NEWS CONFERENCE 251

succeed on referendum, because I think the people realize that the
law that was passed was a reasonable attempt to achieve through the
encouragement of good legislation a result that we all know is salutary
to the general public.

Q. Governor, on another topic, have you gone any further in your
search for a national candidate to back?

A. I have been so busy with local matters recently that I haven't
done anything in the line of the national picture since our last con-
versation.

Q. Let me return to the tax question for a moment, Governor. In
your own mind, as a lawyer and as Governor of the State, are you ab-
solutely certain that the tax law is constitutional?

A. Certainly not. A lawyer on a tax question is never absolutely cer-
tain of anything until the highest courts have passed their final judg-
ment. But I do think that these matters were brought to the attention
of the people involved during the evolution of the tax bill, and we
did have some of the finest tax and legal minds in the State concerned
with the drafting of this bill. Therefore, I would guess that the prob-
abilities are that the law should stand up. This doesn't mean that I'm
making a forecast that it couldn't fall down in one respect or another.
Laws are declared unconstitutional fairly frequently. But I don't think
in any substantial respect this law is unconstitutional.

Q. Governor, do you have anything further to report on the Com-
missioner of Correction?

A. I am completing my interviews for the correctional head this week
and would hope to reach a very early decision, because I think it's
most important for the State that we designate the chief of corrections
so that he can begin to put together his procedures and move along
with the current investigations into the penal institutions so that he
can become fully informed about the problems that he faces.

Q. Have you had your interviews yet, Governor?

A. I'm interviewing people this week. I haven't finished my inter-
views yet.

Q. Governor, yesterday you met with Mr. Moylan, the State's At-
torney of Baltimore City, about what he termed the major crime prob-
lem in Baltimore City. Could you give us some information about
what you talked about, and what you hope to achieve by working to-
gether with him?