The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-03-21

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Home rule for Baltimore city's po-
| lice force will be obtained If legist
iative program adopted at. a. caucus
IF the city Senators is enacted by the
General Assembly.
The program includes:
l. Appointment of the Police Com
missioner Cor Commissioners) by the
Mayor of Baltimore, subject to con-
frmation by the City Council. The
Police Commissioner of Baltimore
City is at present appointed by the
Governor.
2. Fixing of police salaries by the
Board Of Estimates Of Baltimore City.
1t is planned to embody each Of the
two proposals in separate BILL
| Passage of the bill embodying the
frst proposal would not only transfer
from the Governor to the Mayor the
power to appoint the Police Commits
sioner, but would authorize the Mayor
to substitute Board Of Commission
ers for the present single Commits
sioner.
Senator Colgan, Third district Of
Baltimore, introduced a bill giving the
Board Of Estimates the power to fix
the pay Of the city police.
| Certain defeat in the General As.
sembly of the s9,00O,000 soldier bonus
bill is seen as the result of an opinion
by Attorney General Thomas H. Robin
son. questioning its constitutional.
/ ity. The opinion, asked by Senator
Walter J. Mitchell, Democratic floor
leader in the Senate.
While the General Assembly is not
bound by the ruling Of the Attorney
General on legislation pending before
it, his advice as to the validity Of
measures whose constitutionality has
been seriously questioned invariably
is followed.
Attorney General Robinson's I'M
favorable opinion holds the bonus
measure, which comprises group Of
Ave bills, he held the submission of a
Constitutional amendment designed to
remove the prohibition against the
creation of general pension fund by
the General Assembly would not be-
come effective until and unless rati-
fed by the voters next November.
While. the adoption Of this amend
ment would remove all doubt concern
ing the constitutionality Of the bonus.
only future Legislatures, he held. may
avail themselves Of its ratification.
| - st
Out of the death Of the two con-
fiicting bills to regulate building and
loan associations may develop. it is
foreseen, compromise bill. which
will be satisfactory to both real estate
and banking interests.
One Of the measures (House Bill
No. 1S4) which was inferred origi-
mated with the Real Estate Board Of
Baltimore. Among other things 1t
would place building and loan asso-
Citations under the control of the State
Tax Commission.
The other bill blouse Bill No. 127)
was sponsored by the banking inter-
ests Of the city It would vest control
of the building and loan associations
in the State Bank Commissioner.
Governor Richie submitted to the
General Assembly his supplemental,
budget, providing an increase Of $271.-
926 in appropriations and an addi-
tional State bond issue Of 100000.
The increases can be granted without
raising the tax rate of q is cents, he
announced, and still leave 100000 in
the treasury at the end Of the three
year budget period
| OF the increased appropriations,
$118,026 will go to the public schools,
restoring in it's entirety the equaliza-
tion fund and the amounts requested
for high school aid. The remaining
$153,900 will be divided in small sums
among approximately 40 State activi.
| ties.
The new budget makes two conces-
sions to the University of Maryland.
The University Hospital in Baltimore
will be given $4,000 atyear extra for
maintenance, and the loan items in
clude $4,000 to equip dairy building
at College Park, which was built from
| a previous loan.
In addition to the extra aid for the
main university activities, the Gov
ernor provided $4,000 in his new loan
program to rebuild the main dormi-
tory and assembly hall of the eastern
branch Of the university, the Negro
Agricultural School at Princess Anne,
destroyed by fire in February with
only $4,000 insurance.
The strong fight by members of the
Assembly from Southern Maryland