Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04
AFFAIRS TN MARYLAND
c. AND o. CANAL INQUIRY NOW
VERY LIKELY.
sreclal Correspondence Of The Star.

Within week it is expected that another
| legislative investigation will be under way,
| the joint resolution to probe the sale of
| the Chesapeake and Ohio canal having
| passed the house and favorable action be-
/ ing almost certain in the senate Ever
| since the sale of the states interest in the
waterway, there have been hints of a se-
| cret agreement between the board of pub
] lie works and the Western Maryland rail-
| road, which acquired the states interest for
Sloo,o00. The resolution as passed by the
| house is as follows:
/ Whereas the executive in his message
| to the general assembly reporting the sale
OF the states interest on the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal to F. s. Landstreet. rep
resenting the Western Maryland railroad.
| for S155.o00, and
| Whereas during the administration of
| the late Lloyd Lowndes a bid of Si50,0O0
was rejected by the board of public works
| as being inadequate. and
| Whereas. since the sale of the states in
| lerest TO Mr. Iandstreet 1t is reported that
| portions of the said canal property have
| beer sold for more than 100000 and
| Whereas 1t Is also currently reported
| that the said bid of $155 600 was made by
| reason of an agreement between all of the
| parties desiring to obtain possession of the
states interest in said canal not to bid
| against each other. therefore be it
| Resolved by the general assembly of Mary
| land, That joint committee of both houses
| be appointed by the respective presiding
| officers of the two houses to consist of five
| members of the house of delegates and
| three members of the senate. for the pur-
pose of inquiring into all the facts and
| circumstances surrounding the bids for and
| the sale of the interest of the state in the
| Chesapeake and Ohio canal
Powers of Committee.
| The resolution confers upon the investi-
| eating committee power to send for and
| compel the attendance and examination.
| under oath. of all officials and other PERSONS
| to send for and compel the production of
| all papers, accounts, books and records;
! to employ counsel, accountants, auditors
| and property experts; to meet openly or in
| executive session and at such times and
| places as II may elect, and to exercise all
| powers. prerogatives and authority which
| the legislature itself could exercise in re-
| spect to the invests ga ton.
member of the board of public works.
stated to The Star correspondent today
| that he had objection to an inveStiGa-
ton He said that the sum received by
/ the state ($1l5,000 was only a small part
| of the compensation received indirectly by
| the state. There were labor claims upon
| the property, he said, prior to those of the
| state. These claims amounted to about
! $1;40000o, which We're paid by the Western
| Maryland Railroad Company before it came
| into possession of the property. This Of
| fetal further stated that he would not have
| consented to a sale of the waterway except
| as an aid to competing railroad COM
| pany between Baltimore and the coal re-
| gion of Maryland.
The offer of $4,000 for the canal prop
| erty made by the Consolidation Coal
! Company during Governor Lowndes term,
and it was then proposed to maintain the
| canal as waterway, thus shutting off the
| possibility of competition.
As to Oyster Laws.
| The oyster bills, which have been SUM
bering peacefully In committee will be
| 49, u,,,a
! ing been made the special order for 1
| o'clock. Special efforts have been made
| during the past few days to get the war
| efforts have been successful will be demon
| strated next week If no agreement is
reached, certain it is that the oyster ques-
| ton in the legislative halls will be a broil-
| ing one when The rival measures make their
! appearance in the amendable stage. And
| certain it is that unless the warning ele-
| ments get together there will be no ration
| al oyster law passed this session.
Another measure which is having a rocky
road to travel is the corporations bill, and
| the prospects for it's passage cannot be
called bright at this time In the first place
| the bill takes away from the legislature
| some of those charter granting powers
| which have at time been profitable to the
| members of the. lobby The corporations
| bill presents probably the most complex
question before the Legislature, and it now
seems likely that the apparent slight dis
position to allow the report to go over for
| action by the rext legislature will grow
| until it becomes formidable enough to block
! the passage of the bill.
1t is expected that the ways and means
| committee will next week make a report on
| the bill introduced by Delegate Hill of
| Prince George county, providing an appro-
| priation for boulevard between Washing
| ton and Baltimore. A delegation appeared
| before the committee this week and urged
| a favorable report. 1t was set forth by
| the delegation that only twenty-eight miles
of the proposed boulevard remain to be
| constructed, portions having been already
t, The fact was also brought out that
| the proposed route is comparatively level
and will require but little grading work.
Labor Exclusion Bill.
There is general impression here that
| the Dawkns labor exclusion bill will be I'M
| fav0rably reported to the senate on We'd
nesday next. This bill provides that only
registered voters in the state of Maryland
shall be employed on municipal work IN con-
nection with the construction of the sew
| erage system. building of docks and inn
| provement of streets; and It aroused the
| hostility of all the trade commercial mer-
| camille and financial organizations in the
| city. A delegation of several hundred bust
ness men, representing millions of invested
! capital in enterprises here. appeared before
| the senate committee this week and urged
that an unfaVorable report be made. q
| strong delegation from the federation of
labor was also given hearing, and urged
| a favorable report on the bill
| On next Wednesday afternoon the new
| primary election law for Baltimore which
| was favorably reported with an amendment
| striking out the section providing for the
| Crawford county system of voting, will be
| taken up in the senate The bill substi-
| trtes the direct vote of the people for the
| present convention system, and fixes the
| first Tuesday in April as the date for all
| primaries. Senator Linthicum. who intro
| duced the measure. will make a strong
! fight against the change made in the bill,
! and a lively struggle the floor is antici-
pated.
| A corrupt practices bill has been intro
| duced by Senator Perkins of Baltimore. II
| is designed to prevent any semblance of
| corruption at primaries at other cleo
| tions. Under the provision of the bill all
| candidates for office in the state must,
| within thirty days after the election. file
| with the clerk of the circuit court a state
| ment of all moneys expended by them dur
| Ing their campaign. 1t is also made uulaw-
| full for any corporation under the laws Of
| this state or doing business in the state, to
| pay out any moneys to secure or aid In
| securing the nomination election of any
| person running for public office. 1t is the
| general impression that this bill will be
| found in a committee pigeon hole at the
close of the session
L