Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-25
GIVES COINTY'S SIDE
ON annexation PLAN
Telling arguments Delivered Be-
fore Judiciary Committee
BILL SOON TO BE REPORTED
Senator Duyali. James NJ. MunrOe and
Former Attorney-GeneraI Straus
Among Speakers.

court decisions played the most i'm
portant part in the hearing yesterday
afternoon by the House Judiciary
Committee on the pending City Ex-
tension Bill prepared by the Non
PARTISAN Greater Baltimore City Ex-
tension League The hearing was ar
ranged for the representatives for
Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City
and County having already been
heard When Anne Arundel County's
representatives had been heard City
Solicitor S. S. Field, OF Baltimore,
was heard in rebuttal OF the argu-
ments advanced by lawyers repre-
senting Anne Arundel and Baltimore
Counties Mr. Field was pitted alone
against S. A. Williams, Of Hartford
County, former Attorney General
Isaac Lobe Straus. James NJ. Munroe,
Of the Annapolis Bar; and Cadwalla-
der ]. Collins. a Norfolk lawyer. who
is counsel for guano company.
whose plant is at Curtis Bay. c. VIII
bur Miller, president Of the Dawson
Chemical Company, Of Curtis Bay, adj
dressed the committee as a business
man, he said, in opposition to annexa-
ton.
With completion OF Mr.. Fields
argument the hearing on annexation
ended The judiciary Committee will
report the bin favorably today, it is
expected, and it will then begin its
journey through the Legislature
Tho rff,cr fhooa,a ff,n
entation of big batch of protests
against annexation, signed by resi-
dents of that section Of the county
proposed to be annexed, by President
Walton, Of the Board OF County Com
missioners Delegate Ridgely P. Mel
vim, Of Anne Arundel, presided and in
troduced the several speakers.
Mr.. MunrOe's Address.
Mr.. Munroe said. This attempted
autocratic action on the part of Bal
timore to seize our territory without
consulting the people most affected
lis more characteristic of the Kaiser
ethan OF Baltimore. City AS a lawyer
I am willing to risk my reputation
on the view which the Court OF Ap-
peals would take on the annexation
Of a-section of Anne Arundel County
without referendum. Baltimore City
wants its suburbs annexed in order
to have those suburbs help pay its
debts"
Cadwallader j. Collins said that in
dustrial plants, and especially guano
plants, cannot. for obvious reasons,
operate in cities because of restric-
tions against smoke, odors, etc.
Mr. Williams expressed the legal
opinion that annexation of its sub
urbs by Baltimore without a refer
endum would be invalid. Mr. Will
Jams read the clause from the State
Constitution in reference TO a refer
endum. He said that the referendum
was employed at the annexation cleo
ton in 1883.
Mr. Williams was asked as to the
obligations of members Of the Legis-
lature who were elected on a distinct
promise in their party platform. 8Ir.
Williams said that the observance of
this obligation rested with the con-
science Of members thus elected If,
however added Mr. Williams, any
member became convinced, after Civ
ing his promise, that the measure to
which he had pledged himself is nn-
constitutional he should obey the Con-
stftution, irrespective of party pledges.
Mr. StTaus declared that annexa-
ton without referendum is uncon-
stitutional in so far as it applies TO
annexation of a section Of Baltimore
County, and .dpubly unconstitutional"
as far as Anne Arundel County is con-
cerned, since. he said, there is no ter
ritorial connection between the city
and tire latter county IF you can
pursue this policy of annexation with
out a referendum" continued Mr.
Straus. what would prevent Balti-
more City, by act of the legislature
from annexing the whole State? How
can a court decide. question which
was not before it?"
The hearing closed with an impas-
stoned argument by Senator Duvall
who said Mr.. Field was the power be-
hind the throne and was trying to get
Anne Arundel County to pay for the
improvement in Baltimore harbor and
pay for that fund Of $4,000 being used