Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-15
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
| TO GET BUSY TONIGHT
High Pressure Activity Among The
State Lawmakers.
FOR ANNEXATION HEARINGS
Representative Of Baltimore City to
Appear Before Judiciary Committee
Tomorrow.

1 The Legislature will convene at 8
o'clock this evening, and the signs are
\ that high-pressure activity will COM
mence when the gravels fall. Annexa-
tion, prohibition, election of the State
Treasurer and just plain politics will
keep the leaders and most of the men,
bers wide-awake all of the time
Baltimore City will have another an
L nexation hearing tomorrow.
Following that hearing the leaders
of the opposing sides in the annexa-
ton fight will jockey until next week.
Anne Arundel County is to be heard
against the annexation bill next Tues
day, one week from today, and Balti-
more County the following day. Bal
timore City has asked for hearing
in. .rebuttal on Thursday of next week,
the day after Baltimore County pre-
sents its case. 1t was thought at first
that the two counties would be heard
this week, but they asked for more
time in which to make arrangements.
Some Of those in touch with the
| fight think the counties wanted the ex-
tension in order to have more time in
which to maneuver against the annex
alton lineup in the House. 1t is gem
orally conceded that the measure will
be reported very shortly after the
hearings are held, and, with condi-
tions as they are now, the league bill
would pass the House very quickly
if it were reported this week Hence,
every day of delay is day of hope for
the antis.
1t is understood the Prohibition
leaders do not intend to attempt again
to rush through the Senate the rati-
fication of the Federal prohibition
amendment. Their purpose is said to
be to allow the Temperance Commit
tee time to act upon it, But their
idea of reasonable time for commit
tee action probably is not overly lib
eral. They want the resolution
brought eHt as quickly as possible,
and disposed of, so that they can con-
centrate upon their bill to make Mary
land dry without a referendum, which,
it is said, they do not plan to push un-
til the ratification of the Federal
amendment is out of the way.
The Republican organization lead
ers did not indicate today whether
they had determined definitely to pro-
ceed this week to the election of the
State Treasurer. They doubtless will
postpone that matter until they be-
lieve they have ironed away the op-
position to former Senator William P.
Jackson However, most OF them
seemed to believe that they had that
matter pretty well in hand
There was talk that Senator Kauf-
man, of Frederick, and several of the
Frederick delegates had bolted Mr.
Jackson and intended to vote for
James H. Harris, Frederick mer-
chant, and that former Governor
Goldsborough was lending his quiet
sympathy to plans for a general up
heaval But Notwithstanding all of
this talk, the Jackson-Weller people
appeared to believe that they would
have no serious difficulty on the real
test, and a well-informed Goldsbor-
ough man who is working with the Or
ganization Republicans expressed the
opinion that the anti-Jackson move
ment is petering out.
Some question has arisen as to
whether majority Of the full MEM
bership of the Legislature is required
to elect the Treasurer, or whether
only a majority of those present and
voting is required. The general opin-
ion has been that a majority Of the
full membership must be had The
question is being examined by lawyers.
If a majority of the full membership is
required, there must bel 65 votes cast
for candidate to elect him. The Re
publicans' full strength is 6S votes, Is
Senators and 55 Delegates If few
sloughed off to Mr. Harris the result
probably would be deadlock, with
Mr.. Jackson receiving most of the Re-
publican votes and Treasurer Dennis
the full strength of the Democratic