itan Regional Council, the National Capital Regional Planning
Council and special groups operating in the fields of mass transpor-
tation and river pollution....

I made reference earlier to responsibilities of the State, and for
the remainder of this talk I should like to discuss with you briefly
some of the things we have done within the last year that I believe
will prove of great benefit to Prince Georges County and the com-
munities which comprise it. First of all, we have reorganized and
revitalized the State Planning Department, creating an agency which
will have the equipment and the capacity to assist local governments
in their programs of planning. The Department has set up a special
section for local and regional aid and stimulation to local subdivi-
sions interested in planning.

Then, we have set up a new agency of government—the Depart-
ment of Economic Development—to assist all areas of the State in im-
proving their economic condition by fostering new and expanded
industry. Industry is the principal source of our country's great power
and wealth. It is also a primary source of revenue, and it is very
difficult for a county or a municipality to defray their costs of oper-
ation without some income from industry. The Department of Eco-
nomic Development will be able to help you in creating the kind of
balanced economy that is needed for the progressive development of
your area.

Finally, there is the problem of local revenues, and I am aware
that the counties and cities of the State are finding it increasingly
hard to meet their financial obligations. In suburban areas such as
this in particular, local government finances are pushed to their lim-
its by the ever-growing demands for schools, roads, water supply,
waste disposal and police and fire protection. The tax on property
is your main source of revenue, and it is an acknowledged fact
that the property tax, unless it is pushed to confiscatory limits, will
not support the governmental services your local governments are
called upon to provide. What then? Well, the counties and cities
can demand a greater share of the revenues the State collects, or
they can ask that the State broaden their taxing authority so they
can collect the needed revenues for their own people....

The distribution of State funds to the political subdivision has
increased at a spectacular rate during the past several years. For
example, in 1948 the State allotted from its treasury $8 million to
the subdivisions. In this year's budget, the figure is $242 million.

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