The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-01-26
.LOUNGING
WITH THE
LOBBYISTS
Annapolis, Md, Jan 25, 1889.


Although the lobbyists have been
driven from the floor of the house of
delegates we are still at our posts
George Lewis, veteran lobbyist, and
myself. We have taken refuge in the
halls and in the balcony and 1 find
that the new quarters offer a perfect
spot from which to follow members of
the Garrett county delegation.
The committee appointments are
now complete and in looking over the
roster we find that Delegate Groves,
chairman of the county group due to
previous experience at the State
House, has been named to the follow
ing committees: Art. 3, Sec. q, Con-
stitution; International Improve
ments; and Retaliation and Assess
ments. Nelson Brenneman was placed
on four committees: Civil Service
Reform; Federal Relations; Militia
and Railroads and Canals.
Mountain Lakes contribution to the
House, Darwin Martin, drew the most
important assignment when he was
placed on the Claims committee which
is the lower house committee on fl
nance. Martin was also named to the
groups dealing with Insolvencies and
Expiring Laws.
1t seems rather strange that only
one delegate from all of Western
Maryland has been placed on the COM
mittee dealing with Fish and Game,
and stranger still that it should be
Miss Elizabeth Doub, of Allegany
county. In spite of the oversight il
the selection of the House group
Senator Clifford Friend was selected
as one of the members of the Senate
on the same subject and so all of
Western Maryland must turn to the
Senator from Garrett for representa-
ton in matters pertaining to Fish and
Game. Senator Friend has been made
a member of eight additional COM
mittees. They are, Agriculture and
Labor, Civil Service and Election Re-
form, Elections, Fish and Game, Ju-
dicial Proceedings, Printing, Re-
trenchment and Expenses State Gov
eminent, Sanitary Conditions of State,
ororoo
In checking the party affiliation of
the lawmakers it is nothing short of
a miracle that Garrett and Allegany
should receive any recognition at all.
There are 104 Democrats in the House
and 16 Republicans while across the
hall in the Senate chamber we find
% Democrat Senators and who are
carrying the banner of the Grand Old
Party.
An item concerning Garrett county
and the beer tax was revealed this
week in the report of the commission
which has been studying the question
of alcoholic beverages. The committee
has recommended that all tax from
beer and liquor should go to the state
for revenue and other purposes and
that the Garrett county tax is incon-
sistent in as much as it is the only
local tax in the state. The members
of the county delegation will of course
fight any move which suggests a di-
version of the county bee tax.
Of particular importance and inter
est to the taxpayers of the county
is the bill which has been introduced
by Senator Friend requiring the
County Commissioners to advertise in
one or more newspapers in the county
before making any purchase or sale |
in excess of 100000. This bill is ap-
parently the result of recent purchases
of road equipment made by the COM
missioners.
Senator Friend has also introduced |
bill making it mandatory that the
county commissioners levy in 1889 the /
sum of $4,000 for the construction
and equipping of public school build
ing in Bloomington.
Delegation measures introduced this |
week include a bill providing for an
increase in the salaries of election
officials who are required to work
ocertime The Oakland bond bill has