Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-04-04
Maryland Legislature.


The regular session Of the Maryland Leg
islature expired by limitation on Monday
night last. The closing hours, as usual,
were full of excitement and confusion, and
a number of important laws failed OF pas
sage in the general scramble. The follow
Ing local laws for this county were passed
and are now In the hands of the Governor
To amend the charter and provide for as
sessments and taxation in the town of Gar
rett Park.
Repeating the 30.foot road law in this
county.
To erect a new school house for white
children in Kensington.
To amend the game laws in this county.
To amend the law as to the Sheriff of this
county.
To authorize the town of Takoma Park
TO borrow a sum of money.
To amend the charter of the town of Ken
sington.
The most interesting contest of the session
was that waged over the Haman oyster bill.
This important measure went into the Leg
islature with scarcely an advocate. At the
close 1t was defeated by a remarkably close
vote.
The Shepherd oyster bill, which was de.
feated by Senator Applegrath on the last
night of the session, was an administration
measure, as it virtually embodied the rec.
concentrations upon the subject contained
in the Governors message.
There were many school bills introduced,
but only two passed. The principal one was
that of Senator Moore providing a small
pension for infrm teachers who had spent
% years in teaching in the public schools
The other school bill that passed is that of
Mr.. Brewington appropriating $500 to COM
pile the population OF school age from the
State census in order to insure more equi.
table distribution of the school fund.
The main political legislation consists in
the two redistricting bills, the Primary Elec-
ton law and the amendments to the Gen.
eral Election law. The Primary Election
law appears to be about as fair one as can
be we'll framed. 1t applies only to Balti-
more city and is not well adapted to rural
communities, where, as a rule, the urgency
for law Of the kind is not so great.
The main features in the changes in the
General Election law are the following
Requiring a uniform ballot in specified
plain type, with the party designations in a
cOlunD on that thay cannot ha rnp into tho
name and thereby confuse the voter. An
other feature is that requiring persons com
ing into the State TO become citizens to reg
lister that intention in the clerks office One
year after registration the right to vote can
accrue. This registration is made without
cost to the voter. 1t is designed to stop
negroes who are brought into the State by
contractors on temporary work from voting,
and it is expected that it will keep great
many Washington negroes away from the
polls.
Considerable excitement was occasioned
about the State offices at Annapolis Tues
day night when it was discovered that the
House adjourned without passing the bill
providing for the levying of the State tax
and fixing the various items for which the
State tax is levied.
AS matters now stand it is said that there
is no authority for collecting the State tax
of III cents on the 800 worth of property
for the years 1902 and 1903.
The Act of 1900 repeats section 80 of Ar
tice 81 of the code and re enacts it with
fixing the items for the years
1900 and 1901, but for no other years.
1t is the generally expressed opinion that
the failure of the House in this instance
will necessitate and extra session.
The bill fixing the amount of the items
and providing for the tax was introduced by
Senator Jones, of this county, and passed
the Senate on March II. 1t then went to the
House, where it was given its first and sec
ond readings, and was ordered engrossed.
1t was put on the third reading file March
25, and there it stayed.