Evening star., 1943-02-25
Court Measure
Up in Maryland
Assembly Today
Deeper Income Tax
Cut Also Discussed
Following Report
BY the Associated Press.

tracted most Of the attention of tn,
General Assembly today with al
open hearing before the Senate anc
House Judicial Proceedings Commit.
tee on the three bills embodying the
provisions Of the report.
Also on the days hearing book
was an open discussion of the Legis.
lative Council proposal to repeal the
Declaration of Intentions Act. Rep.
resentatives of Maryland's League
OF Women Voters and the Congress
of Industrial Organization have
asked to be heard on the repeater.
Another matter under discussion
was a report of a special Senate
Finance subcommittee which con-
tanned the possibility of a greater
cut in the State income tax than the
one-third reduction recommended by
Gov. O'Conor. This report, one
angle Of an action-crammed day al
Annapolis yesterday, contains four
specific legislative recommendations
one of which the group said would
put teeth in the State income tax
law and curb any evasion by wal
workers..
Provisions of Bill.
The hearing on the report of the
commission headed by the late Chief
Judge Carroll T. Bond was sched-
uled for the House chamber this
afternoon. Of three bills up fol
consideration, one would reorganize
the Court of Appeals, another con-
solidate Baltimore City courts and
the third abolish Orphans Courts in
Baltimore City and the counties.
Other developments during yes
terday's busy day were:
The bill granting a 5000 bonus to
teachers and other State employees
now earning less than $4,000 year
was passed after a bitter debate.
Emergency legislation was speeded
to place the special military police
detail of the State Guard under
militia regulations after approx
mately 80 guards left their posts at
the Susquehanna River Bridge in
protest against dismissal of five Of
ficers.
Gov. O'Conor shuff1ed his political
family, naming Charles T. Leviness
director of the Department of Cor
rection to succeed Willis R. Jones
and appointing Robert A. Sindall
to Mr.. Leviness' former post as
chairman of the Baltimore City
Board of License Commissioners.
80 Measures Passed.
The House passed two more work
or-fght bills, these for Queen Annes
and Wicomico Counties, and both
houses worked on long calendar,
the Senate passing II bills and the
House %.
The full Senate Finance Commit
tee discussed and approved the re-
port of the special three-man group,
headed by Senator John B, Funk of
Frederick.
The report recommended that
laws be exacted to stiffen the pro-
visions of the income tax law and
eliminate possible evasion by war
workers, to require the State auditor
to make formal report to each ses-
sion of the Legislature and to re-
quire an annual budget instead of
the present biennial budget.
The report called also for the
turning over of any surplus from
subcommittee estimates of racing
and beverage revenues to the total
income tax receipts. If the total
revenue then exceeded estimates, a
further income tax cut would be
possible.
Would Lengthen Meeting.
On the subject of racing the
committee recommended legislation
to permit the consolidation of racing
at one or more tracks, raising the
annual maximum at one plant from
80 days to so. The members urged
amending of the law which now
permits the Racing Commission tc
make refunds of race license fees
only If it is impossible" to operate
The fees must be paid in advance.
The subcommittee estimated in
come receipts at s9,843, 800 as com.
pared to Gov. O'Conor's revised esti-
mate of $8,656,728. The group esti-
mated total receipts at nearly
100000 more than the Governor.
The bonus bill passed the Senate
with only two dissenting votes yes
terday, after a vote to recommi
1t to the Senate Finance Commit
tee had been defeated, 19 to 8.
AS amended, the bonus bill pro
vides two payments Of 500 each t.
eligible State employees July l ant
August l. Teachers, however, viii
receive 10 monthly payments of s2t
each starting July l.
Any county which increases it
teachers salaries by as much a
sll3 per year will receive an addi
tional $27 from the State. permit
ting a total teachers bonus of $34C
Like Talbot Enactment.
The work or fight" bills passe
for Queen Annes and Wicomicr
Counties are similar to that TO
Talbot County which has passes
DObI1 HOUSE ana OeIldle.
One of the 20 new bills introduce
yesterday in the House would permi
the Governor to order out any par
of the State Guard for special sentr
duty at vital State installations.
This bill came during discussion
OF the whole State police detail sit
uation. In another development
Senator George w. Della, Democrat
OF Baltimore, a member of the Sen
ate Militia Committee, said join
meeting with the House Militia Com
mittee was being arranged on tn
subject.
II am convinced" he said. "ther
Is something going on behind tn
scenes in the State Guard, and
want to find out what it is" H
added that State Guard officials
Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord, 3
Service Command head, and militar
police officers involved in the diSput
would be asked TO attend the hear
ings.
A small loan" rate bill, subjec
of controversy at previous session
VISA introduced in the House.