Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-10
LEGISLATORS CONFER
ON THE BUDGET BILL
Senate And House Hold Joint
Meeting This Afternoon
ANNEXATION FIGHT Is ON
Ants Lose First Test b. Failure 70
Get Two Members Instead Of
One On Committee

Get Two Members Instead OF
One On Committee
The Senate and House reconvened
at noon today. but were in session only
a short time, as the respective bodies
reached a mutual agreement to set
together in = joint session for the
purpose Of considering the budget bill.
Governor Harrington had requested
that such action be taken. Therefore
messages were exchanged between
the two Houses for a joint meeting.
the hour for which was fixed at ,
o'clock
Whether or not the hearings on the
annexation bill will begin later this
afternoon, as planned. is a question.
1t appears that the anti-anexationists
were taken rather unawares when the
House took action by setting the hear
ing for O'Clock this afternoon. and
u resolution has been prepared hy
those forces which asks for post
ponement until next week for hearing
the advocates and opponents of the
measure
In the House today change was
made in the committee assignments OF
two members OF The Anne Arundel
delegation by mutual consent. This
was an exchange between Messrs. Sol
ley and Rodgers, by which Mr.. Rod
gers takes MIR Solley's place on the
Chesapeake Bay and Tributaries Com
mittee, and Mr.. Rodgers goes to the
Library Committee in place Of Mr.
solley
With the question OF annexation as
the paramount issue as beginner.
and many other bills Of general. as
well as local Importance. already hav-
ing made their appearance in both
branches of the Assembly, the law
makers Of the State have settled down
to the real hard work Of the 1918
session.
The advocates Of annexation drew
first blood in the House yesterday
afternoon, when molten to place
two members from each Of Anne
Arundel and Baltimore Counties on
the Judiciary Committee, which win
have the consideration Of the bill,
was lost by vefe.ef SO to Il. This
afternon at O'Clock, hearings on the
annexation bill began in the House
Chamber The motion to increase the
committee membership of the two
counties directly concerned in the
proposed annexation was made by
Delegate Benson. Of Baltimore County.
and it provoked quite a lively discus
sion before the vote, which was a test
one, was taken Delegate Melvin, Of
Anne Arundel. supported Mr.. Benson's
motion Being the counselor to the
County Commissioners, he is thor
oughly in touch with the situation and
he gave some pointed reasons why
Anne Arundel is opposed to annexa-
ton.
He declared that his county would
lose in assessments s10,O0000O and
its citizens OF q large section of the
county would be expatriated il the
pending annexation bill should be-
come a law He declared that Anne
Arundel County had not been invited
to participate in the conference cf
the Non-Partisan Greater Baltimore
Extension League. Mr.. Norris, of Bal
timore, denied this assertion on au-
thority Of a member of the Greater
Baltimore League Mr. Melvin quoted
the Anne Arundel County Commits
sioners in support Of his first asser-
ton
An avalanche Of bills began TO pour
/ into the Senate hopper yesterday
/ afternoon Immediately after the rou-
| tine had been disposed Of These COW
cred nearly every department in the
| State government in which changes
| are proposed. as well as others Affect
ing general laws Among others Of
| Importance were those prepared by
the Attorney General the suffrage bill
giving women the right TO register
and vote at Presidential elections also
came in. Then there are measures
prepared at the instance OF the Con-
seryation Commission. which make
material changes in the fishing laws.
Mr.. Bennett introduced e bill which
prohibits the use Of seines, drag or
sunken nets between December IS
and February Is. Exception IS made
when permits are granted by the Con-
servation Commission 10 take fish for
cultural or scientific purposes
Senator Bennett introduced bill
| which increases crabbers license
| fees. These would range from 81 to
$3.50 License tags are to be fur
nished by the State Comptroller.
Salaries OF Oyster Officials.
Sweeping changes are made in the
oyster law IN a bill introduced bs
| Senator Duyall These apply TO the
| salaries Of the crews Of the State
| Fishery Force, which are increased
about $40 a month. and cutting oui
| entirely the salary of the commander
4 Forty cents per day is allowed in lier
Of rations This applies only 70 boat.
maintained by the State. Measurerl
will be taken from any part Of ths
state instead Of only from Baltimors
City but the latter viii continue t'
receive 800 per month while thos'
from Cambridge and cris1eld havl
their pay advanced TO SO. all Others