Evening star., 1941-03-18
Battle Lines Drawn
As Assembly Gets
Controversial Bills
Maryland Senate Set
For Fight on Teachers Pay
And Judges Pensions
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, March 13.-Battle
lines were drawn in the General
Assembly today as "powder-keg"
legislation was rolled onto the
Senate floor for action.
Senators squared off for major
skirmish over fireworks. equaliza-
ton of teachers salaries and
judges pensions.
State administration forces were
out to force adoption of a favorable
report on the Legislative Councils
prohibitory fireworks measure, ap-
proved by Gov. O'Conor.
Senator Robert Kimble, Repub-
lican, of Allegany, who has threat
ened to filibuster if necessary to de-
feat the judges pension bill, renewed
his efforts to have action on this
measure postponed indefinitely.
Mr.. Kimble termed the measure,
to increase judges pensions, vicious
and discriminatory"
Teachers Pay Bill.
The administration proposal to
help finance equalization of Negro
and white teachers salaries by
raising the tax rate 3 cents in 20
counties in the next biennium was
attacked by Western Maryland
Senators last week.
At afternoon and night sessions
yesterday, the Legislature received
% new bills, % of them in the
House. The lower chamber passed
81 measures, sending 10 to the Gov
ernor for his signature.
Scholarship Bills Passed.
Legislation providing for 207 free
tuition scholarships to the Univer-
sity of Maryland and % to Princess
Anne Academy for Negroes was
among the measures passed. The
bill was placed before the Senate
today.
DR.. H. C. Byrd, university presi-
dent. has approved this measure but
opposes one awaiting Gov. O'Conor's
scholarships to the university's
Medical School at Baltimore.
In another effort to make ad-
journment on schedule possible, the
House will devote tomorrow and
Thursday to its heavy log of local
bills.
The Senate Finance Committee
which voted yesterday to shelve leg
islation under which employers
with good merit rating" would pay
lower unemployment compensation
taxes-prepared today to review Gov.
O'Conor's $1O7,443,O00 budget bill.
Gov. O'Conor had asked the COM
mittee to act today so the key
finance bill can be reported out
without delay.
Auto Tag Sales.
In the House-where most of yes
terday's legislative action conferred
a Senate bill to authorize issuance
of automobile tags at county seats
was recommitted to the Ways and
Means Committee.
In moving for reconsideration of
the tag measure, on which an un-
favorable report had been adopted
previously, Mr.. White said "a couple
of Eastern Shore counties" wanted
the bill.
Among major Statewide bills in
troduced in the House yesterday was
one to permit juries to save from the
death penalty persons convicted Of
assault with intent to commit rape.
The measure, by Delegate Ralph
w. Powers, Democrat, of Prince
Georges, would amend the present
law making the death penalty man
datory in such cases except in the
courts discretion.
School Bill Offered.
Delegate John S. White, Democrat,
of Prince Georges authorized legisla-
ton to authorize county school
boards to extend the years of school,
ing or grades of instruction in pub
lie schools.
Other new House bills would:
Permit persons arrested for traffic
law violations to leave a cash COL
lateral instead of bond for hearing
later; prohibit operation of shooting
galleries or rifle ranges within 300
feet of any church: permit motor
passenger buses to have a gross load
of 10000 pounds; amend present law
so that compliance with provisions
of cooperative law shall not Of it
self" make foreign corporations sub
ject to suit in Maryland.