The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-04-23
R|TCH|E vET0ES
HARTFORD BILL
Doubted Whether 1t Did Not
Supersede Burke Measure
APPROVES CITY BILLS
Signs Other Acts-One-Man Police
Head, Loan And Extension
Bills For City
Favored.

the signing OF q number OF bills Gov
ernor Ritehie announced his disap-
proval and veto of the Hartford county
racing commission bill. This bill
changed the license fees charged at
the Havre de Grace track levying
special tax of $2,500 per day against
the track, this sum to be divided
equally between the county commits
sioners of the county and the city
council Of Havre do Grace.
The Governor announced that there
was a doubt in his mind whether, un-
der the terms of the bill, its provi
sions would not supersede the pro-
visions Of the Burke statewide rae
ing measure in so far as the latter
would apply to Hartford county. There
is another local racing bill passed dur
ing the session which has still to
come to the Governor for considera-
ton. This is the Brady bill creating
a commission to regulate racing in
Anne Arundel county and laying a tax
of $4,000 a day to the use of Anne
Arundel county against the Laurel
track. This, too, will probably be
vetoed.
The Governor also disapproved
three bills amending the tobacco laws
Of the State, but this was because the
measures were duplicates of House
bills already signed.
The next date for signing of bills
will be Friday Of this week. In the
meantime the Governor plans to grant
hearings upon bills against which
there are protests or upon which ad-
vocates want to be heard before final
action is taken
A number of other bills we're in
Guided in the list of measures signed
by Governor Ritchie, President Nor
ris, of the Senate, and Speaker Ty-
dings, of the House. Included in the
city bills signed we're the ones pro-
viding for one police commissioner in
stead of three and referring to the
people of the city the question of
whether the Governor shall continue
to appoint the police board or have
this authority transferred to the mayor
with the consent of the City Council.
The Sunday Moving Picture Bill,
with it's referendum to the people, was
not among the measures before the
Governor, and he has not yet an
nounced what disposition he will
make of this measure. 1t is felt that
he will sign it unless he should accept
the contention of City Solicitor Mar
chant that 1t is unconstitutional.
A total of 113 bills were signed and
thereby made laws. The force at the
Governors office is still going through
the bills being almost daily delivered
to them by the secretary of the Sem
ate and the chief clerk of the House. :
Among the bills signed were the
three loan bills for Baltimore City
calling for bond issues of $50,000,00O,
s25, 900, 900 and s26,0O0,0 600; the budget
bill and the act providing for extern
sion of home rule in Baltimore city.
Other bills approved by the Gov
ernor included the following: Provid-
ing increased compensation for mem
bers of the legislature through amend
ment to the constitution.
Fixing the State tax rate for the
fiscal years 1921 and 1922.
Placing the assistants Of the Sec
retary of the Police Board under the
pension fund.
Providing reciprocal licensing sys-
tenn for motor vehicles operating IN
both Maryland and the District OF
Columbia; providing for state drain
age of swamp lands, and for cooper
alton between the state and federal
government in this conservation de-
velopment; releasing former secre-
taries of state from repayment to the
state of fees collected by them while
in office; increasing the fee for mar
riage licenses to 81; naming COM
mission to investigate the advisability
of erecting a state Office building in
Baltimore City.
Revising the militia laws of the
state; the omnibus beQuest bill; pro-
yiding for absent voting under GER
tain restrictions; exempting the prop
erty of the American Legion from
state and county taxation; authoriz-
ing an increase Of 100 men in the
Baltimore police force; increasing the
number of police surgeons in Balti-
more city; amending the workmen's
compensation laws; consolidating the
University Of Maryland with the
Maryland State College of Agricul-
ture; making the fiscal years of the
State Roads Commission and State
Automobile Commissioner coincident
with the fiscal year of the state; pro-
viding penalties for fraudulent ad-
vertising.