Evening star., 1961-04-03

he puSneQ through a new
program of financial help to
Other MoYIond Legislative Stories.
Pages BE- and B-3
the counties and Baltimore, but
in so doing he had to reach
into the taxpayers pocket
with expansion of the sales tax
and an increase in the Gig
arctic tax.
The sales tax base was
dropped to items costing Is
cents and extended to cover
restaurant meals of 81 or more.
There was considerable oppo-
sition from members Of the
Governors own party, who said
broadening the sales tax would
be a political liability in 1862.
Tobacco Counties Protest
Southern Maryland tobacco
growing counties and some Of
the other small counties bitter
ly protested doubling the g.
cent-a-pack tax on cigarettes,
but to no avail. The Governor
can hardly afford to ALLEVIATE
his small-county support at a
time when the big counties are
not convinced he did all he
could in the unsuccessful fight
for reapportionment of Gen.
eral Assembly seats.
The biggest single accom-
pliShment of the 1861 Legisla-
ture, which closed up shop just
before midnight Saturday, was
the enactment of legislation to
regulate the savings and loan
industry.
But the bitter fight over the
savings and loan legislation left
scars on Democrats and gave
Republicans plenty of cam
paign ammunition.
The Governor was embar-
raSSed-although he did not
say anything publicly - when
House Democratic Floor Leader
A. Gordon Boone became en-
broiled in conflict-of- interest
situations which received wide
spread publicity.
Mr.. Boone was one Of the
three Baltimore County legis-
lators who were officers and
directors of a savings and loan
deposit insurance company
which figured in a legislative
battle. A bill curbing activities
of the firm finally was enacted.
It was also disclosed that Mr..
Boone owned considerable stock
in Baltimore Raceway and CO.,
sponsored a bill which would
have benefited the track. The
bill died, along with several
other pieces of racing legisla-
tion.
Mr.. Boone also was head of
the House Ways and Means
Committee, which performed
surgery on the Case bill
to regulate savings and loan
associations-a bill on which
the Governor originally had
placed a "hands-off" tag.
Enactment of the bill, which
gives Maryland its first regula-
tion of the savings and loan
industry, was the brightest spot
of the 90-day session. The
State had been described as
the Reno" of the savings and
loan industry and the mecca
of fly-by-night operators.
Wins on RediStricting
The Governor pulled out all
stops to push through his con-
redistricting plan. It
was a plan which won favor
with incumbent Democratic
Representatives - none of
whom were displaced-but it
was far from satisfactory to
many areas of the State.
The redistricting plan, which
put Prince Georges and Howard
Counties together in a new dis
trict, divided the big 5th dis
trict of Southern Maryland but
did nothing with the other dis:
tricts. It left two, the I'd and
9th, with populations twice as
great as some of the smaller
ones.
The Governors most sting
ing defeat came on his plan
for converting Frostburg
Teachers College into a branch
Of the University of Maryland.
1t would have been the first
step in general conversion of
the teachers college to uni
VerSity branches and was Wig
orously opposed by the State
Board of Education, the State
superintendent of schools, the
PTA and the teachers associa-
ton.
Reapportionment of the seats
in the General Assembly, to
give the big suburban counties
more representation, was a
major part of the Governors
legislative program. Rural
legislators, led by the
Governors fellow Eastern
Shoremen, beat down reap
portionment again as they have
done many times in the past.
The General Assembly re-
ieatod 1n1jeIaf;ox, - IL H.