Evening star., 1936-12-09
nice SECURITY BILL
DIVIDES DELEGATES
Montgomery, Prince Georges
r Legislators Far Apart on
Job Insurance.
BY GEORGE PORTER,
STAN Correspondent Of The Star

Btan correspondent OF Inc star.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, December g.
Unanimous in support Of the principle
OF unemployment insurance, members
Of the Montgomery and Prince
Georges County delegations hold
widely divergent views on the bill
which Gov. Nice had introduced as
the special session convened yester-
day.
Senators Stedman Prescott of Mont
gomery and Lansdale G. Sasscer of
Prince Georges, together with several
Delegates, declined to comment pend
ing further study of the measure,
but other members of the nearby
Washington delegations voiced opin-
Ions typical of the conflicting reactions
1t aroused in the Assembly.
Like Absence Of Employe Tax.
Miss Ruth Shoemaker of Montgom-
cry said she thought employees would
take more interest in the proposal if
subject to the tax. although receipt of
contributions from them would COM
plicate record-keeping.
Delegate John S. White of Prince
Georges said he liked the absence of
any tax on employees.
Miss Shoemaker stated further the
plan to make it apply to employers of
one or more persons, exclusive Of
agricultural workers, met with her
approval.
Her colleague in the Montgomery
County delegation, Walter M. Ma
gruder. said he already had noted
opposition to that feature and feared
there would be more.
In support Of the proposal to apply
the insurance to employers of one or
more, Miss Shoemaker said that the
small merchant frequently is the one
hardest hit by depression. Big firms,
she points out, can build up reserves,
but small ones are more likely to throw
their employees out of work quickly in
times OF financial stress.
Opposes Another Special Session.
Delegate Kent r. Mullikin, who with
Senator SaSscer served on the COM
mittee which drafted the bill, would
only say he believed the State should
pass q bill independent of Federal
legislation, to avoid another special
session should the Supreme Court hold
the latter unconstitutional
"Maryland's milk law was invali-
dated by the courts because it was
contingent upon other legislation" he
said. Our unemployment insurance
act should be able to stand on its own
feet without the bulwark of some other
statute"
Other delegates comments were:
Charles c. Marbury: Il voted for
previous unemployment insurance bills.
Am not sure the present one should be
passed as is.'"
John s. White: THE bill looks all
right on the surface. I fought for un-
employment at the last session"
L. Harold Sothoron: Am not sure
favor all features Of the bill, but we
must have unemployment Insurance."
Doubts Stand by Chamber.
Delegates Joseph A. Cantrel and T.
Yellot Candy Of Montgomery and
Ralph w. Powers and Lansdale @.
Clagett Of Prince Georges said they
had not studied the bill sufficiently to
comment. Powers, who recently re-
tired as head Of the Hyattsville Cham
Der Of Commerce, said he did not be-
neve that body would take stand on
the measure, although the Baltimore
Association Of Commerce has opposed
one which exceeds the minimum re-
Quirements of Federal legislation.
Delegate Shirley Hays of Montgom-
cry did not attend the opening session
because Of illness In his family.
Back Of some Of the Assemblymen's
feticence was believed a conviction the
State should pass legislation conform
ing to that of the Federal Government
now, 30 there would be no quetsion of
approval by the National Social Sc
curity Board.
Any legislation would necessarily be
experimental, 1t was observed, and
subject to revision at the regular ses-
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