Evening star., 1941-02-28
Bill 10 Relax
Hasty Marriage
Law Proposed
Maryland License
Waiting Period
Would Be Killed
Assembly routine on Page A-20J

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 28.-Delegate
Frederick Houck, Democrat, OF
Baltimore County announced today
he would introduce legislation to
eliminate the 48-hour waiting period
before marriage licenses can be is
sued in Maryland.
His proposal came in the face OF
mounting indignation over an ap-
parent circumvention of Marylands
hasty-marriage prevention law
which already has enabled Elkton
to regain much of it's popularity as
a Gretna Green.
Clergymen condemned the issu-
ance of court orders, on the basis OF
physicians certificates, waving the
48-hour marriage delay.
Senator Wilmer Fell Davis, Re-
publican, of Caroline County, author
of the law to prevent nasty mar
riaqes. said he heard that 80 per
cent of the marriage licenses at Elk-
ton last year were issued through
court orders waving the 48-hour
delay. Some waivers were granted,
1t was reported, on physicians
statements certifying impending
motherhood.
Amendment Studied.
Mr.. Davis today considered the
feasibility of amending the law to
make it a felony for a physician TO
falsify a certificate of pregnancy to
expedite the issuance of marriage
permits.
Meanwhile, introduction of the
administration teachers salary
equalization bill was in prospect to-
day. Passage of the measure, to
give Negro teachers the same salary
as white, will clear the way for the
presentation of the Governors sup
Elemental budget.
The legislation would increase the
tax rate of 10 counties by 8 cents
during the next biennium; impose
a special tax on haf-mlle race
tracks and dedicate surpluses IN
the State Education Departments
funds and in liquor revenues to
the equalization account.
House to Meet Nights, Too.
Speaker Thomas e. Conlon
meanwhile announced the House
would meet night and day, except
for Friday, in an effort to avert a
lam at the end of the session.
More than 900 bills still are tied
up In House and Senate commit
tees with additional measures pill
ing in daily. .--~I
Four tax bills drawn by the State
Tax Revision Commission landed
in the House yesterday, under Mr..
Conlon's name One would increase
the tax on insurance premiums to
2 per cent and generally revise in
surance tax legislation, another
would revamp estate and Inherit
ance taxation, third would change
inheritance taxes in connection with
real estate, and the fourth would
permit county commissioners and
Baltimore City officials to exempt
household furniture from city or
county taxation.
Majority Floorleader John S.
White offered a bill which would
provide for payment of all motor
vehicle fines and forfeitures to the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
without any deductions "by any
public officer for commissions or
otherwise"
Liquor Bill Introduced.
Delegate Joseph Gately, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore, proposed legisla-
ton to prohibit Sunday sale of alco-
holic beverages in Baltimore City,
subject to a referendum. Another
bill by Delegate Henry Baynes,
Democrat, of Baltimore, would i'm
pose an excise tax of per cent on
the gross income from operation or
leasing of race track totalizatorS.
Senator Wilmer Cronin, Demo-
crat, of Hartford, and Early A. Ship
ley, Republican, of Carroll, intro
duced amendments permitting
nine-judge Court of Appeals. The
additional judge would be elected
from Baltimore City.
Mr.. Cronin explained to the SEN
ate that the bill did not mean he
and Mr.. Shipley opposed a State Bar
Association plan for streamlined
six-judge appellate court whose
judges would handle no trial work
at all. The nine-judge plan would
be an alternative if the other bill
were defeated, he said.
Legislation calling for another
constitutional amendment, permit
ting establishment of salaries of
court clerks and registers of wills by
law, was introduced by Senator
Emanuel Gorfine, Democrat, of Bal
timore.
Bill to Legalize Bingo.
A bill to legalize bingo games in
Frederick County for charitable
purposes was offered in the House
by Delegates Charles S. Houck, Dom
aid Gardner, j. Tyson Lee and Ben
janin Rosenstock, Frederick County
Democrats.
Joint resolutions requesting the
Governor to appoint a five-man
commission to consider revision Of
Maryland's six. congressional dis
tricts and the legislative council to
study gambling laws also were intro
duced in the House.
Another House measure would
authorize a free Maryland fishing
license for the President of the
United States, Governors of States
or authorized officials of fish and
game departments of other States.
Calvert County Faces
FL d. A.