The department has been credited with bringing many new in-
dustries to Maryland. Perhaps the single most spectacular of its ac-
tivities was its sponsorship in 1960 of the Appalachian Conference
in Annapolis, out of which grew the vast multi-billion-dollar Fed-
eral program for the economic and social rehabilitation of the Ap-
palachian Region.

For the first time, also, the State acknowledged a responsibility for
the co-ordination of programs designed to improve the lot of elderly
citizens, and a new agency, the Commission on the Problems of the
Aging, was created to handle that responsibility.

The long-established programs of education, health, mental hy-
giene, welfare, correctional institutions, etc., were continued, but at
a greatly accelerated pace. Advances in public education were partic-
ularly noteworthy, with the State increasing in substantial amounts
its appropriations for school construction and school operation.

As was noted, Governor Tawes at his first inauguration envisoned
as his main task the operation of an expanding State government,
capable of supplying the pressing needs of a growing, dynamic State,
and preserving at the same time a sound and stable financial struc-
ture.

The "financial integrity" of which he spoke in that first message
to the people was indeed maintained, and the Governor was able to
meet the manifold demands for additional services, with correspond-
ingly heavy annual increases in budgets, without increasing general-
fund taxes for State purposes. In fact, the only change at all in the
tax structure that occurred during these first four years was an ad-
justment in the sales tax base, and all the additional money derived
therefrom went for the relief of the hard-pressed counties, cities and
towns of the State.

In 1962, with his first term approaching an end, Governor Tawes
campaigned for re-election on his record, citing these and other ac-
complishments of his Administration during this four-year period.
He won handily in the primary and the general election, and in
January, 1963, began his second term.

Governor Tawes spoke frequently and on a great variety of sub-
jects during the period, averaging a little more than three speeches a
week. Many of these are included in this first volume of his collected
speeches and papers.

ODELL M. SMITH
Annapolis, Maryland
January 1, 1967

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