Evening star., 1953-08-29
Leaders Seek
Further Taxes
In>MontgomerY
Tighter Drivers Law
Also to Be Asked at
Meeting Of OfficiuIs
By Gene Goodwin
StoT Stcff CovTespondenf

OCEAN CITY, Md, Aug. 20
MONTGOMERY County was sci
today to propose three contro.
versial resolutions at the Mary
land Association of County Com
missioners meeting here.
Montgomery leaders seek asso-
citation support for:
l. Compulsory automobile in
spection.
2. Tightening of State laws or
requirements for drivers permits
8. A renters tax, a gross re-
ceiptS tax or some other means
of drawing tax money from indi'
viduals and businesses which
the Montgomery County Council
feels, are not carrying their fail
share of rising educational costs
Mrs. Werner to Act.
Mrs. Stella B. Werner, Demo
cratic member of the county
council, planned to present the
resolutions at the third annual
conference of Maryland's county
fathers here at the George Wash
ington Hotel. With her from
Montgomery were Arthur E. Mil
Ter, director of public safety. and
County Attorney David Mac
donald.
Mr.. Miller drew up the first
two resolutions. They stem from
an accident on the Rockville pike
last month in which a make
shift day-camp bus ran off the
road and killed one boy and in
jured II other children.
Mrs. Werner and Mr.. Miller
were prepared to argue that au-
tomobile fatalities in Delaware,
New Jersey and the District of
Columbia - where Government
owned and operated stations
periodically inspect cars-were
about 80 per cent below the ma
tional average last year
In the II States where cars
are inspected by private garages
under State supervision, auto
fatalities were 6 per cent below
the national average.
Driver Is ExOnerated.
Mr.. Miller has blamed the
camp bus accident last month
on a defective tire. At the wheel
when the bus left the road and
smashed a tree was a 17-year-
old Bethesda boy who has since
been exonerated of any criminal
negligence.
However, Mr.. Miller and the
Montgomery County Council fee
that Maryland should make il
tougher for drivers to get license;
to operate day-camp buses anc
other unusual vehicles.
The third resolution proposed
by Montgomery was drawn up BY
Alex Hancock, director of the
county's Departmental finance
It stems from discomfort among
property owners whose real eS-
tate taxes pay the major share
of county school costs and from
Montgomery County government
leaders.
The resolution proposes thai
the State Legislature take step:
to make it possible to assess {
fair share of county and educa'
tional costs against individual!
and corporations who are domi'
ciled in and transact business il
the counties and who receive
benefits from the various county
services, but are not necessarily
owners of taxable property"
Additional Tax Powers.
The resolution goes on tt
suggest that the counties bt
given the same taxing powers
as the State. That would per-
nit Montgomery, for instance
to levy a tax on people who rent
property.
It also suggests overhauline
the So-called incentive anc
equalization funds under which
the State now aids counties ir
their programs. The present
system results in practically nc
State aid for counties as large
and wealthy as Montgomery.
Albert w. Ward, secretary OF
the State Tax Commission, may
have something to say on the
Montgomery resolution. He was
scheduled to address the asso-
citation today. So was Russell
Mccain, chairman of the State
Roads Commission.
Main speaker at the confer
enCe-cloSing banquet tonight
will be Mayor Winslow F. Bur-
hans of HagerStown.