Middletown transcript., 1916-04-08

out the intent of the Home Rul
amendment to the State Constitution
was not acted upon in the House.
The bill was drawn by Attorney
General Richie and, if it had been en-
acted would have made sweeping an,
fundamental changes in the govern
ments of the counties, or at leas
would have made such changes prac
ticable.
Loan Goes Through.
The 100000 loan for roads, bridge
armories and buildings at the Mary
land Agricultural College and the
Frostburg State Normal School went
through the House by an overwhelm-
ing vote. 1t has passed the Senate
under a suspension of rules few days
ago.
There had been talk that this bill
would be fought hard by the members
of the city delegation and some others.
Mr.. Lee, Mr.. White and some others
did make bitter attacks upon the un-
fair treatment accorded, but there was
no concerted fight by the city men.
The Legal Department Bill Passes.
Attorney-General Ritchie's bill to
abolish the several State departments
and to create a State legal department
was passed by the House. The Sen
ate had already passed it. Under the
terms of the bill all Of the depart
mental counsel will be abolished ex-
cept the general counsel and the peo-
: ple's counsel to the Public Service
Commission. Mr.. Ritchie as head of
the new department, will receive a
salary Of $1,000 a year, and will have
three assistants at s2,5O0 a year each.
The House also passed the bill re-
ducing the paid membership of the
State Roads Commission from six to
three. The chairman of the commits
sion will receive $2,5O0 a year, and
the commissioners $4,000 a year each,
as at present One of the commission
ers will be a member of the minority
party.
For Prison Control.
The Prison Control Board bill,
which, like the Roads Commission bill,
passed the Senate some time past, but
had been delayed in the House, passed
the latter branch without difficulty
This bill creates board of penal con-
troll, to be composed of three men at
$1,000 each, and gives it charge of the
management of the penitentiary and
the House of Correction, in place of
the board of directors, which now
govern those institutions. The bill
also carried provisions opening the
way to abolition of the contract labor |
system and to the establishment of |
other modern penal reforms.
Consolidating Offices.
After some little delay, the Senate
passed the bill introduced by Mr.
White, of Baltimore city, creating the
Bureau Of Statistics and Information,
and placing it under the control of a
chairman at $4,000, and two advisory
Commissioners at $500 each. This
bill was introduced in the House and
passed there about 10 days ago.
The new bureau will take over the
work Of the Bureau of Statistics and
the Ten-Hour Law
Bureau, the Boiler Inspectors and the
Mine Inspector for Allegany and Gar
rett counties. A companion measure
abolishes outright the State Bureau of
which has been costing
the State $4,000 a year and yielding
no results worth mentioning.
Pretty Good After All.
The passage of the above measures,
with the passage of the bill submitting
% the people the budget amendment {
% the State Constitution and the pass
age of the bill abolishing all "contiru-
ng" appropriations, constitute pretty c
strong accomplishment looking toward
and efficiency. If the work
which has been done toward a
lbolishing useless departments and
overlapping ones is fol-
owed by a careful survey of the rou- il
inc business Of all the departments d
ooking to the elimination of waste,
he State of Maryland will find its pub
ic service conducted at a much d
heaper figure and with much greater s.
hciency.
Ending In Same Old Way.
The work of the Legislature in its
ast hours, while it was grinding out =
lany acts, including the important
nes named above, was characteristic
all last hours. Bills were rushed =
trough in rapid-f1re order, with mem =
ers lolling in their seats and ap-
arently no one paying the slightest :,
ttention. 1t was the old, old spec -,
lcle Of WEAKNESS and indifference.
zcept upon the part of the few men
no were interested vitality in one T.
ling or another. They passed the ~ .,
lis.
Chicle is obtained by tapping the III