Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1914-03-20
BROOKLYN MAY GET
THE WATER MAINS
Bill With Compulsory Provisions
Goes to Third Reading.
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.
Advocates Of This Measure Also Win
in Senate Light Street Bridge
Loan Seems Sure.

in Senate Light Street Bridge
Loan Seems Sure.
An effort was made in the Senate
yesterday afternoon to kill Senator
Watkius' bill to compel the Curtis
Bay Light, Power and Water Com
pany to extend its water mains into
the village of Brooklyn, but il tell
flat.
The measure came before the Sem
ate on its second reading, with an
amendment giving an extension Of
time to November l, for the com
pany to complete the work. Before
this amendment was adopted, how
ever, Senator Msloy, of Baltimore
city, endeavored ITO kill the bill by
moving to strike out the enscting
clause. He coneended that the PEN
atty clause for failure to comply with
the provision requiring the extension
which deprived the company Of its
charter, was unfair and unjust. But
when the question was called for, il
was not necessary to take roll call,
as the sole negative vote was that Of
Senator Maloy's.
The bill was then passed to its
third M aiding, and ii is believed il
will pass. This bill was introduced
following the opinion of the Court of
Appeals which held that the order OF
the Public Service Commission, pass
ed a year ago, to compel the company
to make The extension Of its water
mains, was unreas enable and unjust.
The action originated through a pc
tition of the Brooklyn Improvement
Company.
New bills introduced in the Legis-
lature yesterday included one by Chair
man Ste wart, of the Anne Arundel
delegation, providing for amending
the charter of the Anne Arundel Pro-
duce Exchange. II was referred to
the Corporations Committee
Delegate DuvalPs bill which regu-
lates sewer connections in villages Of
the county, was favorably reported
in the House and passed to it's third
reading.
New Road Bill.
Important changes In the State aid
system of road building known as
the Shoemaker law-are made in--s.
bill introduced in ths Senate by Presi-
dent Price. The measure increases
the amount to be paid to the several
counties by the State from 90 per
cent. of the whole cost to rs per
cent. imposes the local assessments
he tv - 10 az Al.
benefited inste ad on all the property
in the county, and allows five years
in which the assessments may be met
by the property owners-or payment
on the installment basis.
Licenses for Oyster Boats.
Senator Shepherd introduced bill
under which the license fee on oyeter
boats of less than four tens gross
measurement is fixed at a .miuimum
of sS. The existing law fixes the fee
at $2.S5 per ton. No change is made
by the Shepherd bill in the charges
on boats over four tons,
Both houses be Id lengthy sessions
today with the expectation Of taking
adjournment late this afternoon or to-
night until Monday. A plan was on
foot TO adjourn early this afternoon,
but this fell through. The House con
vened shortly after 10 o. clock and al
though the Senate was scheduled to
meet at noon, it was we'll after
o'clock before President Price raped
that body to order.
The various committees made re-
ports on numerous bills that had been
before them for some time, and In
addition number of bills on the third
reading file was disposed Of. Most Of
the business, howe yer, was of a rou-
tine nature.
For some time last night, the SEN
ate wrestled with the initiative and
referendum bill. of which Senator
Ogden, of Baltimore city, is the au-
nor, and after prolonged discussion,
the bill was finally passed to its third
reading.
The fight was one Of the warmest Of
| the session, and also one in which
mole feeling was shown than in any
fought during the session. TIE fight
began in the afternoon and continued,
with only an hours intermission, until
/ o'clock last night.
1t was battle royal between Sen
tor Ogden and Senator Benson. the
latter leading the forces opposing
the amendment. MIR. Ogden had pre-
pared his address with great care
and was at his best, as was also Sem
ator Benson, who had made up his
mind to fight to the last ditch. The
vote was on the amendment to strike
out the initiative feature Of the pro-
posed amendment to the Constitu-
tion. and resulted IL for and Il
against. So the bill went to the third