The citizen., 1914-03-20
ANNAPOLIS LETTER.
Annapolis. Md. March 10Th. 1917.

/
week. The oyster was administered a
| dose OF poison and the Cultivated oys-
! ter will soon be a thing of the past
! Hereafter the low browed oyster will APP
pear on our tables.
The Sun" publishes the following
dramatic recital of the arena scene:
Both the Senate and the House today
adopted the favorable reports of the
! Committee on the Chesapeake Bay and
| its Tributaries and on the Shepherd Bill,
! as amended, which emasculates the pres
ent Oyster Culture Law, and in both
bodies the bill was placed on the third
reading file and past the amendment
stage.
The issue in the Senate was deter
mined after five hours of debate, and the
substitute amendment was accepted by
the close vote of ID to IS, with every
Senator voting. The roll call showed
the following result on the motion to
adopt the Shepherd Bill:
This was the vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Price, Beck, Chesey.
Collier. Cooper, Duke, Harper, Harri-
son, Holmead Mlbourne, Mudd, Og.
den, Shepherd, Watkins.
| Nays-Archer, Benson, Campbell,
Curran, Emmert, Hammond Jones.
Maloy, Matthias, Snader, Speicher, Will
liams, Zihlman.
The House of Delegates took similar
action. BY vote of 50 to Al an amend
ment introduced by Speaker Trippe. pro-
viding that the whole question be re-
ferred back to the voters ior a settlement,
was killed. After that the pro-cultur
lists realized that they could do no more
for the present and gave up. The bill
was placed on the third reading file
without any further opposition.
Before The final showdown in the
House the Delegates and spectators
learned that the anti-culturists were de.
liberately proposing to enact a bill
which they frankly conceded to be value
less except as means Of slow death to
the oyster culture.
Delegate Dawkins. of Baltimore,
charged "Cy." Cummings, of Montgon
cry county, the leader of the anti-cult-
urists, with having made the positive
statement that the shepherd Bill is Just
as good as repeater, because it is really
slow death for oyster culture"
Trippe has earned a new honor. He
is credited with framing and introducing
the most satisfactory legislative measure
of this session. This is almost unani-
nous opinion. The Home Rule Bill for
the relief OF Baltimore and the counties,
as WELL is the most thoroughly con-
structive piece OF legislative work ac-
complished by anv member of either
house at Annapolis in many. many
years. 1t relieves the congestion Of work
at Annapolis, which is caused by intro.
ducing local and some times trivial mat
ters to the attention of both houses at
Annapolis. 1t does more than this. 1t
starts policy of local governung-ailow-
ing the counties and the City of Balti-
more TO do little independent legisla-
ton for the control of matters entirely
| local.
Nothing is too trivial for consideration
at Annapolis at the present time aud un-
der the present antiquated forms. All OF
the powerful machinery of legislation is
now put into operation for the passage
of a general law authorizing and empow-
ing some county official 10 restore less
than one dollar to some worthy citizen
when it has been enormously exacted
of him. Such measure is now passing
gracefully through the present session at
cost of nearly SIoo when it refunds only
"eightv-seven cents"
Active Democrats of the city are out
spoken In their approval OF the measure
Some have expressed a regret that its
benefits are to be so long deferred, as
the law provides a referendum vote.
making it operative after this vote is
taken.
1t is certainly in line with the progres
svc movement OF the age, and leaders do
we'll to give it approval.
In commenting on the bill, Colonel
| Hook said: $50 far as | have been able
to study the measure, it seems absolutely
satisfying. 1t meets the needs of the
hour, in a manner that reflects great
credit upon the author of the bill. 1t is
seldom that a measure receives the ap-
proval from all sections of the State as
this does. Heartily approve it,"
The growing sentiment in favor of a
popular mass primary election to deter
mine the nominee for the United States
Senator was clearly evidentin Annapolis
this week. Even the most rabid parti-
sans of Senator Smith are beginning TO
see the positive menace to the supremacy
of the Democratic party in this State
should this session fail to keep the
pledge of the platform to carry out the
spirit OF the Seventeenth Amendment to
the Federal Constitution. Many notable
accessions to the ranks of the ad-
vocates of the popular mass vote ap-
peared among the Legislators this week.
1t seems reasonably certain that mass
vote legislation will pass at this session.
The House of Delegates passed bill
appropriating $4,000 to be used in the
Banner Exposition to be held in Balti
more City, on September 9TH to 18th.
The bill ran the gauntlet OF amendments
under the direction of Secretary Robert
E. Lee, ably supported by Lloyd Will
kinson on The floor of the House of Del
egates. Representative Veasy, of Wor-
cester county, the author of the notorious
disfranchislng bill, interposed an amend
ment that was promptly voted down.
Representative Claggett, of Prince
Georges county, also submitted an
amendment that was treated with the
| sa,,e consideration Panrarantatiuar