Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-29
Bonus backers
In Showdown
AtAnnapo|is
House Vote Due
Today After Bill
Fails in Roll Call
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star STAFF Correspondent

ANIMAL o1I1O, MAI. zS.-DdCk'
ers of the 1855 version of the
Maryland veterans bonus bill
were set today for a showdown
vote in the House of Delegates
after failing to put their meas
ure across by only two vote:
last night.
Last nights roll call, which
followed about two hours of
emotion charged debate, showed
u in favor of the bill and At
against it. Three-f1fths, or n
votes. are required to pass a
measure involving a proposed
amendment of the constitution
The House galleries were
packed with veterans in various
stages of uniform. reminiscent
of past bonus debates held by
this Legislature nearly every
year since World War II. The
closest this Legislature has ever
come to passing a bonus. how
ever, was last year, when it sent
Gov. McKeldin a bill proposing
q bonus financed by a Scent
sales tax. The Governor vetoed
it as unconstitutional.
Financed by Lottery
The bill proposed this year by
80 delegates, all but six from
Baltimore City. would provide a
referendum next year on con-
stitutional amendment, author
izing a multi-million dollar lot
terry to finance a veterans bonus
The sponsors said they planned
to move reconsideration of last
nights vote at today's session
and set to work trying to find
two additional votes.
Delegate Daniel B. Brewster
Democrat, of Baltimore County
led opposition to the bill, argu-
ing it would be "perpetrating a
fraud on the veteran"
Mr.. Brewster, a former Marine
raider of World War II, said the
proposed lottery would have to
raise from $3.50 to $500 million
to make the 500 million needed
to pay all veterans the recon-
mended bonus of from $40 to
$500 apiece.
He estimated that 80 per cent
OF the lottery take would go to
the winners and another 80 per
cent to pay expenses.
Wed be giving at least 500
million to the gamblers who
would pour into Maryland" Mr..
Brewster declared.
Would Repeal Lottery Ban.
Several othre Delegates op-
posed the bill on the ground it
would be giving official recogni-
ton to a lottery. 1t would repeal
provision that has been part
OF Maryland's constitution at
least since 1867, which prohibits
the General Assembly from au-
thorizing a lottery.
Joining the sponsors in fight
ing for the measure was Delegate
Hervey G. Machen, Democrat,
OF Prince Georges County, who
attacked "the hypocrites in both
parties who campaigned on the
veterans bonus issue"
Il don't like lottery either"
he fairly shouted, but if this is
the best bill we can send to the
people, then I'm for it,"
Delegate Carlton R. Sickles,
Democrat, was the only member
of the Prince Georges delegation
voting against the bill. In the
Montgomery bloc. Delegate Will
liam B. Wheeler, Democrat, was
the bills only supporter.
Budget Bill Passed
In another matter, the House
voted, 105-to-11, last night to
approve a 1869 million State
budget for next year. Delegates
Earl I. Rosenthal and Joseph A.
Acker. Baltimore City Democrats,
criticized the Ways and Means
Committee for failing to cut
more than $1.2 million from the
budget, as proposed by Gov,
McKeldin.
The budget bill now goes to
the Senate.
The Senate Finance and House
Ways and Means Committees yes
terday held the first in a series
of hearings scheduled for this
week on various proposals for
meeting a 1924 million gap be-
tween anticipated revenues and
expenditures in the new budget
Yesterdays hearing covered a
proposal by the Senate and House
majority leaders to apply the
sales tax to manufacturing ma
chinery bought out of State be-
cause it is not readily obtain
able in Maryland and to equip
ment rented or leased for tax
able use. The rental of truck
tires by the Baltimore Transit
Co. was given as an example OF
the type of leased materials now
exempt from the sales tax.
The Senate voted, 19-to-8 last
night to postpone scheduled in
creases in auto and truck tag fees
for another year until April
1857. The Legislature already
has postponed the increases un-
til April, 1856, under bill
signed by Gov. McKeldin.
Still another bill to repeal en-
tirely that part of the 12-yea1
road program providing for the
fee increases has passed the Sen
ate but last week was killed in
the House Ways and Means
Committee.
The House, meanwhile, moved
along its bill providing for an
absentee voting law in Maryland
in line with a constitutional
amendment approved by the
voters last November. The alb
sentee voting clause also is in
cluded in an omnibus bill in the
Senate, which would recodify
State election laws. That Sen
L.. Am