Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-03-07
ANNEXATION IS
REPORTED TODAY
Baltimore City's Bill Reported Fav-
orably by the Judicial Com
mittee of Senate.
Is MADE SPECIAL ORDER
Fight to a Finish Nill be Taken Up
Next Tuesday and no Let Up Al
lowed Until Question is Settled.

Annexation finally got on the floor
of the Senate this afternoon when the
bill was favorably reported by the Ju-
| idcial Proceedings Committee which
for the consideration of this one
measure had been augmented by SEN
ator Duvall, of Anne Arundel, and
Allen, of Baltimore County.
With the filing of the favorable re-
port from the committee, it was de-
termined to make the bill a special or
der for next Tuesday Then the fight
will be started and run straight
through until it is finally disposed of
one way or the other This is the in
/ tention of the city forces. However,
| the anti-annexationists are going to
make their fight straight down the
| line, employing any and every effort TO
kill the measure-even TO talking it to
! death.
However, the real fight is to be set
on the getting of votes. With prohi-
bition out of the way one log-rolling
proposition has been eliminated so
that the chances for deals of various
sorts by one side or the other have
been reduced.
The vote in the committee hearing
this morning was four against ia
vorable report and six in favor. Those
voting with Anne Arundel and Balti-
more Counties against the city's plan
were Duvall and Allen of the two
counties mentioned, and Legg, of
Queen Anne's, and Crothers. of Cecil.
Annexation's friends in the Senate
are determined that when the fight
breaks there there shall be no letup
until the issue is decided and conse-
quently are not disposed to begin the
battle at the end of the week.
Both sides are ready to go to the
mat and supporters of the measure
are claiming to be confident today that
they have the votes to put it through
The anti-annexatonsist are not less
confident They are claiming the
votes of several Republicans against
the bill and undoubtedly there are
Republicans in the upper House who
will vote against Baltimore.
The attitude of Senator John Wal
ter Smith is still puzzling. The antis
are counting on swinging his strength
against the bill to help them when
the test comes.
Final argument on the annexation
proposition took place yesterday after
noon before the Judiciary Committee,
when c. Wilbur Miller, of the Dawson
Chemical Company, located in the
Curtis Bay section of Anne Arundel,
and former Attorney General Isaac
Lobe Straus. closed for this county.
Their convincing arguments were re-
piled to by City Solicitor S. S. Field.
The first to speak was c. Wilbur
Miller.
Mr.. Miller said he wanted to speak
from the economic standpoint, taking
into consideration the benefit to be de-
rived by Baltimore City. He said that
while certain factories would un-
doubtedly help the city, plants like
| that which he represented could not
be operated under the same regula-
tions. Such concerns as his could not
work advantageously, he contended, in
| the city. 1t might be likened to a
| small municipality which governs and
| protects itself for it did its own polio
ing.
/ Mr.. Miller claimed that not one of
! the plants was in favor of coming in
| to the city. There were several who
were afraid to take a stand for fear
(! they might be spanked afterward
should they be taken in, but he knew
they were opposed. He said his fac
| tory could not work under the laws of
the city.
Former Attorney General Straus.
who followed. began by arguing from
legal standpoint. He maintained
that as Anne Arundel County did not
adioin Baltimore City, but was sep
arated by Baltimore County, under a
decision of the Court of Appeals, could
not. therefore. be annexed by Balti-
more City. The Constitution, he said,
prohibited the changing of the lines
of a county without submitting the
question to the people, and by going
beyond Baltimore County this was
what this bill proposed to do.
He said it was a violation of the
fundamental doctrine of free govern
ment and home rule to take in 7O,'
600 people without consulting theil
/, wishes.
Another point made was that th'
people to be taken were not of th'
people of Baltimore. but an entirel.
: different class and one that eoul'
! not be assimilated.
Mr.. Straus next took up the los
! sustained by the county by reason o
the taking away from the county mucl
of it taxable basis.
City Solicitor Field, who closed TO
the City. declared the Constitution di
/ not say that the change proposed i
the county line was prohibited whe
! taken over by the city. 1t apple
only when one section of count
was annexed to another county. II a
: is claimed, the bill as drawn is IN
3 constitutional, those who were or
8 posed to it would not be fighting it a
& they are.