Evening star., 1945-03-13
Maryland Legislature
Sends Bill 10 0'Conor
Extending Tax Cut

0SuS tss ~ SShuSB
Extending Tax Cut
By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Mar. 13.-An
administration bill to continue
through the 1916 fiscal year man.
datory one-third reduction in State
income tax payments was before
Gov. O'Conor for signature today.
The bill, passed by the House
after previous Senate passage, would
permit taxpayers to keep one-third
of their payments due under the
law which levies maximums of Q per
cent on earned and per cent on
unearned incomes.
The Senate, meanwhile, received
a substitute bill for the recently
defeated measure which would have
empowered the Board of Natural
Resources to acquire properties for
development as public parks and ex-
perimental sites for State conserva-
ton agencies.
Silent on Stand.
The defeated bill would have given
the board blanket authority to OBJ
tain properties whenever funds
were made available for the pur-
pose, but the substitute would ap-
ply specifically to a Calvert County
tract on the Chesapeake Bay near
Drum Point.
It would authorize the board to
acquire the tract "for the social and
economic betterment of the people
of Maryland"
The bill was reported prepared
and introduced by Chairman Carter
of the Senate Natural Resources
Committee, after a conference be-
tween Gov. O'Conor and State con-
servation agencies chiefs.
At press conference, however,
the Governor refused to state the
Administrations position on the
bill, but he confirmed the report
that conferences of the State off,
cials had preceded its introduction.
To Hear General.
On today's program, Maj. Gen.
Philip Hayes, head of the Sd Service
Command, was scheduled to address
a joint meeting of the houses on the
relation Of State and Federal mill
tary departments.
The Senate Judicial Proceedings
Committee was expected to consider
a bill which would permit women to
serve on Maryland juries.
Meanwhile, the Senate Finance
Committee, having approved mo-
ton to prepare joint Senate reso-
luton calling for general revision
of Maryland's racing laws, was
ready to consider a proposal to snip
of l per cent of the States race
tracks take" as a tax.
Chairman Funk told the commit
tee that the major tracks had de-
clined to have representatives ap-
pear before it this week.
Would Add 1t to Tax.
Another Senator suggested that
the l per cent take" be set aside
by legislative action as a postwar
improvement fund.
Several Senators held the view
that the race tracks should pay for
their own improvements and yield
the | per cent take" to the State as
tax.
The committee agreed that the
Maryland Racing Commission should
have no discretion to increase the
over all take" Of 10 per cent which
Maryland race tracks are allowed.
The commission has two bills
pending before the committee which
would permit it to impound the
per cent take and direct its ex-
penditures toward improvements.
The night sessions of both houses
were devoted largely to adopting
scores Of reports on bills sent
through afternoon sessions of key
House and Senate committees.
Education Bills Reported.
Many Of the bills reported were
minor and many were local, although
four Of the Senate measures en-
bodied parts of the Governors FIVE
point education program.
One Of the education measures
would increase the salary scale Of
teachers, another deals with State
aid to high schools, q third would
repeal q section of the code on
appropriations for colored indus
trial schools and the fourth would
increase the county equalization tax
rate from 81 to Sc cents.
A fifth measure In the program
which would fix the annual State
contribution per classroom. unit at
$50 was delayed at the request OF
Senator Carter, who said he wanted
to study the measure more thor
oughly.
Three Bills Passed.
Only three bills were passed at
the night session.
One Of them would revise the
code relating to the support Of
dependent children by relatives,
raising the maximum age Of "de-
pendent" children from is to IS.
The Senate made a special order
Of business for later this week OF
the proposal to raise the per capita
State aid to public schools from
$3.50 to $200, which Is also part OF
the Governors education program
At the first Monday afternoon
session Of the 1916 assembly the
Senate received three new meas
ures and passed Is, while the House
received 20 new ones and passed %