Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1920-04-09
S description Payable in Advance
Legislature AdjouTns,

Inc session OF inc Legislature
for 1920 ended its work Monday
night last, having reached its
constitutional limit of 80 days.
The 1920 session of the Legisla-
ture was not as interesting and
as spectacular as some of those
In the past, owing to the fact
that practically all legislation
of keen interest that kept other
sessions busy is passed and out
Of the way. Tax reform, penal
reform, budget system, Public
Service Commission, corporation
tax, strengthening of the Attor-
ney Generalship, home rule, an
nexation for Baltimore City, City
Charter for Baltimore, Conser-
walton, and other big and i'm
portant problems that have
faced the Legislature during the
recent session, have all been
met and solved and thus gotten
out Of the way before the 1920
session began. In view of the
fact that all Of these important
problems had been taken care OF,
j. was not expected in the be-
ginning that the session of 1920
would be spectacular. There
were some important matters to
come before it which were of vi
tai Importance and interest to the
people of this State, all of which
we're promptly met. Among
these were a Good Roads law,
increase of teachers salaries, a |
central purchasing bureau, ami
the merit system. The latter
the merit system-was, and is a |
matter of great importance and
was promised in the platforms
of both political parties. Wheth-
er the law, as passed, meets with
the ideas of those who believe in
the system, is for the future to
tell. When the measure first
came up in the Legislature, there
was much criticism because it |
appedreato be seak- attempt
to put true merit syste-- ipOR
the statute books. 1t was later
amended to meet some of these
criticisms, but we rather incline |
to the opinion that it is still a |
weakling and will need more
teeth put into it before a strong,
true and real system is estab- |
lished. The shortcomings and |
deficiencies in the merit system |
will be brought out in the put |
ting of the same into practical
working. It's defects can be
remedied, however, until in the
future we will yet have in this
State real merit system, which |
has been the hope and aim of |
those who have SO long advocated |
the system.
Aside from roads and schools,
the people of this section were
perhaps more interested in legis-
lation affecting tobacco than any
thing else. All of the measures
advocated by the Tobacco Grow
ers' Association were passed.
These laws, we hope and believe,
will go a long way in protecting
the interests of the tobacco grow
ers. With such laws on thel
statute book and the Association
vigorous, the tobacco growers
should ia the future have a bet
ter market for their product and |
receive adequate and fair prices
for the same. The matter of |
most Importance, in order to re-
alize the highest aims of the to-
bacco growers, is that of an ex-
pert tobacco salesman-one who
has a thorough knowledge OF to-
bacco and whose sympathy is
with the growers.
Locally, there was not much
needed legislation, and our rep
resentatives, unlike some others,
did not introduce a lot of foolish |
measures just for the sake of |
showing that they were in An
napolis and were doing some
thing. The two members Of the |
House went TO Annapolis untried |
and inexperienced in legislative
matters, but to their credit. it |
must be said, they performed |
their work well and reflected |
credit upon their county. They |
demonstrated in the strictest /
sense that laymen are as capable |
Of representing the people in the
halls Of the Legislature as pro-
fessional men There was only
one demonstration Of politics and
this was through the bill intro
duced in the Senate to do away
with the Clerk to the board Of
County Commissioners which,
we suppose, upon a better and
second thought, did not come out
Of that body.
The Legislature, as a whole,
leaves a good record behind it,
in view Of the fact as stated
above, many matters of impor-
lance and vital interest to the
people having been already dis
posed Of by former Legislatures.