Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-20
PortAuthority
Financing Poses
Assembly Row
Council to Present
Baltimore Bill With
No Recommendation
BY GENE GOODWIN
star stan Correspondent

without recommendation when
the General Assembly convenes
in Annapolis on February /. pro-
poses that the port authority be
financed by a three-tenths of a
cent gasoline tax. That would
bring in about So million yearly.
The additional gasoline tax
was opposed during yesterdays
hearing, however, by spokesman
for the Baltimore Association Of
Commerce. the Baltimore Fed
Of Labor. the Maryland
Petroleum Industry and Mary
land truckers.
Before that. some individual
lawmakers. including Delegates
Blair Lee and Warren Browning
Of Montgomery County. had
come out against the gas tax
increase.
Asks General Fund Use
Thomas E. Waterman, execu-
tive-secretary Of the Maryland
Truckers Association, said that
the proposed port authority
would be as much a branch of
State government as the De-
partment Of Education and the
Department of Forest and Parks.
Therefore" he added, "our
association feels that the au-
thority should be supported from
general funds just like any other
department Of State govern
ment."
Joseph p. Lanigan, represent
ing Maryland Petroleum Indus
tries. Inc, said the gasoline
dealers Of the State always have
opposed any diversion Of motor
vehicle revenues from highway
improvement projects. He said
Is States have constitutional
amendments prohibiting such
diversion and promised that such
an amendment. defeated in past
sessions, would be before the Leg
islature again next month.
Other objections to the bill
were expressed by spokesman for
the governments Of Anne Arun-
del and Baltimore Counties,
whose Chesapeake Bay coastal
lands would come under the pro-
posed authority.
Hit by Kirkland
Most vociferous Of these was
Delegate Ira Bird Kirkland.
chairman Of the Anne Arundel
House delegation. who insisted
that the bill specifically prohibit
the port authority from acquiring
any interest in land in his county
without the express approval Of
his county commissioners.
He also insisted that the bill
make 1t clearer that any prop
erty so acquired be subject to
assessment and taxation by the
local subdivision.
Except for Mr.. Waterman,
none of the bills opponents Of
fered any alternative financing
plan.
The bill was drafted by the
New York law firm of Mitchell
and Pershing at the direction of
q Joint Port Commission ap-
pointed last year by Gov. Nickel
din and Baltimore Mayor D'Ales-
andre to find ways Of improving
Baltimore's port facilities.
The bill proposes to create a
flve-member port authority to
be appointed by the Governor
one from Baltimore City, one
from Baltimore County, one
from Anne Arundel County, one
from the rest of the western
shore of Maryland and one from
the Eastern Shore.
Have Broad Authority
The authority would have
jurisdiction over all navigable
waters Of the State except in
Anne Arundel County. In that
county. the bill gives the au-
thority Jurisdiction only on the
southern shore of the Patapsco
river, westwardly and upstream
from Cox creek.
The authority would be en-
powered to float q SIS million
bond issue to improve the port
of Baltimore.
Enos Stockbridge, McKeldin
aide who helped draft the port
bill. told the Legislative Council
that practically every port on
the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts has
been making improvements in
the past two or three years be-
cause Of the threatened loss of
business brought about by the
construction Of the st. Lawrence
Seaway."
The port commission had rec
commended that the authority
be financed by tolls from the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and
other State toll bridges and the
yet-to-be- completed Baltimore
harbor tunnel. However, the
Legislative Council agreed upon
increasing the gasoline tax, after
Eastern Shore representatives
strongly protested any move that
would prevent Bay bridge tolls
from hotya0 yapanx,ad anan A.