Evening star., 1935-03-17
NICE LASHES BACK,
CHARGESL0BBY|NG
Governor Accuses Attorney
Generals Office of Block.
ing Economies.
By the Associated Press.
ANTAY nor re NEoroh

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, March 16-The attor-
ney generals Office was charged by
Gov Nice today with "acti'e, persist
ent and aggressive lobbying" to con-
tinue political patronage handout"
of from 25 to 80 appointments in State
roads title work.
The Governor, declaring that it was
unfortunate that party politics had
been raised in connection with the
budget, said his plan to create title
and right of way division in the State
Roads Commission would have saved
about $4,000 in four years in legal
fees alone and cut the appointments
to seven.
The House refused to allow the
Governors proposal, which was sup
ported in the Senate AS a compro-
mise, $4,000 was put in the budget for
a compensation and insurance division
instead of the title division, the title
work remaining in the State Law De-
partment.
Gov. Nice said returns from the So
100000 bond issue for treasury relief
would not be available for approx
mately two months"
1T is unfortunate that the question
of party politics should have been
raised in connection with the passage
of the budget" the Governor said.
During the past four years. under the
allegedly good and economical man
agement by Mr.. Gray John B. Gray.
of the attorney generals office, the cost
to the people in fees alone to lawyers,
to say nothing of expenses, for the
examination of titles in the State
Roads Commission has amounted to
the sum of $4,000.
1T set up in the budget a depart
ment for the doing of all this work at
a cost of approximately $4,000 year,
inclusive of necessary clerical assist
ance, saving of $4,000 in legal fees
alone over four-year period.
This would have involved seven
appointments in lieu of Is or 80 un-
der Mr.. Gray's so-called intelligent
conduct of his State roads legal de-
partment.
For this have been accused of
playing politics.
mo more active, persistent and ag-
gressive lobbying has occurred in
Maryland than that put forth during
the past few days by the attorney
generals Office to continue this po-
litical patronage handout.
THE people of this State may rest
assured that during the next four
years $4,000 a year will not be ex-
pended in this wasteful and extrava-
CANT manner.
II am sorry that the controller has
seen fit to broadcast a statement on
the eve of the selling of State bonds
to the effect that Maryland was bank
rupt. At the very moment he was
issuing that statement there was in
the treasury in general funds available
for current expenditures nearly S3,-
100000.
This statement has not helped the
credit Of the State nor did it expedite
the passage of the budget. At the
time he was issuing it a conference
committee was agreeing and the
budget was assured of passage.
ASIDE from this, the present budget
has been passed more than a week
ahead of the passage of any previous
budget in the history of the State.
Neither myself or the Legislature can
In justice be criticized of delay in the
handling of 100000 proposition.
'The controller must have known
when he made his statement that re-
turns from the bond issue Just passed
could not be available for approxi-
mately two months"