1178 ARTICLE 89B.

rates of charges for such use, provided, however, that any such contract
for the use of said bridge for such purpose or purposes shall in every case
provide for adequate compensation to said company, its successors and
assigns. The rates of tolls and charges so fixed shall be the legal rates,
unless and until changed by order of the Public Service Commission, as
may be authorized by law.

1931. ch. 539, sec. 49.

49. No person, partnership, association or corporation, private or
public, shall be authorized to, and it shall be unlawful for any person,
partnership, association or corporation, private or public, to construct or
operate any bridge over the waters of the Chesapeak Bay at a distance
less than ten miles from the bridge to be erected in pursuance of this sub-
title, except such other bridge be erected after the acquisition by the State
of the bridge to be erected, pursuant hereto, and with the consent of the
General Assembly.

1931. ch. 539, sec. 50.

50. A franchise tax is hereby levied annually upon the gross receipts
of said Company, its successors and assigns, derived from the tolls and
all other revenues from the said bridge, such tax being as follows, to wit:
two and one-half per cent, of so much of such gross receipts as shall be not
in excess of five hundred thousand dollars ($500, 000) in any one year, and
in addition thereto three and one-half per cent, of so much of such gross
receipts as shall be in excess of five hundred thousand dollars ($500, 000)
and not in excess of one million dollars ($1, 000, 000) for such year, and
in addition thereto five and one-half per cent, of so much of such gross
receipts as shall be in excess of one million dollars ($1, 000, 000); and
that for the purpose of determining said tax, said Company, its lessees, its
successors and assigns, and any purchaser thereof, shall make the appro-
priate reports, and be subject to the appropriate penalties provided in
Sections 172 to 191, inclusive, of Article 81 of the Code of Public General
Laws of this State, and of said tax one-half of one per cent, of such gross
receipts, as above specified, shall be payable to the Treasurer of the
State, and the remainder thereof shall be payable one-half to the Treasurer
of Baltimore County and one-half to the Treasurer of Kent County, and
it shall be the duty of the State Tax Commission, when it has ascertained
and fixed the amount of such tax, to certify to the Comptroller of the
Treasury, and to the Treasurer of Baltimore County and to the Treasurer
of Kent County, and to the said Chesapeake Bay Bridge Company, the
amount of such tax due to the said State of Maryland and to said respec-
tive counties, and thereupon said tax shall be collectible by the Treasurer
of the State of Maryland and by the respective Treasurers of said respec-
tive counties, as other county and State taxes due from corporations are
collected.

Provided, however, that the franchise tax herein made payable to the
State of Maryland and to Baltimore County and to Kent County shall