Evening star., 1947-10-27
Special Session
Called Nov.5
|nMary|and
Meeting Set to Assist
Baltimore Finances;
May Alter Sales Tax
By the Associated Prasx

ANNAPOLIS, Md, Oct. 27.-Gov.
Lane issued call today for the
General Assembly to meet in spe-
cial session November S to help
city out of its financial
difficulties and there is every indi-
cation that Maryland's new sales
tax law will come in for much dis
cussion.
The ( 5vernor, in announcing he
would call the legislators back to
said he hoped they would
conflne their deliberations to Ifs
cal legislation and such other mat
ters of an emergency nature as are
presented for their consideration"
He did not mention the sales tax.
Since it became known months
ago that there would be a special
session, however, opponents have
stated there would be attempts to
repeal the levy, or at least modify it.
There have been unconfirmed
reports that the administration it.
self would suggest a modification,
such as applying the present exemp-
ton on items below cents to some
higher figure.
City Needs $1,000, 900.
Baltimore City is faced with the
problem of securing an additional
100000 to meet an S82,0O0.0O0
budget, and special taxing powers
granted the city by the 1945 Legis-
lature expire at the end of the year.
The Assembly at its regular 1947
session passed bill to give the city
the same general taxing powers
as the State itself. but the Cover
nor vetoed it as contrary to good
public policy
During meeting with the city
legislative delegation and the Bal
timore Board of Estimates recently,
the Governor limited he was in ia
vor of special taxing powers bill
with modification to insure protec-
tion of the States own resources
of revenue. He indicated such q
bill may be broadened to give the
counties and other municipalities
special powers to levy taxes
The Legislative Council will meet
here tomorrow to consider several
local bills which may be introduced
at the special session. Among them
is 100000 school loan for Anne
Arundel County.
Session May End Nov. I.
The general opinion among legis-
lators is that the administration
has sufficient strength to forestall
any move for the repeal OF the
sales tax.
Among those who have said q
repeater would be offered is Dele
gate Pollack, Democrat, of Balti-
more.
In all likelihood, the length Of
debate on the sales tax will deter
mine how long the special session
will. last. The consensus among
the lawmakers was that they would
be on their way home by Friday.
November 7.
Gov. Lane has not said whether
the administration would sanction
move for modification of the sales
tax, but he made this reply to q
question put him at the recent
meeting in Baltimore by Delegate
Mrozinski, Democrat, of Baltimore.
about returning pro-rata to cities
and counties all sales tax revenues
above the original $18,o00,000 an
nual estimate:
He felt the money should be re-
turned to the people and the State
was in much the same position as a
person who asked for a $40 loan for
a particular purpose and discovered
only $40 was needed. There is q
moral obligation, he said, to return
the $40 and not use it for other
purposes.
Yield Of $25, ,O00, 900 Seen.
State Controller James j. Lacy
predicted recently the yield of the
sales tax for the current fiscal year
may 60 to $25 100000 or more.
Gov. Lane conferred with Senate
President Joseph Byrnes, House
Speaker c. Ferdinand Sybert, Senate
Leader D. Harold Sothoron
of Prince Georges County and House
Majority Leader Leroy Humphrey of
Prince Georges prior to making his
last night.
kilograms of notification were dis
patched to all Senators and Dele
gates last night.