Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-03
END STATE SESSION
IN BITTER DEBATE
Maryland Delegates Argue
Over Voting Machines and
u River Duck Bill.
a star Correspondent Of The star.

By Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd, April 3.-Even to
within a few minutes OF the end OF o
diving session, the House Of Delegates
was the scene Of bitter and acrimon-
ious debate on two holly contested
bills, one providing for voting machines
for the city of Baltimore. and the other
known as the Bohemia River duck bill,
about the latter Of which 1t was charged
would prevent the riparian owners along
the river from shooting ducks from
blinds.
Delegate Robert R. Lawder Of Har-
ford County. charged that the proposed
legislation was one of the most vicious
and most spiteful bills ever introduced
in the House. He said 1t would jeopar.
| die shooting conditions on the stream,
and pointed out that the conservation
department of Maryland strongly OPP
posed the measure, because there was q
Statewide law now on the books cover
ing duck shooting.
Present Law Sufficient.
Pointing out that the State had
passed general law recodnying all the
game laws, Delegate Frederick L. Co
bourn of Hartford County, said that law
represented the best opinion OF the
State and the Federal Government on
| the conservation of wild game. Delegate
| Cobourn pointed out that II the bill was
passed, it would be followed by action
of the Federal Biological Survey Bureau
wiping out sink boxes, and that ne per-
sonally had gone to Washington to pre-.
vent any such legislation. He said that
the Federal Government had the power
| to do this, because of its control over
| the migratory game birds. He said that
he had petition signed by the owners
of the riparian rights on the river OPP
| posing 1t, and in the papers was letter
! from United States Senator Thomas
F.. Bayard of Delaware, who owns an
estate on the river, saying that after the
| bill was introduced he went to his place
| in Cecil County, and found that certain
people who favored the bill had broken
into and stolen or damaged property Of
nonresident riparian owners, and that
| in one case a fire was started in grass
| near a house so that 1t would lead up
| to and burn the dwelling.
The innuendo was passed and sharply
challenged that those opposing the bill
were employed by certain nonresident
owners. It was charged that the effect
| of the bill was to let power boats go
down the channel of the narrow river
and shoot, which would have the effect,
it was alleged. Of destroying the rights
of the riparian owners. It was charged
that the passage Of the bill would
amount to virtual confiscation Of their
property.
Debate Long and Heated.
The bill which permits the purchase
of voting machines and place them In
less numbers at the precincts In Balti.
more than required by an opinion Of
thu al eyonnF0l Nyoa TNFrlny1H0A and
heated It was Stubbornly fought for
by the Republicans, on behalf OF the
Republican administration In Balti-
more. and while 1t was pointed out that
the Democrats at the last session, when
the Democrats were in control in
Baltimore, had rejected the voting ma
chine bill, q pointed question was asked
as to why they were so stubbornly
fought for now when the price had
gone up from 5000 to $780,.
Speaker Lee charged that they could
be tempered with, and that the ballot
was the safest system. He said they
were a cross between an adding ma
chine and typewriter, and that when
voter went in front Of one OF them
and pressed certain buttons only God
and the mechanics could tell what was
going to. come out" Delegate Sharp
said that to install the machines In his
precinct alone would cost $50, 900, and
the machines were only used once In
every four years.
When Delegate Paul Berman, Repub.
lican, of Baltimore, in the course of the
debate, made the remark that he could
understand the fear about cheating in
elections, because the Democrats had
been doing it for so long q period"
Speaker Lee raped the gavel sharply.
ruled the delegate had exceeded his
time limit. and made him sit down.