Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-04-14

ciary are the two measures affecting
magistrates in the Peoples Court ano
the Traffic Court of Baltimore City
BY these new measures, costs have
been radically reduced in the Peoples
Court, to make it truly Poor Mans
Court; the number of constables has
been reduced by almost two-thirds
and the effect of all this undoubtedly
will be to put the Peoples Court or
higher plane than it has ever been
and to win for it generally the re-
spect of every litigant.
The Traffic Court will be complete
ly reorganized, to release the high
ranking police officers now serving
there to other duties more in keeping
with their position and their pay, and
to give the Traffic Court Justices
power to revoke the licenses Of drivers
who are convicted in their courts
something not heretofore possible, but
generally conceded to be most desir-
able.
The most vital problem that faced
the state at the outset of his admin
istration, in Governor O'Conor's opin-
ion, was that of reestablishing the
States finances on a sound founda-
ton. To do this involved seven dis
tinct major undertakings, to wit:
LIST: The adoption of a budget
which would appropriate sufficient
funds to meet all actual Government
tai necessities, but would eliminate
all non-essentials:
End: Abandonment of the practice of
borrowing to meet current obligations.
Srd: Restoration in full of the roads
system of the counties and the State
of the $S,S00,00 a year which has,
for some years, been diverted to meet
the costs of other State activities.
9TH: Recognition of the States OBJ
legation in the matter of general pub
lie assistance, old age assistance, aid
to the blind and to dependent chill
dren, etc., and further recognition of
the unacceptable fact that the only
sane way to handle these provisions
was to include them in the regular
State budget. Thus they could be pro-
vided for on a permanent basis, in
stead of the slipshod temporary bases
of special taxation hitherto employ
ed.
9Th: Adoption of a tax program
which would insure sufficient revenue
to balance the budget-and which
would distribute the burden fairly a.
mong the people of the State.
9th: Establishment of a permanent
Bureau of Budget Control, to work
with the Governor and the Board of
Public Works in close supervision
of expenditures and requirements, and
to make recommendations concerning
the elimination of waste and ineffi-
cheney in administration.
7th: To bring about a substantial
reduction, during the next two years
in the bonded Indebtedness of the
State, and to restrict the creation
of new debt to capital needs.
All this has been achieved, Governor
O'Conor is happy to say, with the re-
suit that the credit and financial sta
bility of Maryland has been definite
ly reestablished. By September, 1871
he further adds, reduction, of 3d.
100000 in the bonded Indebtedness of
the State will have been affected.
At the same time, the State has
provided $5,OOO,0OO for relief, an a.
mount which relief authorities have
declared to be adequate: and has al
lotted large amounts for agricultural
pursuits in order to assist the farm
ers, planters. growers and poultry
men. In addition, there now will be
available all the money which has
been saved for this purpose by stop
ping the practice of gasoline tax di-
version. AS a result of this latter,
Maryland from now on will have more
money to spend on its roads than
ever before in its history.
Concerning the Public School Sys-
tenn, there was enacted a law eleva-
ting the standards and improving the
classification and salaries of teach