1B4 . . . R  
ANNAPOLIS, March 2ÛÓThe : House Appropriations Committee ,,!på£gan systematically slicing into ;$pv. Harry HughesÛª $6.4 billion budget today as part of a strategy to avoid the politically painful step of increasing taxes on property, ciga-hrettes and alcoholic beverages, as the rgovernor had proposed.</br></br>'il Speaker Benjamin L. Cardin said the cutsÛÓabout $24 million expected iri' voting sessions today and ThursdayÛÓare legitimate reductions that will not harm services, and will doom the need for HughesÛª tax initiatives. '>ÛÏOur objective in cuts is to do WhatÛªs right from the standpoint of legislative review and we have no objective in terms of dollars,Û Cardin said, adding, ÛÏIÛªm pretty optimistic that we can avoid [the taxes].Û</br></br>While Cardin maintained that the budget-cutting fervor is not solely to avoid tax increases. Appropriations Committee members were less insistent on that interpretation, with some singing, ÛÏtax avoidance, we got a little tax avoidance,Û as they convened for the budget cutting meeting.</br></br>Cut today were requests for travel allowances, secondary positions, operating funds for Washington Metro, funds for higher education, including $l(.!g million in merit increases for tjniversity of Maryland faculty merjibers, and veterans programs. Tftp more controversial cuts are exceed Thursday, when the committee considers funding for health and environmental programs, nuclear-.power-plant siting, open-space pre-</br></br>HughesÛª fiscal 1984 budget was submitted to the legislature last mont[i with $22 million in proposed ÛÏsin taxÛ increases on cigarettes, beer, wine and liquor and $16 million increase in the state property tax to offset a projected $133 million deficit.