The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-03-16
LOUINGING
WITH THE
LOBBYISTS
Annapolis. March IA,


In the past few weeks it has been
our opportunity to have certain cor
respondence with Legislators from the
neighboring states of Pennsylvania
and West Virginia.
1t is interesting to note that the
legislatures of both are working on
proposed social legislation which,
when passed, will be definite steps to-
ward the making of better and saner
next generation. There is already d
state law in West Virginia which re-
quires that all persons who have any
thing whatsoever to do with the prep
aration of food for public consumption
be subjected each year to a Wesser-
man test. The same law pertains to
all persons engaged in the active
operation of beauty parlors and bar
Der shops. The new sterilization bill,
recently introduced in the West Vir-
ginia Legislature, is spurred on by
the realization that the present race
of man is slowly degenerating and
that mans intellectual and heredity
level is each year taking an appalling
nosedive.
1t is strange indeed that the noun
tain, often called "hill-billy", State of
West Virginia, should be years ahead
of our own Maryland in the adoption
of laws which will most definitely
make the world more desirable place
in which to live. Could it be that the
Maryland Legislature is too stepped
in petty politics to consider the health
and future welfare of it's consti-
tuents? Or is it that our legislators
are too busy fighting over the age old
problem of conservation of natural re-
sources to think of the conservation
of the next generation The conserva-
ton program which will probably be
adopted will be nothing short of plan
for Easternshoremen only; so why not
spend some of the final moments of
the session in drafting bills which will
protect us when we eat in public and
when we sit in the barber chair and
the beauty parlor. More important,
let's see that our Legislature thinks
seriously about this question of race
I degeneracy and perhaps we can fol-
low in the footsteps of West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, and California, and do
at least some primary work to end
the parade of the production of the
unfit by the unfit. This is serious
business and must be dealt with
seriously|et's get in on the ground
floor and follow the pioneering spirit
which will surely make West Virginia
a greater and better state.
Now that our word has been said
for social betterment we are reminded
that our primary duty is to report
the proceedings of the Maryland
Legislature and particularly the work
ings of the Garrett county delegation.
AS you see by the dailies the Legis-
lature in general has accomplished
little; however, our county delegation
has been working on bills which, when
passed, should put a temporary end TO
the financial difficulties of the county.
A bill is now in the legislative mill
which requires the Commissioners, or
rather empowers them to pay interest
on all orders issued prior to Deem
Der, 1885, This date is of course prior
to the coming into office of the present
commissioners. An additional bill
which is also designed to take care of
the outstanding vouchers is also on
the way. 1t provides that all delin-
quent taxes to 1910 be applied solely
for the retirement of outstanding
county orders or vouchers.
A bill which empowers the county
treasurer to borrow $4,000 before the
first of the year has also been intro
duced and this will bring the total