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; I . . . . I i , . , . I , , . - ■i . . ; , , i j ALAS, POOR OLD MARYLAND Another Racing Bill Before They Kill the Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs. BALTIMORE. Md. Mar.h 9. Then is talk that another racing toil may be iutfKluced iu the assembly. This bill, according to the report. i designed for the well known parpane of making hay while the sun shines, or of extracting the golden eggs while the goose j- et alive by assessing the four one-mile race tracks slo.pon a day instead of ,090 for each day of racing in Cue spring. If the Hall anti-gambling bill passes it would take effect June 1 and consequently the tracks as revenue pro- diners for the state would not be available after this spring. Accordingly it might be desirable to get all the tariff possible while the tariff is pel iu existence. On the other hand some of those who have dis cussed the reported measure indicate that its real purpose is to weaken the position of Njc Hall bill. which has already passed the house by dangling the hire of so much easy revenue before the legislalors. P.e-ides tin- Hall bill there is pending a measure which would tax the tracks 9. KM a day for each racing day iu lieu of the per diem and the IS per .cut tax on net revenue of the tracks. As the legislative session epeesh on to its close more ominous becomes the budget bill as a source of trouble, which may get the legislators into more of a jam than the auti-saloou league and its enforce it bill has done. As for racing and the Hall anti-gambling bill they are part and parcel of the budget situation. Instead of meeting jointly, a- they did when the leorganizatton bill was under consideration, the house ways and means committee ami the senate finance committee are meeting imleiieudeutly to consider the budget and thtl independence of action ■fare eettw in the la-t analysis must be identical with both branches of the n-scmbly. is one of the things which would appear to be making for trouble. Further legislation i* also put forth which may be taken for what it is worth. This legislation is roughly as follows: That there are influential interests in the senate. and for that matter on tile financial committee, who do not wish ta assi-t at any e.positioii of wholesale budget paring because. jt js said, such a demonstration might indicate rather too plainly that the race tracks, wttk their the ejaarteea of a million dollars annual revenue to the state. .arc not eeeeaUal to the financial integrity of the cominoiiwciath. ♦ ♦
