Evening star., 1947-11-06
SaIes,1 / Repeal
Causes aust Wfang|e
|n.Assemb|y Is.
BILLS 81. Referred
To Rules Committee
After House Debute
BY }. B. Zotman

Stor Stoff Correspondent y
ANNAPOLIS, Nov 6.-The Gen
eral Assembly moved into the sec
ond day of its special session with
about a score of the "a bills intro
duced yesterday scheduled to come
up for final passage in both the
House and Senate.
The opening day was featured by
an address by Gov. Lane and
brief wrangle in the House over a
bill by Delegate S. Pete Pollack,
Democrat, of Baltimore to repeal
the sales tax, effective July l. 1913.
The measure was referred to the
Rules Committee after an unsuc-
cessful move to put it before the
House acting as committee of
the whole,
Submits Other Bills.
Three other bills were submitted
by Mr.. Pollack. One would return
to the counties all sales tax receipts
in excess of S19,000,000 An esti-
mated 100000 will be produced
by the present levy. The refund
would be made in proportion to
the amount paid in each county.
Another. bill would sharply in
crease tax rates on railroads, cor
porations and power, telephone and
telegraph companies and would
raise the inheritance tax. The third
would legalize bookmaking. Mr..
Pollack estimated the tax increases
would raise about s18,000,000 an
nually while the bookmaking meas
ure would yield about $3,000,000 a
year.
A companion measure to the sales
tax repeater in the House was in
troduced by Senator Robert B.
Kimble. Republican, of Allegany
County~and WAS referred to the
Rules Committee without debate.
Byrnes Offers Bill.
Also presented in the Senate was
a bill by Senate President Joseph r.
Bvrnes, Democrat. of Baltimore to
raise the sales tax exemption from
q to IA cents as proposed by the
Governor in his speech.
This plan. it has been estimated,
would reduce the amount to be COL
lected from the per cent levy by
about $1,450,000 a year. State Con-
troller James J. Lacy has estimated
the sales tax yield during the fiscal
year ending June 80, l948. at about
S25 100000
In his talk before a joint session
of the Legislature, the Governor
said the States financial condition
is such that a reduction in taxation
now can be considered.
Tax Charges Proposed.
Recommending a raise in the sales
tax exemption, the Governor de-
clared:
Il believe that the adjustment will
eliminate much of the minor irrl-
tation that inevitably accompanies
any form OF direct taxation. Per-
haps the greatest beneflciaries
would be children who no longer
would have to pay the tax on ice
cream and confections.
THE question of whether provi-
sion should be made for the Board
of Public Works to raise further the
minimum figure at which the tax
becomes operable, leave to the dis
cretion of the General Assembly"
While indorsing Baltimore's re-
quest for authority to levy special
taxes, the Governor urged that it
be granted with specific limitations
and for a four-year period only.
He asked that the city be prohib-
tied from levying any tax on in
comes, gasoline, motor vehicles,
corporations. inheritances, horse
racing and insurance premiums.
Road Bill Changes Asked.
Discussing the need for revising
the $1OO,00O000 road bill passed at
the regular session of the General
Assembly last spring. Gov. Lane
said the State Roads Commission
should not be bound to construc-
ton of express highways.
"High-speed, denied-access high
ways are built primarily for the
benefit of nonresidents of the
State" he asserted, while dual
lane freeways of the Ritchie bdule-
vard type are primarily used by res
idents of the State, who, inciden-
tally. are putting up the money to
make possible the reconstruction .
I'm the face of rising costs, am
unwilling to take the risk that a
disproportionate amount be ex-
pended on the former type of high
way. In the interest of the residents
of the State who are paying the bill,
the former Legislation should be
amended so as to take care of this
contingency, should it arise"
Other Items in Program.
Other parts of his program out
lined in the message included: An
increase from $5 to $40 a day in
the maximum allowance to private
hospitals for the care of INDECENT
patients: allotment to the Board OF
Public Works of $500,000 to supple
ment Department of Public Welfare
funds: appropriation of $238, 900 to
pay the States share of salaries to
assessors in the various counties;
appropriation of sl23,574 for the
State police because of an increase
from s2.70 to $3.50 in their daily
food allotment; appropriation OF
$4,000 for resumption of the chest
surgery clinic at Mount Wilson and
an additional 100000 to help admin
lister the sales tax law.
The battle over the sales tax re.
pealer in the House started when
Delegate J. Raymond Burlington
jr., Democrat. Baltimore, appealed
from ruling by Speaker c. Ferdi-
nand Sybert, Democrat, of Howard
County. rejecting his motion to have
the bill referred to the House.
Reminded Of Ruling.
Mr.. Burlington was reminded BY
opposing speakers that the House
had adopted rule to refer all bills
other than those Endorsed by the
Legislative Council. to the Rule:
Committee and that he had at.
tended a Democratic caucus earlier
which agreed to the rule.
Il am not ethically nor morally
LaroS nv nnHrnfoy, rarliod sf<