Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-03
Rail Tax Cut
Stalls Assembly
Budget Action
Maryland Senate
Won't Agree on
House Proposal
By Gene Goodwin
Stor StoH CORRESPONDENT

Stor Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 3-Tax re-
lief for railroads had the Mary
land General Assembly tied in
knots today.
The House Of Delegates has in
sisted for two days now that the
gross receipts tax on railroads
should be lowered from about
2la to 2 per cent to make the
levy more uniform with that paid
by public utilities.
The Senate says no.
A Senate House conference
committee was to resume nego-
tiations today.
Stalls Budget Action.
The disagreement has stalled
action on the $237 million budget
for next fiscal year and the $7.8
million capital improvement pro-
gram.
Senate Majority Leader Louis
L. Goldstein was SO angry at
the House refusal to scuttle its
amendment that he brought
out an amendment to routine
income tax measure. giving
married taxpayers a $4,000 ex-
emption on State income tax
payments and single persons a
$4,000 exemption effective in
1855.
II can't see the justice in Civ
ing railroads half million dol
lars Of tax relief. when we
haven't even been able to scrape
up enough money to give in
come taxpayers the IS per cent
cut they've had for two years."
Mr.. Goldstein told reporters.
Republican Trouble.
The House Democratic ma
jority also was having trouble
with a little band of Republic
cans led by Delegate j. PAUL
Marshall of Montgomery.
Mr. Marshall, acting as
minority leader, yesterday beat
down five separate Democratic
attempts to suspend rules and
pass the bill postponing the
auto tag increase from 1856 to
1856
Holding together about 80 Re-
publican votes, Mr.. Marshall
prevented the Democratic lead
ership from rolling up the 80
votes needed to suspend rules
and approve the legislation.
The Senate has approved the
auto tag fee postponement.
which Gov. McKeldin said would
drastically delay the l2-year
highway modernization program.
!. The Senate, meanwhile, killed
Mr. Goldstein's perennial bill to
abolish the State real estate tax.
The vote was 1910.
And the House enacted a reso-
luton to establish a school for
freshmen legislators.
The Senate enacted-a measure
calling for a lawmakers prayer
room here in the State House.
Speed Law Passed.
The Senate also enacted. 1858.
legislation giving municipalities
authority to regulate speed of
traffic on all non-State roads
within their boundaries. Present
law prevents towns from estab-
fishing speed limits of less than
rs miles an hour except in parks.
The Senate killed a House
approved plan to redistribute
personal property tax on utilities
to all the counties. The tax is
now collected only in Baltimore
and three counties where the
utilities have their home offices.
The vote was 21-8.
The bill restricting the 30
days legislative sessions to con-
sideration of only budgetary and
related items moved through
the Senate on a 28-1 tally and
went to the House. The short
sessions now can consider fiscal,
emergency and general public
welfare matters.
Legislation to ban leasing of
Maryland oyster beds for one
year beginning June / was APP
proved by the Senate. 22-7. and
moved over to the House. A
similar one-year moratorium
on leasing ended last June.