Evening star., 1941-02-21
0'Conor Offers
Tax Hike Bill 10
Pay Teachers
Plon to EquoIize
Salaries Provokes
Assembly GrumbIing
BY the Associated Press.

]
through a Scent increase in the
| tax rate of 10 counties, a special
levy on half-mile race tracks and
the use of excess liquor tax rev.
enue was before the Legislature
! today.
Grumblings Immediately were
heard from some delegates from
the 10 counties in which the school
equaliZati ton tax base would be
boosted during the next biennium.
Three counties-Baltimor Anne
Arundel and Montgomery-already
have equalized the salary standards
and fourth, Garrett, is not affect
ed since there are no Negro teach
erS in the county.
The plan, announced yesterday
by Gov. O'Conor, after he conferred
with a special committee studying
the equalization problem, was in
answer to Delegate Elmer Jackson's
bill, under which the State would
pay the entire cost of equalizing
teachers salaries.
Problem Holds Up Budget.
Gov. O'Conor said that when the
salary equalization problem
brought about by a Federal court
ruling requiring Negro teachers to
be paid the same salaries as whites
is settled, he could complete his
supplemental budget.
Provision was made in the plan
to give Baltimore City s125,000 in
1942 and 1943 as compensation for
losses resulting from reDeal Of the
securities tax Gov. O'Conor said
it was "only fair" to recognize Bal
timore City's decreased revenue
from State taxes.
The administration program
would raise s950,000 in the next
biennium. Equalization of teachers
salaries would consume 100000 of
this amount in the next two years,
with the remainder going to Balti-
more City
To finance the plan. Gov. O'Conor
estimated that the equalization tax
base increase in the counties would
raise $3.50 900; The half-mile track
tax would yield s190,00O; excess
liquor revenue. s320,00O, and rever-
sions from the State Education De-
partment's appropriations, 100000.
Liquor Bill Fight Likely.
Meanwhile, legislative observers
predicted that the Statewide bill
to prohibit sale Of alcoholic bev-
erages on Sunday would cause ex-
tensive wrangling in the House
The Sunday closing bill is ex-
pected to come up for passage in
the Senate either today or early
next week Delegate William Heine-
kemp, Democrat, of Baltimore, an
nounced that when the bill reaches
the House he would offer an amend
ment to provide for referendum
Meanwhile. group from Ocean
City asked the Worcester County
delegation to exempt the seaside re-
sort from provisions of a bill that
would prohibit sale of alcoholic bev-
erages in the county on Sundays.
Among those opposing the meas
ure we're Mayor Clifford Cropper
and former Mayor Edmund johnson.
Anti Sabotage Bill Passed.
During yesterdays session labor
supported effort to insert strike and
picket rights in Maryland's anti
sabotage bill collapsed and the SEN
ate passed the measure, "a to 8.
Approximately an hour of debate
prefaced final action on the legisla-
ton, which establishes heavy pen
alties for various forms of sabotage
in defense industry. The bill now
goes to the House.
Opponents of a bill to establish a
three-man employment commission
and relegate Commissioner Harry c.
Jones to the post of paid director
| without executive authority, told
the Senate Finance Committee yes
terdav the legislation was a ripper
bill" in disguise.
Representatives of the Baltimore
Junior Association of Commerce,
the Maryland League of Women
Voters, the League of Business and
Professional Women and other or
ganizations appeared against it.
Senator Dudley G Roe, Democrat,
of Queen Annes offered a bill au-
thorizing county commissioners to
establish public drainage associa-
tions and locate and establish
bitches. drains or canals = for the
purpose of draining wet, overf1owed
lands or lands subject to overflow" "
A bill by Senator John G. Callan,
Democrat. of Baltimore would re-
move all restrictions from bingo
| games in Baltimore City and exempt
bingo from the present statutes on
| gaming.
A measure to increase the master
plumbers license fee from SO to SIS
a year and to. boost the annual re-
newal fee from 81 to SIS was intro
duced by Delegate P. Elliott Bur-
roughs Democrat, of Wicomico. The
State Plumbing Board also would be
permitted to appoint three investi-
gators for the State.
Bill Affects Pedestrians.
Highway pedestrians injured by
failure to walk on the side of high
ways to their left or failure to carry
a lighted f1ashlight when there was
insufficient light to make them dis
cernible to motorists would be
guilty of contributory negligence
under bill presented by Delegate
Elizabeth Doub, Republican, oi
Allegany.
Delegates Leon Rubinstein ano
Ben Weintraub, Democrats, of Bal
timore, sponsored a measure to in.
crease the number of legislative dis
stricts in Baltimore from to 8
The bill would give the Legislature
two new Senators and IL new Dele.
gates.
House Speaker Thomas Conlor
introduced a joint resolution re-
questing Congress to amend the 60
cial security law to make mini
mum of $50 a month available tt
every person IS or over who is not
working or drawing annuities tt
that amount under Federal law.
Existing Federal law provides thai
| before some persons can receive