Evening star., 1949-02-17
Assembly Gets
Byrd Pledge 10
File Budget Data
Maryland Legislators
Hear Proponents Of
Corporate Tax Cut
By J. B. Zotmon
Stor Staff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 1.-THE
General Assembly today had a
promise from DR.. H. c. Byrd.
president of the University Of
Maryland. to submit a detailed
breakdown of the institutions
budget requests for the 1949-50
fiscal year and in the years to
follow.
He made the promise at a hear
ing yesterday before the House
Ways and Means Committee on a
bill to require the university to
present detailed budgets to the
Legislature under the same pro-
cedure used by all other State
departments.
The committee also heard argu-
ments by business organizations.
including the Silver Spring Board
of Trade, in support of bill to
reduce the corporate income tax
rate from 4 to 1l2 per cent, effec-
tive on 1949 income.
DR., Byrd. in opposing the meas
ure relating to the university's
practices. suggested that a per-
manent committee be set up to act
as clearing house for informa-
ton about the institution.
Calls Classification Unsuitable.
Armed with a huge pile of pa
pers, DR.. Byrd contended the uni
versity's budget "is prepared in
greater and more intelligent de-
tail and conveys more detailed
information about the operations
of the university than the budget
of any other department of the
State government or the budget
of any other institution to which
the State appropriates money"
He argued that the University
of Maryland does not follow the
State classification system in pre-
senting it's budget because:
/. The State system doesn't "f1t"
the work of the university.
2. 1t doesn't tell the legislators
enough "for them to act intelli-
gently on budget requests.
Arbitrary objective classifica-
ton such as is provided in the
State budget is not proper for q
State university" DR.. Byrd main
tanned ANY satisfactory method
of budgeting must be functional
in nature. In other words, the
budget of the university should
disclose the type of operation that
the institution carries on and the
cost of each operation, the person.
mel engaged in each operation, and
so forth"
Gill Urges Tax Cut
! Heading the list of those indors-
ing the bill to reduce the corporate
income tax was James w. Gill,
Silver Spring attorney, who rep
resented the Silver Spring Board
of Trade.
The measure is sponsored by
Delegate Oliver R. Guyther, DEM
ocrat, of st. Mary's County, who
estimated approval of the bill
would result in an annual saving
to corporations of approximately
$4,6OO,0OO.
Mr. Gill argued that the small
businessman" is in a more pre-
carious position today than at
any time in the last 10 years"
and contended an increase is un-
necessary in view of the esti-
mated $25,0OO,000 State surplus
by June 80 of this year.
He added that sales tax pro-
ponents lied us to believe in 1947
that if the tax produced the ex-
pected revenue, relief would be
granted in the income and other
taxes.
Others speaking for the bill in
cluded Mr.. Guyther. w. S. Wilson.
representing the Baltimore Asso-
citation of Commerce, and Fred
Adkins of the A. E. Adkins Co..
Salisbury, and Joseph Stanton.
executive secretary of the Mary
land Public Expenditure Council.
Inc.