The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-09-19
nrnocpo4Ak AkBERTD BPEEEgDaTr TR5TGHH55Er ERyF 5;H5rRsoRo

Democratic party in 1915 for Attor-
new General of the State. After his
election he organized the first State
Law Department, which took over
the work of counsel to all OF the
State Boards and Commissions with
the exception Of the Public Service
Commission.
In the summer of 1917, when the
Governor convened the extra session
Of the Legislature TO meet the emer-
gencies growing out of the declara-
ton of war, Mr. Ritchie undertook to
draft the entire program of war
LEGISLATION. Working day and night
for weeks, Mr.. Ritchie prepared all
the war laws and had them printed
and ready for introduction when the
! LEGISLATURE met-an achievement
which was on a par with the Splen-
did service he rendered as Peoples
Counsel to the Public Service Com
mission.
! Among the bills which Mr.. Ritchie
drafted were those postponlng pay
ments for the benefit of soldiers and
sailors absent in the military ser
vice. Maryland was among the nrst
States to adopt such Legislation,
which was eventually followed by
the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Re
lief Act passed by Congress. In
consultation with the labor interests
Mr.. Ritchie prepared the Maryland
Compulsory Work Law, the first OF
its kind devised in this country, and
which was afterward copied by the
" Legislatures Of other States. He al
SO drew the bill giving absent SOL
diers and sailors the right to vote,
-, nQCCnn
til 1918. The MilliOn.Dollar War
Loan Act and the law establishing a
State Farm for prison labor were al
SO in the list Of the war legislation
presented by Mr.. Ritchie.
Among the acts drafted by Mr
Ritchie and passed by the Legislature
Of 1918 were those increasing
salaries of teachers and providing
for State aid to high schools; the
Three Million Dollar Road Loan Of
1918: abolishing contract prison la
bor; increasing the pay of policemen
, i'm Baltimore City; giving the Police
, Board Of Baltimore City the power
, to reinstate officers who entered the
: military service; revising the insur
z ance laws; creating the State Armor1
) Commission; revising the bank laws
D and providing that Contractors
1 bonds for state work should covel
labor and materials. Mr.. Ritchis al
} So advised with the Governor in TN
preparation of the Budget Bill Th'
Q Attorney General secured the ser
vices Of a committee OF lawers T.
t advise with him in the drafting o
v the Home Rule Bill.
: During the session Of 1915 MI
& Ritcnie drafted the laws abolishinI
continuing appropriations; creatin
d the State Board of Labor and Sta
: tistics; creating the State Law De
= partment; reducing the membership
Iof the State Roads Commission
8 abolishing the envelope system q
r voting in the counties at pr1mar
elections and providing a registra
4 ton day i'm the counties before pr
It mary elections.
y Mr.. Ritchie's work in Marylan
4 gained for him nationwide recognl
), ton, and he was summoned 10 WASH
S ington to become General Counsel
" the ". ). War Industries Board, pei
III hans the most powerful of the hC
it ministrative agencies connected wit
5. the prosecution Of the war.
W. At the time of the announcemer
u OF Mr.. Ritchie's appointment to th
h War Industries Board, the Baltimor
le Sun said:
let Us hope that the State wi
II again be able to command his SCI
20 vices after the war. He has prove
A himself too good and efficient 70
i given up, permanently without
Struggle. There are few men
n fDubIic life in Maryland who hay
y shown as much energy, ability an
devotion To the public welfare as n
Nv and the people worthy of self-go'
q, ernment will always strive to kee