Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1914-01-22
ASSEMBLY TO HOLD
MEETING TOMORROW
Weekend Adjournment Not Taken
Today as Many Expected.
SEN. Watkins MOTHER I'LL.
Advised By Telephone, He Leaves for
Home at 0nce-ResOIutiOu on
Armor Pant.

Several measures of local interest
are now before the Assembly. In
the form of joint legislative resolu-
tion Senator Watkins, of Anne Arun.
del, yesterday asked that the Sena-
tors and Repres in Congress
from Maryland be asked to use all
honorable means to st cure the loca-
tion of the Armor Plate Plant in An
narolis.
The proposed resolution gives the
re asons for location here as follows:
Because of the location in Annapo-
lis of the Naval Academy and the op-
portunity of the students to study
the details Of the armor plate during
their novitiats. On account of the
location here of the Naval Post Grad
uate School.
Because the government owns land
at Greenberry Point, near Annapolis,
suitable as a site for tire plant and
because the water off Greenberry
Point is very deep.
Because the two railroads in Anna
polls would offer good facilities for
the bringing of materials to the plant
by rail, and lastly because the plant
hare could be under the constant eye
of the Navy Department.
One measure, if passed, would take
away from the informer or prosecut-
ing witness half of the fine imposed
when convictions result in local op-
tion or Sunday closing liquor law
.aaap Tho Hill rrox;Iae 1h.t ;..+ol
of the intormer getting the money it
shall go to the county school funds
During the crusade against violations
of the law in the Third and Fifth dis
tricts in the past year or two
smallsized harvest was reaped by
those who secured the evidence
against the violators. Senator Wat
kins is author of the bill.
The other two bills are designed to
cut expenses in the hearing of regis
trstion appeal cases. One fixes the
salary of the counsel to the Super.
visOrs and absolutely precludes his
getting any fees whatsoever, while
the other takes away the appe arance
fee of So in each case heretofore al
lowed counsel for voters who are sp-
pesling or defending an appeal from
the ruling of registration officers.
From these two source IS of accounts
against the county, nearly two thous-
and dollars was expended in the big
batch of registration cases heard in
the local court last fall.
The legislature now in eessioB
promises to be the most expensive in
the history of the State, not even ex.
cepting that of 1903. which up to
that time surpassed all previous rec
ords and which up to this time has
not been equaled. The appropriation
for the expenses of the two houses is
$3.50, 600. If the amount does not
climb TO $500, 600, the State IRE as
ury will be in luck.
The large increase in the cost of
the legislature will be due to two
causes. he first is the substitution
of the printing of all bills for en-
grossme ut, as required under the new
constitutional amendment. The total
bill for printing "extras" included,
will be in the neighborhood of $40,
600. 1t may be az high as $50, 600.
The additional cost as compared with
former sessions, will be about $50.
600. Even if the bill is as high as
$50, 900 it will be less than it was
thirty-fve years ago, when it was
$40, 900 annually.
Second. The large increase in the
number of employees in the Haus :.
This increase is from 81 in 1912 to
1T, with more yet TO come, not be-
cause more are needed, because the
fact will develop, as the business of
the House increases, that men now
on the payroll are not competent
Competent men will have to be en-
ployed.
1t is not the fault of Speaker
Trippe that the payroll of the House
.is beyond usual dime nsions. 1t is the
fault of the 79 Democratic members.
each of whom demanded and received
an appointment. The cause of this
abuse, of course, is charged to ma
chine politics. Some of it is machine
politics of the counties, but most, it
seems, is machine politics of Balti-
more city. John j. Mahon and John
S. (Prank) Kelly have been about the
State House at every stage of the
consideration of the appointment of
employees and in high glee.
In consequence the State House
lobby is fairly Uttered with their
henchmen. George Lewis, Robert
McGovern, the former red light dis
triet saloc nkeeper; Edward P. MUIR
ray, the track follower Roger O'Day,
on the psyrolls as Roger 0. Day, :"
another race track and sporting man
AL Of them are here, drawing s5 a
day from the State of Maryland and
loafiDg about the Senate and House
chambers.
And at the very moment appeals
from the school teachers Of the State
for better salaries are being met with
the statement that it is hard to see
how the State can afford it in its
present financial condition. Econ
omy. indeed, is the watchword when
ever proposals are made for modern
izing the educational system; for put
ting the Maryland Agricultural Col
lege OF it's feet, snd for caring for
the tubercular. the insane and the IN.