Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-12-14
General Assembly
AdjOurns After
19-Day Session
New Laws Will Enable State
To Benefit By All Federal
Recovery Provisions

The special session of the General
Assembly of Maryland, called on No
vember 20 by Governor Richie to con-
slider emergency legislation made
necessary by the repeal of the Eigh-
teenth Amendment and other national
developments, came to an end at an
early hour last Tuesday morning, hav-
ing adjourned after nineteen days
during which thirty of the thirty-one
measures introduced in connection
with the administrations program
were enacted into laws.
The newly enacted laws will clear
the way for the State to take the full
est advantage of Federal recovery and
relief provisions. In broad terms, the
legislation will enable the counties to
borrow for public works and relief
projects, clear away technical OBJ
stacles in the path of the Home
Owners Loan Corporation and enable
banking institutions to conform with
Federal banking enactments.
The administration bill introduced
with view to placing greater re-
sponsibility on Sheriffs for the safety
of their prisoners was killed after the
House had amended it to remove pro-
visions which would place civil liabil-
tiles on Sheriffs. The lottery bill, in
troduced at the request of e. Lester
Muller, President of the City Council
Eof Baltimore, was among important
measures killed in the House.
II Six measures recommended by the
Criminal Justice Commission appoint
ed by the Governor, designed to speed
up trials and eliminate delays, were
passed.
Three administration banking bills
were passed, one to meet the provis-
ions Of the Glass-Steagal act, one to
authorize branch banks specifically in
order to clear for the entrance Of
J main banks into the Federal Reserve
System, and one to reduce the min
imum number of directors for bank
from ten to five.
A measure regarded as important
e by the administration is that dedicat-
ing the entire % cents of the State
tax rate to debt service. Previously
all but 3.4 cents Of the tax rate had
been dedicated to debt service for
1884 and all but "a cents for 1895.
|, Officials deemed it necessary, however
to allocate the entire % cents to debt
, service to meet the decline in the
assessable basis. 1t is expected that
the new excise tax will take up the
difference.
The Statewide liquor bill, which
passed and was signed by the Gov
ernor on December 5, the morning Of
the day Of repeal of the Eighteenth
Amendment became fact, was draft
ed as blanket measure. 1t was pass
ed intact except for a number Of
) amendments to fit the wishes Of the
various counties and Baltimore city.
, It's provisions governing the sale Of
, intoxicants in this county was publish
: ed in these columns last week.
|, One of the most important of the
/ administration bills which finally
. passed in its original form, was the
"a, 100000 State Roads Commission
debenture bill. This insures the
carrying out in full of Maryland's
proposed $11,0OO,OOO highways inn
provement program. Opposition to the
measure crystalized in Baltimore,
Hartford and Cecil counties where res
idents are seeking the widening and
improvement Of the present Philadel-
phia road instead of the construction
of an entirely new highway connect
ing Baltimore and Aberdeen, a plan
backed by the Public Works Admin
istration.
The issue involved in the debenture
bill was the policy Of the Public
Works Administration favoring ex-
penditures on new routes where 16e-
foot right-of-way is available and dual
highways systems contemplated as
against improvement Of cid roads. II
the proposed amendments had carried,
the whole road program would have
been put in jeopardy and would have
probably reduced the road expendi-
lures to a $6,8OO,OOO total. This would
have entailed drastic cut in the OUT
lay for all road programsaamg1
The fight on the measure drew
sharply divided lines among leaders
in the House, James J. Lindsay, IT.,
Of Baltimore county, House floor lead
err of the majority fought for the
amendment, while T. Barton Harring-
ton, Speaker, voted TO strike 1t out