Evening star., 1957-04-01
Southern Group
Plans Opposition
On House Floor
BY GENE GOODWIN

ANNAPOLIS. April 1.-South-
ern Maryland House members
voted, is to 3, today to make a
floor fight against a proposed
State cigarette tax Of 3 cents per
pack.
The Southern Marylanders,
who represent tobacco growing
constituencies. decided to OPP
pose the report of a Senate
House conference committee on
teachers pay raises.
The conference committee met
all week end and repeatedly
agreed to recommend the Scent
cigarette tax to finance a $400
increase in State teacher mini
nuns ncy Sep,e!nber. No tax
on cigars or other tobacco prod
ucts is recommended.
The three delegates in the
Southern Maryland meeting who
voted against opposing the con-
ference committee report were
all from Prince Georges-Carlton
r. Sickles. Hervey G. Machen
and Ernest A. Loveless, jr.
Wilkinson Is Chairman
Delegate Perry o. Wilkinson
Of Prince Georges, who was
chairman of the meeting and did
not vote, said Prince Georges
would get about $1.2 million in
additional State aid under the
teacher pay bill.
Montgomery's State aid would
increase by $1.3 million.
The Southern Maryland dele
gates, who hope to pick up sup
port from Baltimore City, which
already has local Scent ciga-
rette tax. emphasized that they
are not trying to kill the teachers
pay increase.
If they defeat the conference
committee report. they will move
for appointment of another con-
ference committee with the in
sistence that it include at least
one Southern Maryland delegate.
Senate Figure Increased
The Conference Committees
top plan is in effect, the Sem
ate's plan for a tax although it
was increased l cent per pack
to meet the larger spending pro-
posed in House plan. calling for
pay raises averaging S400 per
teacher. with higher raises for
principals and supervisors.
The Senate had contemplated
raising salaries only $3.50 per
person in the educational system.
To finance its original SOS
million plan. the House had pro-
posed increasing the State in
come tax from 2 per cent to 2la
per cent on ordinary income.
Agreement was reached be-
tween the two groups after AZ
hours of conference yesterday.
Last night they called in repre-
Sentatives of the attorney gen.
erals Office, the Budget Bureau,
the comptroller's Office the Bu-
reau Of Fiscal Research and the
Department of Legislature Ref
erence to work out details.
Prospects remained strong
that Gov. McKeldin might veto
all the Legislatures work on the
teachers pay bill. He has said
repeatedly that he considers the
problem one for counties and
Baltimore City and not for the
State government.
Transit Plan Dies
In another development Mayor
Thomas d'Alesandro's plan for
purchasing the Baltimore Transit
Co. died in the Senate today
when a majority of the city
Senators declined to hold fur
tner discussion on tne 1Our DllIS
involved.
Passage of the teacher pay
bill. Incorporating the tax meas
ure, was one of several major
issues confronting the Legisla-
ture in the final day of its 1857
session.
Others included:
Final action on three major
motor vehicle bills, including a
reregistration of drivers. point
system of traffic violations and
a proposal to lift the drivers
license Of persons caught speed
ing more than once.
Senate enactment of Gov. Nc
Keldin's $16.806,100 capital i'm
provementS program.