The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-10-16
MAYOR BROENING MAKES
SEVEREATTACK ONRITCHIE
Charges Present Democratic
State Administration Has De-
strOyed Power of Senate

Charging that the present State
administration has destroyed the pow
er of the Senate, Mayor William F.
Broening, Republican Gubernatorial
candidate, made severe attack upon
his Democratic opponent during the
i tour through Carroll county, which re-
Gently ended. $3.50
The big meeting of this tour was at
Westminster last week when the May
or, together with his running mates,
addressed six hundred people in the
armory. ,..- p... +
Returning to his Office in Baltimore,
the Mayor declared that his tour Of
! the counties of the State is turning
into triumphant march for the Re-
publican party and he predicted that
he and his running mates will be re-
turned victorious on November 4th.
The Westminster speech proved to
be of such interest that the Mayor has
received numerous requests to repeat
it from time to time during the cam
paign. His speech was as follows:
"My distinguished opponent is re-
sorting to an unworthy bubble in de-
Tending himself against the charge
in the Republican platform that he is
responsible for present concentration
in his hands of the power to appoint
State officials without confirmation by
the Senate.
eff the Governor wishes to escape
the charge that he actively promoted
the concentration of power in his
hands at the expense of the Senate,
the people of Maryland will be inter-
ested to learn why he sponsored in the
early days of his administration an act
substituting for the law requiring the
Police Board of Baltimore City to be
appointed by the Governor by and with
the advice of the Senate, law where
by the Police Commissioner now owes
his appointment solely to the Governor
without power in the State of Mary
land to pass upon his qualifications.
eff the Governor really believes that
the Senate should have an opportunity
to pass on his appointments, it will be
interesting to hear him explain why
the Office of the State Employment
Commissioner, created in his admins
tration, is filled by him without sub
mission of the appointment to the Sen
ate. III
| "It will be borne in mind that this
official is charged with administering
the so-called merit system law in this
State. Maryland, under the peculiar
one-man government which has been
established during the past decade, is
the only State or city that have ever
heard of that entrusts the sole power
of administering a so-called civil SER
vice system in the hands of a single
individual who owes his appointment
directly and exclusively to the head, of
the government. The personally ap-
pointed Employment Commissioner is
in effect, really the Patronage Dispen-
ser of the Governor, subject only to
his will. In Baltimore City the civil
service law is administered by COM
mission of three with required minor
ity representation, and those commits
sioners, though appointed by the May
or. are subject to confirmation by the
City Council.
"And it would also be interesting to
hear from the Governor some explana-
ton as to why he sought and procured
from the Legislature of 1920 an act
creating Central Purchasing Bureau,
consisting of the leading officials of
the State and yet reserved to himself
as chairman of this Bureau, the sole
power to appoint the Purchasing
Agent without consultation with the
other members of the Bureau or con-
firmation by the Senate or any other
authority.
"There have been other similar
changes, all with the same design.
Before the advent of the present
administration the Board Of Public
Works, consisting of the Governor,
the State Treasurer and the Comp
troller, had the appointment of the
State Auditor, the Insurance Com
missioner and the Commissioner of
Banking. Accordingly, since the re-
organization which he sponsored in
1922, these three important offices Of
State Auditor, Insurance Commits
sioner and Commissioner, of Banking
are filled at the sole will of the Gov
ernor without reference to the opinion
or wishes of the other members of the
Board of Public Works and without
submission of the names of his ap-
pointees to the Senate of Maryland
or any other body.
"The Governors complete conf
dence in his own judgment and his in
sistence that that judgment shall in
no wise be influenced by the views of
other responsible officials of the State,
is we'll evidenced by that fact that al
though his own reorganization bill
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