Evening star., 1939-01-03
Caucus 10 Pick
Legislatures
Officers Tonight
Brice's Election
Seen as President Of
Maryland Senote
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd, Jan. 3.-The
1899 General Assembly will be or
ganized at caucus of Democratic
members tonight, and with the ira
ditional uncertainty of politics pre-
vailing no one could say for sure
who would emerge as key men of the
9O-day session. =
The caucus will be a prelude to
the convening of the 9O-day session
tomorrow, when Republican Gov.
Nice will deliver the last message
of his four-year term. Democratic
Gov.-elect Herbert r. O'Conor will
be inaugurated January IL.
Mr.. O'Conor has indicated he
would not attempt to dictate Sc
lection of the presiding officers of
the Legislature or the chairmen of
the key committees. 1t is certain,
however, that men sympathetic to
him will be elected.
1t has been the custom of past
Legislatures to have the presid-
ing officer Of one of the houses come
from Baltimore City and the other
from one of the counties.
Election Of Brice Seen.
This year Senator Arthur H. Brice
Of Kent County has been indorsed
by Eastern Shore Democratic legis-
lators for president of the State
Senate to succeed Senator Lansdale
G.. Sasscer Of Prince Georges, who
retired to run for the Democratic
nomination for Governor.
Many observers contend Mr..
Brice's election is certain. There is
no such certainty, however, about
the nomination for Speaker of the
House, a post held last year by
Emanuel Gorfine of Baltimore, now
State Senator-elect.
Delegate Thomas E. Conlon of
Baltimore appeared to be the out
standing city candidate for speaker
ship. Delegates Walter j. Locke.
John Conry, Lawrence Appel and
Leon Abramson, all of Baltimore,
also have been mentioned for the
post.
Leading contender for chairman
of the powerful Senate Finance
Committee is Senator Dudley G..
Roe of Queen Anne's County.
Clarke Claims Backing.
Delegate John E. Clarke of Har-
ford County. candidate for the post
OF majority floor leader in the House,
which carries the chairmanship of
the Ways and Means Committee,
announced that several agricultural
leaders favored his nomination.
Among them he listed Harry H.
Nuttle, president of the Maryland
Farm Bureau Federation; Clarence
M. Roberts of Prince Georges
County, legislative agent for the
Southern Maryland tobacco indus
try; Miss Mary E. W. Risteau, former
State Senator from Hartford County,
and j. w. Snoody, president of the
Maryland Poultry Council
Also in the running for the floor
leadership are Delegates P. Elliott
Burroughs of Wicomico County, Leo
Moore of Hartford County and John
S. White of Prince Georges County.
Republican legislators also will
hold their procession caucus to-
night to choose the minority Senate
and House floor leaders.
The Senate will probably be short
one Senator when the new solons
take their oaths tomorrow. Mayor
Louis N. Phipps of Annapolis, Anne
Arundel Senator-elect. said he prob
ably would not take the oath until
next week. His audit of city finances
is not complete, and he does not
plan to resign as Mayor until he re-
ports to the Council next Monday.
Mr.. Phipps is to entertain the
Democratic Senators and members
of the State Central Committee at
a pre-caucus buffet supper tonight.