Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-22
POWERFUL GROUP
TO HANDLE INQUIRY
Joint Grand Inquest Commit
tee to Be Named in Mary
land Road Probe.

ANNAPOLIS, Md, January a.
Legislative investigation of the pecula-
tions of State Roads Commission funds
will have to be made by a Joint grand
inquest committee of the House Of
Delegates and the Senate, according to
opinion rendered by Attorney General
Thomas H. Robinson of Maryland, &C.
cording to Speaker E. Brooke Lee, Silver
Spring, of the lower house. While the
effect of this decision will be to cause
slight delay, nevertheless, administra-
ton leaders point out that they will not
permit anything to be done to prevent
a thorough investigation.
While the House grand inquest COM
mittee of IS members has been selected
for several weeks, and will meet to-
morrow, it is probable that little will
be done in the way of public hearings
until the Senate now takes action to
join with 1t, under the terms of the
opinion just handed down by Attorney
General Robinson. This committee,
provided for in the constitution Of
Maryland, is an all powerful one, with
authority to investigate anything in
the State, and even to place persons
in jail until they are tried by the
civil courts.
Resolution Required.
The next move in connection with
the investigation, according to plans
being formulated by administration
leaders, will be to introduce In the
House, probably tonight, a resolution
inviting the Senate to join with the
House committee in its coming inveSti-
CATION. It then will be necessary for
the Senate to act and name its MEM
berS. The question of the organization
of the committee under the joint plan
probably will lead to some discussion as
to numbers and it has been suggested
that the Senate appoint five of its MEM
bers, and that the House increase its
membership from 10, as originally
named, to Is, and then give each of
the latter one-third Of a vote, making
the vote of both the House and Senate
even.
However, it was made clear that
the House leaders are not going to let
the matter get into Squabble over this,
because of their intention that the in
vestigation must be complete, thorough.
That this is fact, it was pointed out,
is made evident by the naming of coun-
sci, all OF whom are declared to be at
torneys of the very highest reputation.
These counsel, Charles McHenry How
ard and Joseph G. France of Baltimore
and Alexander Armstrong of Hagers-
town, have indicated to members of the
committee, who have called upon them,
that they are ready and willing to serve,
although no formal answer has been
yet received from any of them by
Francis p. Curtis, chairman of the
House committee, who wrote them an
nouncing their appointment by reso-
luton of the House.
Matter of Public knowledge.
The matter of the use Of State roads
funds for the payment of public cele-
brations in connection with certain road
and bridge openings, which Delegate F.
L. Coburn of Hartford County sought to
get information from the governor by
resolution, it was pointed out, has been
matter of public knowledge for many
months, and needed no resolution of the
House of Delegates. The unpopularity
of this attack on the administration was
clearly shown by the roll call. which re-
suited in its defeat by vote of 81 to 20.
Voting with the administration Demo-
Gratis were Republicans. and II asked
to be excused from voting. total of %
Republicans out of IS in the present
House. Those asking to be excused
from voting followed Joseph A. Wilmer
of Charles County, Republican floor
leader, who told the House that the
matter seemed to be Democratic fac
tional fight In which the Republicans
should not become mixed.
The insurgents are represented on the
grand inquest committee, and will have
an opportunity to watch every move.
They will be given full opportunity to
60 into every angle of the matter, as the
administration leaders say that they are
just as determined to have full in
vestigation as the insurgents seem to
be. However, the counsel employed are
expected to dig very deeply into the
whole tangle, so that even the insur-
gents will be satisfied with what is be-
ing done.