Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
'Gov.MckeIdin's
Budget Found
Hard toCut
Senate Committee
Advances Bill to
Raise Liquor Tax
By Gene Goodwin
Stur Stoff CORRESPONDENT

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 13.-There
is increasing evidence here, as
the Maryland Legislature nears
the halfway mark of its 3O-day
session. that the lawmakers are
finding it difficult to trim Gov.
McKeldin's unprecedented 1898
million budget for next fiscal
year.
Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Louis L. Goldstein
told the Senate yesterday his
committee is finding that the
budget director had cut the re-
quested appropriations from the
various departments right to
the limit"
Both the Senate Finance
Committee and the House Ways
and Means. Committee put in
long hours all week, holding
hearings on the budget. The
hearings will be resumed on
Monday. after the lawmakers
complete a weekend recess.
An influential members of the
House Ways and Means Com
mittee said privately yesterday
he feels his committee will make
some cuts in the budget.
Forecasts Little Cut.
But it's going to be tough
TO do. and the cut won't be too
large" he said.
He added that he feels the
committee probably will accept
the Governors proposal to adj
vance the collection date on the
gross receipts tax. making pos
sible two collections next fiscal
year and an additional SIS million.
The lawmaker. who asked not
to be identified, also said he be-
lleves there is a good chance his
committee will recommend in
creasing the States share of
horse racing bets to perhaps 1919
per cent. The State now gets
10 per cent. A proposal before
the committee would raise it to
Is per cent, but most Of the law
makers seem to feel that would
be going too far.
The Senate yesterday voted,
IL to 8, to accept the Finance
Committees favorable reports on
a Democratic Party-line bill to
increase the State liquor tax
from Is to 80 cents a fifth. The
final vote probably will come on
Monday or Tuesday. The House
passed it on Wednesday.
Backing Questioned.
Senator Kenneth Mclaughlin,
Republican, of Washington
County charged that the bill
originated with wholesale LIQUOR
dealers" Senator Goldstein.
who is Democratic majority lead
er, denied this. He said the
measure was sponsored by State
Controller j. Willard Tawes.
Senator Stanley Hof, Repub-
lican, of Carroll County then
wanted to know whether the
controllers Office had paid for
the big ads put into newspapers
throughout the State by the liq-
uor industry in support of the
bill. Senator Goldstein said he
could not answer that one.
Senator Anders r. Lofstrand.
jr.. Republican. of Montgomery.
said the new tax will force the
county -operated liquor stores in
his county to cut prices to meet
the competition of already lower
prices in Washington. The loss
of county revenue, he feels, will
more than offset the $4,000 his
county would receive from the
liquor tax increase bill.
One feature of the bill is that
10 cents of the new 30-cent-a-
fifth tax would revert to the
counties and Baltimore City. An
other feature. which makes the
bill appealing to liquor dealers,
is that it would prohibit local
liquor taxes, such as those levied
now in Baltimore City and
county.
Fletcher Votes For 1t.
Senator j. Raymond Fletcher,
Republican, of Prince Georges,
broke party lines to vote in ia
vor of the bill yesterday. He
said later, however. he may not
support it when it comes up for
final passage.
Mr.. Lofstrand, meanwhile, in
troduced a bill he feels would
help improve regulation of
nursery homes. 1t would increase
the State Board of Health from
eight to nine members, with the
new member being represen-
tative of the Maryland State
Federation of Nursing Homes.
In another development, the
Prince Georges contingent here
received a verbal opinion from
Assistant Attorney General Jo-
seph D. Buscher that this short
session of the Legislature can
legally consider a bill to extend
jurisdiction of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission
to Morningside.
Cites Health Report.
Senator Fletcher said Mr..
Buscher told the House Rules
Committee yesterday that a
grand jury report last year label
ing the MorningSide sewage dis
posal problem a health menace
lends substance to designation
of the bill as an emergency.
Short sessions of the Legisla-
ture may consider only emer-
gency, fiscal or Statewide bills.
Mr.. Fletcher said the Rules
Committee asked Mr.. BuScher
for a written opinion, Meanwhile,