Evening star., 1947-03-27
Senate 10 Act
On Maryland
Budget Today
Measure to Increase
Income Tox Pending
As Session Neurs End
By J. B. Zotmon
$tor SsoH ceysspondsnf

Ster SteH Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 27.-The Gen.
eral. Assembly today prepared te
speed up work on the Governors
$219, ,o0o, 900 budget for the next tive
fiscal years with final action sched-
uled In the Senate.
A favorable report on the bill by
the Finance Committee was ap-
proved yesterday. After the Senate
acts, it will 60 to the House Of Dele
gates rs one Of the last big jobs
before the Legislature adjourn,
Monday.
Still pending before the Senate
Is Z bill to increase personal income
taxes from z to as per cent and
corporate income taxes from is Il
per cent.
When introduced, the budget
called for appropriations totalipe
SOL ,055,543 from general funds anc
$76,353, 200 in special funds.
The supplemental budget asked
for an additional $2s 1855 200 in gen.
eral funds and $23. .4s2.78 In special
funds. r.
Tax Bill Approved.
Moving rapidly ahead after dis
posing Of the sales tax. the Senate
yesterday sent to the House a COM
panion measure providing for a 2
per cent levy on goods purchased
outside Maryland for use in the
State.
Also receiving Senate approval
were two bills intended to carry out
the highway and bridge program
urged by Gov. Lane.
Total cost Of the projects would
be 4163 900 900, Of which $139, ,000,-
900 would be available to the State
Roads Commission during the next
five years.
The remaining s24, 1000, 900 would
be used for construction of a Chesa-
peak Bay Bridge and other spans.
The road bill also calls for an in
crease from to 5 cents a gallon in
the State gasoline tax and a $780,
000, 1000 bond issue.
A lone effort to delay passage of
the two bills was short-lived.
Senator Barton Seeks Delay.
Senator Hubert P. Barton, Demo-
crat, of the I'd Baltimore district
moved that the measures be made a
special order Of business for tonight
He said he had been promised a
meeting with Gov. Lane to discuss
an amendment which might effect
. saving in the program"
In opposing the motion, Senator
L. Harold Sotheron, Democrat, of
Prince Georges County pointed out
the bills ARE among the most i'm
portant Of the administration meas
ures7 and might be, jeopafdizfd by
any s4elay, since they still require
action tn the House, eThe Barton
motion was defeated by 4 voice vote.
The Senate then went on to pass
two Of the major bills in the sher-
bow Commission program. -
One provides for distribution to
Baltimore and the counties Of State
collected recordation fees and the
other calls for q similar distribu-
ton Of the tax on admissions to
places Of amusement.
Reapportionment Tabled.
The Senate killed a bill providing
for reapportionment OF General As
sembly representation by tabling it.
The bill proposed a constitutional
amendment to be voted on in the
1s48 general election. It would give
Baltimore an additional district,
with six more Delegates and one
Senator, and the more populous
counties, including Montgomery and
Prince Georges, increased member
ship in the House.
Over the protests Of Senator Will
ner G. Carter, Democrat, of the
Sd Baltimore district, the Senate
adopted a favorable report on a
bill to relieve domestic mutual fire
insurance companies in the State
from paying 2 per cent tax on
premiums which they collect.
Senator Carter argued there are
1s such companies In the State
who are asking to be relieved of
taxation while all other kinds OF
taxes are being increased"
House Rejects Racing Tax Boost.
Meanwhile, the House, after q
spirited debate, rejected a bill to
increase the State tax on race tracks
from 4 to 8 per cent and approved
a measure to give the State all
breakage at mile race tracks.
The first bill was estimated to
yield 5000, 600 year, while the
second was estimated to bring In
81 ,O0o, 900.
Opponents of the bill to increase
the tax on race tracks charged it
would ruin" a principal source of
revenue. Both measures were spon-
sored by John H. Reed, Democrat,
OF the 5th Baltimore district.
The House also concurred In a
Senate amendment to bill creating
a commission to eliminate pollution
In Maryland streams.
The amendment would exempt
the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission and would limit to
$3.50, 900 the amount the commission
could be required to spend annually
to prevent pollution.
r. Duncan Clark, Republican, OF
Montgomery County said It Is "ab-
solutely unjust to exempt the large
water pollution area served by the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission"
Opposition also was voiced by an
other Montgomery delegate, John
r. Reeves, Republican.
George G. McLeish, Democrat, o1
Prince Georges County, in support
ing the amendment, said its rejec-
ton by the House would bankrupt
the Sanitary Commission.
Funs Church to Widen
Street Near School
Falls Church has started work or
a vsroiert IN extend Great Fails streei