Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-30
AttackP|anned
On Bi||boards
In Maryland
Rouds Commission
Torgets Include
Honky Tonks Also
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star staff Correspondent

sion.
Joseph D. Buscher, special as
lsistant attorney general assigned
Ito the Roads Commission, said
to-day he is drafting three
separate bills for introducing
later this week.
He frankly admitted that the
agency would be happy to get
1.-TWO of them passed over the
stubborn opposition of farm in
lterests and the billboard lobby.
He said the two bills he felt
had the best chance of passage
would:
/. Prohibit all outdoor adver-
ltising within 500 feet of the
Iright-of-way of limited and con-
Itrolled access highways.
2. Authorize the State Roads
Commission, after proper hear
iings, to set up zones on all other
types of State highways within
which outdoor advertising would
be prohibited except for "for
sale" signs, signs which advertise
home grown produce and those
placed in front existing COM
Imercial establishments.
Other States Checked
Mr.. BuScher said the commits
sioners are currently inveStigat-
ing laws in other Eastern States
before he drafts the third bill,
which would be aimed at re-
Stricting and controlling road
side structures. In past sessions,
all of these features have been
incorporated in one bill, which
ha always met defeat.
| Mr.. Buscher said the roads
commission now has authority
to control roadsides by ease
ments, but has never used this
power extensively because it is
so expensive. The reasons that
billboardS are conspicuouSly alb
sent on a few big Maryland
roads, such as the John Hanson
highway and the Washington
National Pike. he said, is that the
outdoor advertising industry has
agreed to stay off these. high
ways.
Taxes To Be Proposed
Meanwhile, Senator Edward
Eorthrop, Democrat of Mont
gomery, said he will propose a
graduated income tax and a
capital gains tax as means of
raising revenue to balance the
State budget next fiscal year and
raise teacher salary minin1ums.
Senator Northrop is chairman
of a steering committee of
Senate DEMOCRATS assigned to
seek out the tax program re-
commend to the Democratic ma
jority in the upper chamber.
Maryland now taxes individual
income at fiat 2 per cent rate,
1t is one of three States in the
Nation not taxing capital gains,
Mr.. Northrop said.
The Montgomery Senator had
ready for introduction today a
bill to make it possible for the
Maryland Welfare Department
/ to qualify for $30,264 a month in
matching Federal funds for aid
ito dependent children. old age
assistance. assistance to needy
blind and aid to the disabled.
Holds Unique Status
He said Maryland is the only
State which does not auto
matically qualify for these funds.
appropriated by the 1856 Con-
greSS.
Set up for final passage in the
House today is the Montgomery
delegation bill to put the
county's elected school board on
a basis of four-year staggered
terms. All seven seats would be
UP for election in 1858, but three
would be selected for two-year
terms and four for four-year
terms.
The measure received voice
vote approval yesterday as the
House adopted the favorable re-
port Of the Montgomery delega-
ton committee.
Gov. McKeldin got back into
the argument about school,
teachers salaries by making
public a letter he wrote on JAN
luary 10 to DR.. Thomas G. Pull
len, jr., State superintendent Of
schools, after DR.. Pullen hac
sent him a copy of the bill in
Itroduced in this Legislature tc
raise State teachers salary mini
NUNS $500 across the board.
Hits at Tactics
The Republican Governor
who refused to put the higher
Iminimums in his proposed budg-
ct for next year, said in this let
ter:
Indeed, I feel that If a small
part of the energy in this field
which is concentrated in each
session of this Legislature were
spread over the year in the gov
ornamental seats of the civil d.
visions, much more could be &C.
complished in the improving Of
the salaries of teaching and SUI
Ipervisory personnel.
estate minimums are moi
meant to govern the total SAL
aries of teachers, Their salary
should be built from the founda
Itions of the minimums and those
civil division which are paying
from their own funds substan-
italy more than the State-pro-
Iyided bases are meeting theii
proper obligations"
Gov. McKeldin said he hac
nothing to do with the action Of
delegate Sam Culotta, Repub-
Ilican OF Baltimore, in introduc.
ing the teachers pay raise bill
Monday night. thus jumping the
glrl on the Democrats, who die
not ge. thelr nay raise measure
q, tha l,onner until Yesterday.