The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-02-20
AMONG THE STATE
LAWMAKERS
Gov. Ritchie CuItivating Friends
in the Assembly
CROP OF BILLS GROWING
To Consider Change In Workers Com.
pensation-War Records Board
Measure lntroduced-BIue
Sky Law.
Annapolis.

| The federal suffrage amendment
came before the House of Delegates
In the form of a message from the
| Governor advising the House that the
amendment was before it to be either
ratified or rejected, and joint resolu-
ton rejecting it was introduced by
Delegate Willis 1. Jones, of Baltimore
| City, followed by one from Delegate
Frederick Lee Coburn, Of Hartford
county, asking the General Assembly
to ratify the amendment. Mr.. Coburn
introduced the resolution at the re-
quest of the suffragists, Mrs. Charles
Ogle making the request.
The notification from the Governor.
which was brought to the House by
Secretary of State Perlman, was, with
:he two joint resolutions, referred to
he House Committee on Federal re-
Iations, composed of Clarence M.
Roberts, Prince Georges county, chair
man; Herbert L. Grymes, William l..
Buck, Joseph w. Lynch, all three of
Baltimore City; J. Holiday Murphy,
Dorchester county; Edgar H. NC
Bride, Frederick county; Garland W.
Powell, Allegany; Carson w. Harris,
Kent county, and Crittenden H. Walk
er, Montgomery county.
In the Senate the reading Of Gov
srnor Ritchie's message officially con-
veying ratification of the amendment
| R-1I tof
:laration on suffrage by Sen
stor Frick. Senator Frick offered a
resolution, the text Of which has pre-
viously been published, to place the
Maryland legislature on record as OBJ
}ecting to and refusing to ratify the
amendment Senator Metzerott, OF
Prince Georges county, the champion
If the suffrag gettes, at once offered the
Suffrage League resolution to ratify
| the amendment.
While a number of ladies, most OF
shem prominent in suffrage activities,
looked on from the galleries the Gov
ernor's communication, together with
the Frick resolution and the Metzerott
| JuS, IOU, W6IC IclCllCu " thS
tee on Federal Relations.
There are indications that the sui
rage question is going to be attacked
from several sides before it is finally
disposed of. No one here doubts but
that the suffragists will keep up their
attack until they are either decisiveiy
defeated or which is not at all prob
able. manage to get favorable action
On the amendment.
| Delegate Iverson, for one, has some
thing up his sleeve. 1t is bill amend
ing the elective franchise Of Maryland
| so as to compel the vote of family
| 20 be cast as one ballot, the head OF
| the family doing the voting for all It's
members. This, said Mr.. Iverson. will
give the women their chance to vote,
out it will make each family circle a
political debating society.
Appointment Of the Board of Police
| Commissioners and the Board OF Po-
lice Examiners is to be taken from
the Governor and placed in the hands
| of the Mayor of the city under the
Ritchie administration bill drawn to
redeem this pledge in the Democratic
| platform. The bill, introduced in the
Senate, is so drawn as to deny to
Mayor Broening the power to name
the first set of police executives, even
should the act become effective. Its
under any circumstances until after
acceptance by the voters of the city at
a referendum election to take place
next fall, and it is specifically provided
that if the act is ratified the first ap-
pointments shall be made by the
mayor to be elected in 1928.
Unless Governor Richie, in his
| budget, provides for the refund OF
LIQUOR license fees covering the period
of November /, 1919, to May l, 1920,
those who have paid the fees will
lose, for the House of Representatives
killed the Burke bill providing for
such refund after the Ways and Means
had reported unfavorably on it be-
cause of the budget provision.
The merit of the refund plan was
not brought into question, the action
| of the House being based on the law,
which permits private claims to be
paid without being incorporated in the
budget. provided the bill also covers
| the raising of the money to pay such
| claims.
Mr.. Buck also introduced bill elm
| mating from the city old-age pension
list all employees earning $1,000 dollars
| or more annually.
Not to be outdone by Cumberland,
which has asked for permission to
issue bonds to the amount of more
| than $1,00O,O00 for improvements, Ha-
| serstown is now seeking authority for
| q houd issue for a new and more ex-
| tensiye sewerage system and for the
! sale of certain lands not needed Tor
| sewerage purposes.
Senator Eppler and Minority Floor
| Leader Simmons in the House offered
similar copies of bill designed to re-
peal the so-called declarations OF in
| tent provisions Of the election law.
This move is to abolish the require
ment that, before qualifying as vot-
or in this State, anyone coming into
! Maryland from another State shall,
before the clerk of the court, make
formal declaration of his intention to
| become a citizen here, and is In re-
| asmpsiea Of one Of ths pledges OF
| shs Resvki1sac slatferns