland's bonded Indebtedness is
amortized was introduced in the
Maryland Legislature last night to
place State finances on pay-as-
you-go basis.
Sponsored by Senator Dudley g..
! Roe of Queen AnneS County, chair
man of the Senate Finance Com
mittee, it had no administration
backing and was disclaimed by Gov.
O'Conor, who said Mr.. Roe had
introduced the measure ION his
own"
The bill, introduced as the Legis-
lature started the second half OF the
90-day session, provides that mo
taxes shall be levied upon real estate
or tangible personal property" for
the support of the State government
or to pay principal or interest on
any State debt" except such debts
as may be unpaid or outstanding on
the 1st day of January, 1943" The
proposal would be subject to a
Statewide referendum.
Now 233b Cents.
Mr.. Roe explained the State tax
levy on real property is now 23%
cents and will be reduced to % next
year and to 21 in l943, according to
present calculations. 1t is levied to
retire the States bonded indebted
ness, which it Is estimated will be
about s33 100000 at the end of Gov.
O'Conors four-year term, reduc-
tion of about s14,00o,0o0 since 1888,
he said.
This bill, which I believe will
pass" the Queen Annes County
Senator declared, will continue the
real estate tax as long as any of the
present bonded Indebtedness exists
However, it will be reduced as the
total decreases because no new
bonds could be added after 1943 if
the constitutional amendment is
carried.
In a few years the State tax
would be down to 10 cents and by
1854 it could be abolished altogether.
Should it be necessary to float
any bonds in the future, they would
have to be retired from funds raised
in some other manner than levying
a tax on real estate, which would in
effect put the State on a pay-as-
yCu-go basis"
Cites States Using System.
Mr.. Roe pointed out that more
than Is States now have no State
real estate tax, including Connecti-
cut, California, Illinois, Massachu-
Setts, Michigan, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York. North Caro-
hna, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont and Vir-
ginia.
One of the reasons for introduc-
ing the proposal Mr. Rowe said, was
the howl" raised by some county
authorities that State taxation was
unequal in its effect on various
Maryland counties.
In Queen Annes County, he said,
the county and State tax is 80 cents.
in Montgomery County s1.50 and
in Baltimore $3.50. However, it has
often been claimed that the assess
ments are higher in one county
than another, which makes resi-
dents Of one county pay a higher
total tax than those in others, al
though the State tax is the same
Ior all. he said.
IF there were no State real estate
tax, the counties could tax them
selves whatever they pleaced and
assess themselves on any basis they
chose, within the limits of the State
law, and complaints on assessable
basis would be eliminated" he said.
This bill is the most important
thing have done at this session of
the Legislature and I believe after it
has been given thorough study that
it will pass"
Higher Police Ranks Sought.
Meanwhile, a House Ways and
Means Subcommittee is considering
a plan to provide for a colonel,
major and two captains in the State
police force, authoritative sources
reported today.
Beverly Ober, State police super
intendent, would be given the rank
of colonel; Capt. Edward Mex.
johnson, executive officer, would be
made a major and 1t. Ruxton
Ridgely, field force commander,
would be eligible for one of the
captaincies under the proposal.
Senators awaited Gov. O'Conor's
green bag" of 348 job appoint
ments, in addition to names of
hundreds of notaries public.
Gov. O'Conor said the list, sub
ject to Senate confirmation, would
be completed tomorrow, the last
day permitted him under the Con-
stitution.
The top-Nnking Senate Finance
Committee scheduled a hearing at
o'clock tonight for members of
the Citizens State Budget Emer-
gency Committee to protest against
the proposed $106 664,00O budget.
They want State, expenses pared.
The Administrations anti-sabo-
| tage bill was on third reading in
the Senate after Weathering a two
hour wrangle last night. Efforts by
Senator Robert B. Kimble, Repub-
lican, of Allegany to delay action
pending introduction of labor-spon-
sored amendments failed by a 1877
vote.