Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-30
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star STAFF Correspondent


ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 80. = A
three-pronged attack on road
side billboards and honky tonks
will be launched here this week
by the Maryland Roads Commits
sion.
Joseph D. Buscher, special as
sistant attorney general assigned
to the Roads Commission, said
today he is drafting three
separate bills for introducing
later this week.
He frankly admitted that the
agency would be happy to get
two Of them passed over the
stubborn opposition of farm in
terests and the billboard lobby.
He said the two bills he felt
had the best chance of passage
would:
/. Prohibit all outdoor adver-
Using within 500 feet of the
right-of -way Of limited and con-
trolled access highways.
2. Authorize the State Roads
Commission. after proper hear
ings, 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 Of existing COM
mercial establishments.
Other States Checked
Mr.. Buscher said the commits
sioners are currently Investigate
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
has 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
Northrop. 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 minimums.
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 per cent rate.
It is one of three States in the
Nation not taxing capital gains,
Mr.. Northrop said
The Montgomery Senator had
ready for introduction today
bill to make it possible for the
Maryland Welfare Department
to qualify for S30,264 a month in
matching Federal funds for aid
to 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
Uary l3 to DR.. Thomas G.. Pull
len, ir., State superintendent Of
schools, after d. Pullen had
sent him copy Of the bill in-
troduced In this Legislature TO
raise State teachers salary mini
NUNS $500 across the board.
Hits at Tactics
Tile Republican Governor
VINO refused to put tie higher
minimpms in mis- proposed budg-