The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-05-07
MANY BILLS TO
THE WASTE HEAP
Governor RitChie Gives Pocket
Veto to 1928
NO ROAD MEASURES SIGNED
Only Two Local Measures Remain To
Be Sianed-State-wide Appoint
ments Early This
Week


proved 56 bills and six joint resolu-
tions and gave a pocket veto to 123,
80 of which authorized the State
Roads Commission to build designated
highways. Three bills making it man
datory upon the commission to build
certain roads were among them. All
Of the bills before the Governor have
been disposed of but two, both of
which are local and on which hearings
were asked. The Governor plans to
take up statewide appointments, prob
ably on Monday. These include one
Public Service Commissioner, mem
bera of the Conservation Commission,
Custodian of Public Building, Tobacco
Inspector and School Boards for the
several counties. After these appoint
ments shah nave been made the Gov
ernor will take up the assignment of
police Justices in Baltimore, task
which has its troubles.
Among the important bills signed by
the Governor were:
These included the $3,000,00O road
loan; classifying of taxicabs and motor
vehicles as common carriers and plac-
ing them under the public service
commission, creating state athletic
commission to supervise and license
boxing, appointing commission to in
vestigate the mining laws Of the state
and giving the Maryland Tobacco
Growers Association headquarters
and salesrooms in the State Tobacco
Warehouse, the bill granting to former
Chief of Detectives Acquilla J. Pum-
phrey pension of s25 per week.
Included in the resolution approved
were those providing a commission to
revise the insurance laws of the state
and creating a commission to revise
and propose industrial welfare legis-
lation.
Governor Ritchie made the follow
ing statement explaining his action on
bills:
"The bill providing for the assess
ment of the shares of stock of fidelity,
surety and casualty companies at
their books value-that is, upon the
basis Of their capital, surplus and un-
divided profits, instead of their actual
WORTH have vetoed. This bill would
introduce an entirely new and, In my
Judgment, an unsound principle into
the system of taxation which has al
ways existed in this State. We tax
sll kinds of property at its actual
value, and the Court of Appeals has
said that book value is neither safe
nor a true measure of actual value,
because it leaves out of view the many
elements contributing to earning ca
pacity, which is always an important
and often the chief factor In estab-
fishing actual value. I would not be
justified in approving a bill which ap-
plies this basis to one class OF corpo-
rations only, leaving all other prop
erty still assessable at its actual
worth.
81 have approved the bill fixing the
Baltimore city tax on trust companies
at / per cent. 1 was urged to veto
this bill on the ground that it gives
special privileges to class. The bill,
however, does not do this. National
banks (Which, under the federal Re-
serve Act can exercise trust company
powers), state banks and county trust
companies are already taxed at the 1
per cent. rate, and there is no sound
reason for excluding the city trust
companies alone from this rate. If the
per cent. rate is to continue as to
the others, then the city trust COM
panies are entitled to it also.
:I have vetoed Sc bills, which au-
thorize the State Roads Commission
to contruct various roads.
"The approval Of these bills would
not mean that the roads mentioned IN
tkem would be constructed, and, IN
fact, they would not be unless the
commission found their construction
expedient.
81 will. however, refer copies OF
these bills to the State Roads Com
mission so that the commission may
investigate the roads mentioned In
them and proceed with the construc-
tion of all which they feel should be
constructed. The approval of the bills
themselves would have no more ef-
feet than this. 1 have also vetoed
three mandatory bills directing the
commission to build certain roads.
81 vetoed the bill providing for the
purchase of the bridges across the
Potomac River because this matter
is provided for by the $250,000 bridge
bond bill"
BILLS SIGNED.
The Governor signed the following
statewide bills and joint resolutions:
Joint Resolution 24-Authorizing the
Governor to appoint a commission or
six persons to revise and codify the
mining laws Of Maryland.
Joint Resolution 26-Providing for
the appointment by the Governor CT
a commission to revise the Insurance
laws of the state.
Joint Resolution 14-Authorizing
the Governor to appoint commission
ck-Improvements to the
pora hnme Record street by which