Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-03
HEARING PLANNED
ON ISSUING TAGS
Richie Action Formulated on
Receipt Of Word From
Dealers.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

ANNAPOLIS, Md, April 3.--FolloW.
ing receipt of scores Of kilograms from
automobile clubs and dealers, appealing
to be heard on the bill passed by the
Legislature authorizing the establish
ment in each county seat OF branch
Office of the commissioner OF motor
. vehicles for the transaction of the BUSH
ness of issuing tags and licenses to the
residents of each county, Gov. Albert G.
Ritchie has decided to hold a public
hearing on the measure at o'clock
Friday afternoon. It Is known that
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Baugh-
man is opposed to this decentralization
of tag issuing and other business which
it is now necessary to conduct at the
Baltimore central office.
The bill is favored by the automobile
dealers and the county citizens. 1t was
originally introduced in the House by
Speaker E. Brooke Lee OF Silver Spring,
and provided that four Offices should be
established, one of them at Silver
Spring, to take care of Montgomery
and the Southern Maryland counties.
Amended by House.
However, when it became known that
the commissioner of motor vehicles
opposed such a measure, 1t was amend
ed in the House ways and means COM
mittee to provide that the governor
should appoint a deputy clerk OF the
automobile commissioner in each
county seat to look after the automo-
bile licensing business for the particular
county. AS amended this measure
passed the House by a large majority,
but when the bill went into the Senate
it was further amended, by knocking
out the provision that the governor
appoint the deputy clerks, and In It's
place was inserted the provision tnat
the clerks of the Circuit Courts OF the
counties should transact the business
at a fee of IS cents for each trans
action. The House concurred In the
amendments.
The governor, also on Friday after
noon. will hold hearing on the bill
providing for the licensing OF commits.
sion merchants. A large number OF
kilograms opposing this measure was
received. It is designed to protect the
farmers of the State against unscrupu-
lous commission merchants, ana pro-
yides that before commission mer-
chant is licensed he must file with the
agricultural board an indemnity bono
tn the amount of $1,000 Ito secure
honest accounting and payment to the
consignor for goods consigned to sucn
commission merchants for sale. IL
provides also for the agricultural board
to examine the books OF any nrm ABOUT
which a complaint is received. :.
The governor has signed several
Statewide bills, and has set a date m
April as the time when he VIII meet
Speaker E. Brooke Lee and Senator
David G.. Mcintosh, jr., president OF
the Senate, to dispose Of about 275
other bending bills, including number
of those passed for Montgomery ana
Prince Georges County.
Road Bill Signed.
He signed yesterday the $4,000, 900
road bond BILL which provides funds Ior
the construction and improvement OF
number of roads providing direct trade
routes to Baltimore, two OF the prof.
ects directly affecting Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties. One OF them
provides for the improvement OF Co
1umbia pike from Laurel, providing g
cutoff from that road and direct
route from that point to the Sixteenth
street gateway into the Capital City by
way of White Oak and Silver Spring.
The other road provides another cut
off from the Baltimore Boulevard at
Hyattsville bringing traffic direct into
washington by way of Rhode Island
avenue, an Improvement Wn1cn mas
been sought for many years. This law
goes into effect Immediately, and the
board of public works already has taken
steps to advertise for bids on the bonds.
Others Approved.
He also signed the inheritance tax
law. which gives the State authority to
take so per cent of the Federal estate
taxes collected by the later in the State.
The Federal law permits this, following
affirmative action OF the State. The
fund expected from this source, is to be
used to finance the $4,000, 900 road loan.
He also signed the tax codification
bill, the bill placing the State Roads
Commission funds in the hands Of the
State treasurer and controller; the
budget bill, appropriating money for
the operation Of the State government
during the fiscal years 1880 and 1881;
the bill giving State aid to the counties
for special schools for education Of
physically and mentally handicapped
children; the $1,500,0 900 post road con-
struction measure; the 81, SOC, 900 bridge
construction measure, and the $761 600
building construction bill, and the two
bills providing for referendum at the
Fail elections of 1880, one whether the
governor should call a convention to
revise the State constitution and the
other providing for change in the
constitution to permit the State treas
urer and controller to deputiZe the sign
ing Of vouchers and checks.