Evening star., 1939-04-04
Closes
After Turning Back
Clock Z Hours
Huge Stack Of Bills
Speedily Passed
In Annapolis
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd, April 4.-The
Maryland General Assembly ad-
journed its 1899 session sine die to-
day after an all-night meeting in
which the clocks were kept turned
back from midnight for nearly IL
hours.
The Senate adjourned at 1902
am and the House wound up its
business nine minutes later at l1:1l
am.
Senator Dudley G. Roe, Demo-
crate, Of Queen Annes, majority
floor leader Of the Upper House,
moved the final adjournment with
tears, in his eyes, conveying to the
Senator's the thanks of Gov. O'Conor
for their labors.
Across the hall the Delegates still
debated a st. Marys County bill on
which a conference committee had
been called when the two branches
failed to agree on amendments.
Since before dawn, the Senate
had marked time, its files clear,
while the jammed-up bills of the
House were cleared out and sent
over for passage or concurrence in
amendments. Senate leaders said
they could have adjourned by l an.
had it not been for the delay in the
lower branch.
In addition to the tie-up on the
local bills, the House leadership had
difficulty rounding up quorum of
6l members-necessary to official ad-
journment.
Expected floor battles failed to
develop in the House, and the weary
delegates acquiescently passed a
huge stack of accumulated bills in
near-record time without opposi-
ton.
After the hot debate in the House
and subsequent enactment of bill
licensing pinball machines-sub-
sequently killed by the Senate-the
delegates were entire docile and
intent only on clearing the clogged
calendar and getting to bed.
The Senate action in the waning
hours Of the 1889 session climaxed
a long night of routine legislating
The House battle over the pinball
bill, which was designed to yield
revenues to finance a Statewide
syphilis control program and in
crease grants to State-aided charita-
BILE institutions. had been brewing
since early in the session.
The Senate, however, gave the bill;
short shrift, voting to make it a
special order of bushes for All Fools
Day, l940-killing the proposal with
a flourish. after the House had
passed it 10 to 81.
Clocks Turned Back.
Action was taken on a number OF
bills in the interminable final ses-
sion. including number of the ad-
ministration must" measures.
Major legislation enacted included
passage Of the bill, backed by Gov.
OConor. to reform the coroner's
system and replace lay coroners
with medical examiners. reorgani-
zation of the parole department
and reform OF the magistrates
courts. The magistrates bill, how
ever, was due to be recalled in the
Senate for further changes.
The Senate. by a 15-14 vote, killed
the measure prohibiting the sale of
fireworks in Maryland. This meas
ure, sponsored by the Society for
the Prevention of Blindness and al
lied civic groups. was bitterly fought
through the House, but died within
step of enactment in a dramatic
Senate finale.
Jury Measure Dies.
The bill to legalize jury service
for women died in the judicial Pro-
ceedings Committee when down.
county Senators maintained the
traditional stand against women
on juries and refused to bring the
bill back to the floor. The proposal
was introduced in the House by
the four women delegates and was
enacted on close vote after long
argument.
Check on legislative files today
showed that the legislation pro-
posed by the Governors Bowman
Commission for Governmental Re-
organization had been enacted In
majority of instances.
Bills passed both Houses included
a State salary standardization sur
vey; study of the States higher ed
ucational system; sick leave and va
cations for State employees; creation
OF the department of budget and
procurement; abolition of the State
mechanical engineering department:
abolition Of the assistant adjutant
generals office: reorganization of
the veterans commission: reorgan-
ization of the State hospitals set
up: creation of legislative council.
The administration threw it's
weight back of the Bowman COM
mission legislation. The Bowman
proposals to extend the merit sys-
tenn failed to reach enactment. The
proposal for reorganization of the
conservation department failed, and
a compromise separating Chesa-
peake Bay fisheries and upland
game conservation was adopted.
The Bowman plan for centraliz-
ing all vocational and professional
licensing boards under one State
department was dropped by the ad-
ministration in the face of opposi-
ton, and the proposal to reorganize
the State Roads Commission was
also jettisoned. Establishment of
an industrial relations department
was dropped.