Evening star., 1947-03-02
Assembly Faces
Rush Of Work
In Final Month
Sales Tox Passage
In Senute Foreseen
By Some Opponents
BY The Assoeieted Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 1.-THE Mary.
land General Assembly moved into
its last month today with 80 per
cent Of its important work yet TO
be done.
Although a great deal Of spade
work has been completed by COM
mittees whipping legislation into
shape, a large portion Of the admin.
istration's program Is still to be
voted on. In fact, some Of it has
not been put into the form Of bills.
Coy. Lanes $91 ,000. 900 budget bill.
which, when special fund sources
are included, totals around $751;
100000, has had . pretty thorough
going-over in committee but It will
have to wait until q decision Is
made on new revenue plans before
1t is put into final shape. The tdtsl
budget is likely to be at least $40,-
600, 900 more than now requested.
The controversial sales tax issue
went into the Senate only yesterday.
The administration measure calls
for q per cent levy on retail sales
and will be discussed at consider
able length before 1t Is acted upon.
Opponents Foresee Passage.
Many legislators, while opposing
the tax, forsee its eventual passage.
This Is largely because educational
demands will make it necessary to
provide about $25 900 900 more each
year II the program tentatively
approved is adopted.
Gov. Lanes tax program Is esti-
mated to bring in eventually $25,-
900 900 annually, with the sales tax
contributing $18,000,000 and in
creased income taxes about $7,0Oo,-
900.
Scheduled for some time next
week is message on highways and
bridges, with bills on the subject
likely to follow shortly afterward.
Matters which will have to be
acted on in the next four weeks in
clude annual sessions Of the legis-
lature, whether or not oyster beds
in the Chesapeake Bay may be
leased. creation of a State Water
Pollution Commission, increases In
personal and corporate income
taxes, the sales tax and Saturday
closing of banks.
Meanwhile, Chairman Clark Of
the House Agricultural and Natural
Resources Committee stood pat
against any changes in a pending
bill to set up the Water Pollution
Commission.
Objections Called Trivial.
He said objections to the bill as
amended were trivial" and that
municipalities generally had fallen
In line favoring the bill, or at least
dropping their opposition.
Mr., Clark said, 1T appears to me
tf1dt H8e,State Dofrt1d1Gxat of Health
has Seen using subtle methods Of
getting others active in opposition
to the bill even though 1t has made
no open stand itself.
Several memorandums recoaved
by the committee have been worded
in a suspiciously similar way, de-
claring that there is plenty Of anti
pollution law on the books now and
that the proper agency for enforcing
that law is the State Health De-
partment.
Recently objection has come
from Baltimore against the measure.
but only one small plant Is involved
that at Montebello on Herring
Run-and that represents no real
difficulty.
Saving on Food Possible.
''The Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission has asked to be
exempted from the bill and 1t Is
possible that they also have been
prompted by the State Health De-
partment. OF course, We can't do
that"
In Baltimore today Delegate J.
Raymond Burlington suggested to
the House Ways and Means Com
mittee that the Assembly might be
able to cut as much as $4,000, 900
from Gov. Lanes budget figures on
food needed for State institutions.
Mr.. Burlington, q commission mer-
chant dealing in food, is from Balti-
mord's Sd legislative district.
He based his contention on .
rule Of thumb estimate that food
costs at State institutions can be
counted on to decline IS per cent
below 1946 levels.