NEWS CONFERENCE 575

begins to become reflected in future revenue estimates, will meet the
needs of the State in the future.

Right now we are in a very unusual position. We don't know
exactly what this tax is going to produce. We must rely on the cur-
rent revenue estimates which are rather discouraging due to a 12
million dollar deficiency in the sales tax, which incidentally is not a
Maryland problem but a nationwide problem due to the decline in
construction starts. And we cannot do anything other than pull in
our belts and cut our budgets back at the present time.

We feel that the more recent revenue estimates that will be avail-
able in the near future, possibly in January or February, may show a
better picture. If this is true and we have additional revenue, some of
the vital cuts that have been made in important programs such as
the University of Maryland and mental health and other very vital
things will be restored by way of supplemental budget. Right now we
can't do any more than cut them based on information we have. But
there will be no — and I repeat no — major revision of the sales tax
in the foreseeable future or the individual income tax. I did men-
tion that in the event of a grave crisis, that may occur in two years or
better, we may have to look at the sales tax again. There is no study
under way, however, and this won't be done unless something very
extreme results. We don't anticipate that's going to happen.

Questions and Answers

Q. Governor, along the line of spending, I understand the Conven-
tion Committee on the Judiciary and perhaps some of the other lead-
ers hope to have the new unified State Court system in operation on
July 1st. Could you favor an appropriation for this purpose in the
1968 Legislature even though the people will not have voted on the
Constitution until after that's over?

A. I'm of the viewpoint that we should not rush to implement these
things unless we are certain that they are going to be adopted, par-
ticularly since we face such a bleak revenue picture at the moment.
Regardless of how optimistic anyone might become about future
revenue estimates, I don't feel we should go ahead and make arrange-
ments to spend money until we're certain it's there. I think these re-
forms must of necessity wait beyond the period you mentioned.

Q. Governor, you mentioned the University of Maryland, which is
a matter of public record and Mental Health, which is not. What
other areas have substantial cuts been made in, or are being made
right now?