Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-21
Mcke|din
.Favors Higher
Auto Tag Fee
Declares Delay
Would Hurt Stute's
Roads Program

WYNN sb0bt St0AS
Roads Program
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 20.-Gov.
McKeldin said today it would DO
a mistake" to postpone the
higher automobile tag fees.
scheduled to GO into effect next
year.
at seems very unwise to re-
duce funds for the maintenance
Of existing highways when we
are making a real effort to COM
plete system of modern roads,"
the governor said.
Maryland road builders were
counting on the increased license
fees to help finance their 12-year
highway modernization program
which went into effect January
l. The other chief source of rev.
enue for the program is the boost
in the gasoline tax from five to
six cents a gallon. Motorists
began paying that last summer.
Disputes Tax Return.
Two bills are before this ses-
sion Of the Legislature to post
pone the auto tag license in
crease from 1855 to 1856. Spon-
sors say the gasoline tax il
bringing in more money than
had been anticipated and more
auto tags are being sold than the
State Roads Commission had
estimated.
Gov. McKeldin denied this.
He said that If the proposals
became law. "it is my UNDER
standing that it would be neces-
Sary to obtain maintenance
money from funds now ear
marked for construction and re-
construction.
THUS the roads program,
which the Legislature itself ap-
proved and which has been ac-
CLAIMED generally by the citizens,
would suffer to some extent"
The Governor added. however.
that the loss of revenue under
this proposed postponement
would be felt most keenly by
Baltimore City and the coun-
ties"
Carl L. Wannen, roads COM
mission controller. told legisla-
tive committees this week that
postponing the increases would
mean, that on the basis of 1852
registrations a loss of SIS mil
lion to the State, SIS million to
Baltimore and 81 million to the
Counties. Maryland shares its
tag fees and gasoline tax rev.
enues with the subdivisions.
Under the 12-year roads pro-
gram bill passed by the 1853
Legislature. auto tag fees are to
be increased from SIS to $40 on
most passenger cars. from $23 to
$50 on the heavier cars and cor
respondingly higher for trucks.
Senator Frederick Malkus,
Democrat, of Dorchester, is Spon-
soring a bill in the Senate to
postpone the increases. The same
bill was put up in the House by
the Ways and Means Committee.
Veto Faces Time Element.
The Governors statement in
dicateS he will veto the bills, II
either gets through the Legis-
lature. Unless both Houses pass
one and get it on the Governors
desk by Thursday, he can hold
OF his veto until the Legislature
adjourns March 4. That would
mean his veto could not be over
ridden until next session.
If, however. the Governor has
to veto the poStponement bill and
send it back it takes a three
flfths majority in both Houses
to override him. but Republican
lawmakers have shown very little
loyalty to their chief in previous
veto votes this session.
On five key veto issues this
session. only six of the SO House
Republican delegates voted to I'D.
hold the Governor.
They are Delegates j. Douglas
Bradshaw, j. PAUL Marshall and
Robert A. Wallace of Montgom-
cry; j. Frank Lillard, jr., and
William r. Hughes of Prince
Georges, and George D. Hicks
OF Washington County.
The votes were on measures
which took money from the State
treasury. The Governor and his
assistants had urged the Repub-
lican delegates in caucus to up.
hold his vetoes.
Liquor Tax Veto Due.
Meanwhile, the Governor is
expected to send down a veto
either Monday or Tuesday on a
measure increasing the State
liquor tax cents fifth.
His veto message is expected
to attack further extension of an
old Maryland fiscal custom-re-
distributing taxes collected by
the State to Baltimore City and
Counties. That's done now with
gasoline taxes, auto tag fees,
racing revenues. income tax, and
other fees.
One feature of the liquor tax
increase bill is that 10 cents Of
the new total tax of 80 cents a
fifth would be redistributed. That
would take about 100000 a year
out of the State Treasury.
r.
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