The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-03-17
STATE
CAPITAL
Annapolis

Annapolis
Election of all State and county Off
GERS every four years, at the "off-year"
Congressional elections, is provided in
new Fewer Elections bill which was
practically approved at a conference
of legislative leaders with Governor
Richie.
This new bill is to take the place OF
the original measure. 1t will be intro
duced in the Senate and sent to the
Committee on Constitutional Amend.
ments, where the present measure now
Is. The plan is to report out the new
bill and keep the original measure in
committee until the Senate acts on the
new one.
The following is the chief provisions
of the new bill:
To hold all State elections with the
''of-year" Congressional elections, as
distinguished from the Presidential
elections.
To elect all county officers at the
same election at which the State Off
GCIS are udluGu.
To elect all State Senators at the
same time, for the present four-year
terms, instead of half of the Senate
each two years, as at present.
To arrange all appointive offices,
State and county, to suit the new sys-
tenn.
TO change the terms of all State
and county Offices to four years in
stead of two, three, four and six, as
at present.
The proposed changes, if enacted,
will eliminate all elections every other
year, except where the municipal cleo
ton in Baltimore intervenes, and pro-
vide for the election of members of the
House of Delegates for four years, or
two terms, instead of two years and
one session, as at present.
A bill was introduced by Senator
Mcintosh providing that after Janu-
ary /, 1923, all legal executions in this
State shall be held at the House of
Correction. 1t directs the superintend-
ent of that institution to provide a
death chamber, fitted with the most
approved devices for hanging Grim
inals. A novel provision of the bill Is
fee of $25 for the spiritual adviser
Of the condemned person. A similar
fee is provided for the physician OF
the House of Correction.
The hanging is to be done by the
superintendent of the institution or his
assistant and the attendance is to be
limited to the officers, the physician,
the minister, the sheriff of the county
where the criminal is tried, the coun-
sci in the case and from six to twelve
approved citizens. The criminal Is to
be removed to the House of Correction
40 soon as possible after sentence has
been passed. but the execution may
not take place earlier than 80 days
after conviction. All costs and ex-
penses are to be paid by the county in
which the crime is committed.
Similar bills providing that all execu-
tions be performed at the Maryland
Penitentiary have been introduced at
previous sessions of the General As,
sembly, but they invariably have been
defeated because of objections by the
warden of the penitentiary that execu-
tons would interfere seriously with
the morale and discipline of the pris-
ers.
Urging passage of the bill to make
operative the Mothers Pension law in
Maryland, Jacob M. Moses, former
judge of the Juvenile Court for Bal
timore, and Louis H. Levin, secretary
of the Federated Jewish Charities, ap-
peared before the House Ways and
Means Committee, which is consider
ing the measure.
There is now on the statute books
law providing for all the machinery of
q mothers pension, but failure to pro-
vide funds for it's administration has
rendered it imperative since 1916. The
amended bill would meet this defect
and continue the law, enlarging it in
some respects. 1t would provide a
board of five members for Baltimore
and constitute the County Commission.
ers the boards in the various counties
to administer aid to widowed mothers
in supporting dependent children, all
under the Department of State Aid
and Charities.
Baltimore city and the counties
would supply funds by local taxation
to meet the cost of aid under the bill,
provision being made in the measure
only for $4,000 annually to meet the
cost of administration.
Senator Prick introduced bill to