826 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

A. Well, first of all let me emphatically state that I hope that a tax
increase is not going to become necessary in the sense of any major
type. I think that the income tax is going to prove a much more profit-
able source of income than has been indicated in the past and I am
still hopeful that by the end of next week we are going to begin to
receive increasingly encouraging signs that we have more money than
we thought we did. If we do have to, through a failure of revenue
resources, go to some other type of taxation I don't think it will be
a formidable increase. I do think that the sales tax may have some
utility in a minor need to raise additional revenue or possibly in a
selective application for the support of some needed facility. I refer
now to the suggestions that the sales tax be used for financing the
capital investment in mass transit. I don't, under any circumstances,
approve of the idea of using the sales tax on a Statewide basis to fi-
nance a metropolitan transportation system in either Baltimore or
Washington. I think that those systems must essentially be paid for,
if they are paid by sales taxes, from limited sales taxes empowered by
the Legislature and imposed by the local governments who are operat-
ing through the authority and sharing the benefits of the system. In
short, what I am saying is if the sales tax is used for die purpose of
metropolitan transit, it should be a locally imposed sales tax. Presently
there is no authority to impose it and of course the Legislature would
have to give that authority. But I don't think the citizens of the
Eastern Shore, Western Maryland and Southern Maryland who have
no use from the metropolitan transit facility should pay for its sup-
port.

Q. I am still not straight. If we need more general funds next year,
would you favor making an alteration of the income tax structure
that would bring in more revenue or a sales tax increase Statewide?

A. I can't answer that at this point. I don't know what we would
turn to. It would depend upon the amount of revenue needed.

(National Politics)

Q. Governor, have you had any significant conversations about being
a Vice Presidential candidate?

A. No, I haven't had any conversations about being a Vice Presi-
dential candidate. In my several conversations with Mr. Nixon the
subject has never arisen.

(Second Term)

Q. Governor, if you should not become a Vice Presidential candidate
or President, are you thinking at all about whether you would run for
a second term?