Evening star., 1953-05-08
Border Patrol
ForMary|and
IsAuthorized
McKeldin Signs Bill
To Curb Big Imports
Of Liquor From D. C.
By Gene Goodwin
StoF Stoff CORRESPONDENT

Maryland police unit will go to
work this summer with the diff
ficult task of trying to halt IL
legal importation of liquor into
Maryland, chiefly from the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
The special border patrol unit
of seven men was authorized
in an act of the 1853 General
Assembly signed by Gov. Nc
Keldin yesterday.
The Governor hesitated right
up to deadline before signing
the measure because he said he
feared it might involve what
he called shopping"
But I have been assured"
he told reporters, that this will
not be a snooping program, and
if it turns out to be. its sponsors
have assured me they will seek
its repeal in the next session
Of the Legislature"
Aimed at Big Operators.
The bill originated in the Leg
1slative Council, whose members
said it is aimed primarily at big
operators who import liquor by
the truckload from the District
and other States where liquor
taxes are lower.
The bill has the enthusiastic
backing of Maryland liquor
dealers. The special police unit
would operate under the State
controller.
Only one quart at time and
two quarts month can be
brought into the State legally
by an individual.
The border patrol bill was
among four signed by the Gov
ernor yesterday. He vetoed Al,
which completed action on all
OF the enactmentS of the 1853
legislature.
Another bill signed at the last
minute grants tax relief to
Maryland's eight mutual savings
banks, seven in Baltimore City
and one at Sandy Spring. The
bill reduces the tax on every
500 deposit from Is cents to 10
cents over f1ve-year scaling
down period. .--.-
In signing the measure, the
Governor hit hard at what he
called disturbing reports about
the money spent to bring about
Its enactment.
He undoubtedly referred to
the 100000 which Attorney
Joseph M. Wyatt, South Balti-
more political leader, reported
he received from the seven Bal
timore mutual savings banks in
return for lobbying activities.
Disturbing Factors"
Mr.. Wyatt's fee amounts to
approximately one-third of the
total estimated amount the seven
Baltimore banks will save in the
first year of the tax reduction.
Gov. McKeldin said he decided
to sign the bill despite these
disturbing factors" because he
considers it to be fair and good
legislation.
The Governor vetoed a bill
which would have increased from
one to two the number of
scholarships which members of
the House of Delegates are per-
mitted to award at the Uni
verslty Of Maryland each four
years because, he said, There
are no funds available in the
budget"
He vetoed an act of the Mary
land General Assembly yester-
day which would have author
lied annual entry of reassess-
mentS.
That is the system now used in
Maryland, with one-fifth of each
county or Baltimore City being
reaSsessed each year on a ro-
tatlng basis. The 1851 Legisla-
ture provided, however, that be-
ginning next January, one-third
OF each subdivision will be
reassessed each year, but the
new figures will go on the tax
book only every three wears
when the entire subdivision has
been reaSSeSsed.
Montgomery Backing.
The bill which the Governor
vetoed was sponsored by the
legislative Council, mostly on
the insistence of Montgomery
County. Officials of Montgomery
and some other counties feared
that unless they could record
assessments annually their
capital Improvements programs
would be jeopardized.
The amount a county NAV
borrow is based on the total
assessed value of the property in
the county. Under the new
three-year cycle of reassessment
this borrowing ceiling would be
frozen by three-year periods.
Earlier this year, many Mont
gomery officials were arguing
that unless they could record as
sessments annually, the county's
school building program would
suffer. since the county was fast
approaching its legal borrowing
limits.
More recently, however, Mont
gomery'S aSSesSable base has risen
and the earlier fears seem now
to be unfounded.
In his veto message, Gov. Nc,
Keldin said, "At least one-third
of given area would always be
subjected to different assessment
treatment and in all probability
pay a larger amount of taxes
proportionately than the areas
thereafter to be reasseSSed."
Student Operettu Tonight