Evening star., 1947-10-03
RepeaI State Sales Tax,
Civic Federation Urges
In Prince George!

The Prince Georges County Civic
Federation was on record today in
favor of repeating the Marylend 2
per cent sales tax.
The civic body, which met last
night in the County Service Build
ing, at Hyattsville, took action after
hearing two substitutes recon-
mended for the sales tax.
One suggestion, offered by Daniel
M. Greene of Avondale, chairman
of the federation's Laws and Legis-
lative Committee, proposed that a
bill be introduced in the General
Assembly providing for a tax on
luxuries.
Legal Gambling Urged.
The other recommendation, urg-
ing that a bill be adopted to legalize
gambling in place of the sales tax
was made by George w. Bowen OF
District Heights.
The federation, however, took no
action on either substitute tax pros
posal. r
Fred Ridgeway of Beltsville, q
delegate from the Vansviue Dis
trict Citizens Association, whose
resolution for the repeal of the tax
was adopted by the federation, cited
several instances where consumers
pay more than the 2 per cent tax
when making purchases. He said
consumers often have to pay tax on
separate items purchased within the
same store, adding up to well over
2 cents on the dollar.
Petitions Distributed.
Earlier in the meeting, Mr.. Greene
distributed printed anti-sales tax
petitions to the delegates, asking
them to place the petitions where
consumers can reach them" The
petitions urged Gov. Lane and men,
bers of the Prince Georges County
legislature delegation to repeal the
tax during a special session of the
General Assembly, expected to be
held within the next two months.
Mr.. Greene said the petitions
should be signed prior to the spe-
cial session and returned to Charles
+. Hartley, president of the County
Independent Trade Association,
which is leading the drive to repeal
the tax. More than 10000 sigma
lures have been obtained SO far,
he added.
Louis A. Day of Rogers Heights,
a member of the federation's School
Committee, recommended that bet
ter bus transportation be provided
by the county for school pupils.
Mr.. Day said that in many in
stances children who live the
farthest from the schools are the
first to be picked up in the morning
and the last to get home in the
afternoon. He objected in particu-
lar to such practices for lower
grade pupils.
Walter F. Mulligan of Berwyn,
federation president, and DR.. H. c.
Wiley of College Park, its Educa-
ton Committee chairman, said the
School Board is doing the best
1t can"
Charles Hall of the Northwest
Citizens Association, Hyattsville, said
the School Board had solved the
problem at the Ager Road Ele-
mentary School by taking home first
children coming to school the ear
liest.
The federation failed to take any
action on another recommendation
of Mr.. Day urging the Chesapeake g.
Potomac Telephone Co. to postpone
its proposed rate increases.
Traffic Safety Steps Urged.
Mr.. Bowen, after citing accident
statistics from a story in The Star,
urged that something be done about
county roads," He said Prince
Georges County had the worst traffic
record in the State during August,
with II fatalities for the month.
Mr.. Mulligan and Mrs. Harold
Benjamin of College Heights, chair
man of the federation's Citizenship
Committee, urged members of the
group to participate in the Atomic
Week program to be conducted in
the county October 1918 under
sponsorship Of countrywide Atomic
Energy Steering Committee, the
County League of Women Voters
and the College Park Branch of the
Association of University
Women.
Ladies' Guild of St. PouI's
tn Hold Benefit SocinI