Evening star., 1941-03-23
Record Budget
Is Approved
AT Annapolis
Other Major Bills
| Advance Toward
Final Passage
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, March 22.-Heading
into the home stretch drive to sine
die adjournment March 81, Mary
lands General Assembly today en-
acted into law an all-time high
SLOT 1872 State budget for 1923
and advanced important State ad-
mlnlstration legislation toward final
passage.
The huge appropriation bill was
the third major measure to be
placed on the statute books. Several
weeks ago Gov. OConor affixed his
signature to legislation reducing the
State income tax and creating a
State Home Guard.
Meanwhile. the Senate Finance
Committee cleared its files of all
State administration measures. fa-
vorably reporting out the State tax
rate, bond issue and Claiborne
Annapolis ferry and track bills.
To Be Taken Up Monday.
Enactment of the budget paved
the way for action on these pro-
poSalS. They would reduce the State
real estate tax from 1885 cents per
Sl00 of assessed valuation of prop
erty to 20.75 cents in 1943; create
S2,2l7,000 bond issue for capital
improvements in the next biennium;
authorize the purchase of the Ciai-
Indianapolis ferry and impose a
special tax on half-mile race tracks
to help finance equalization of COL
ored and white teachers salaries.
Senator Dudley G. Roe majority
floorleader, said this batch of leg
lSlation would be taken up Monday.
The State bond issue measure has
been amended, reducing the amount
of the bonds from $4,l7300O to 81
2l7000. Gov. O'Conor decided to
postpone construction of two State
hospitals and the erection of other
new State buildings.
Marriage Law Approved.
A measure Strengthening the
Maryland marriage law was among
bills passed by the upper chamber
and sent to the House for approval.
1t would prohibit judges from is
suing court orders waving the a.
| hour marriage law delay unless one
of the contracting parties was a
bonaf1de Maryland resident.
Senator Wilmer Fell Davis, Repub-
Hcan, of Caroline, who authored the
measure. and other proponents de-
feated efforts to delay action on the
bill. 1t passed by 23-to-6 vote.
/ To advance the Governors blue
f1nhn11' mi ictY =
lists forced delay on consideration of
the fllibuster- provoking bill to open
the Potomac River to oyster hand
Scrapers.
4 The measure, ready for final pas
sage, was made special order of
business for 8 pm. Monday. The
motion to delay action, put by Sem
ator Philip H. Dorsey. Democrat. of
st. Marys, second-ranking admin
istrationist, who opposes the meas
ure, was carried by a l 5to 13 vote.
House in Good Shape.
Gov. OConor. speaking about leg
islative efforts to avoid a last-minuta
jam. said:
The situation as of today is very
much better than it was at this time
during the 1889 session. The House
is in good shape. The Senate FL
nance Committee has finished con-
sidering all Senate bills before it."
House Speaker Thomas Conlon
expressed hope the Legislature would
adjourn sine die before midnight
March 81, when the 90-day period
allotted by the State constitution
will close
The State budget automatically
became law when the House con-
CURED in Senate amendments and
passed the measure by a 88-to-6
vote.
AS originally introduced, it called
for expenditures of Sl06 664 ,021.
The House, adopting Gov. O'Conors
supplemental budget and commits
tee amendments. boosted appropria-
tions by S914O01.
At its session early today the Sen.
ate voted net reductions of S499..
701, bringing the budget down to
SLOT 1853, ,722. Although this sum is
appropriated, the Senate directed
the State Board of Public Works to
lmpound S2OO,OO0 during the next
two years by making general cuts
in appropriations.
Welfare Body Hardest Hit.
The State Department of Public
Welfare was the hardest hit agency
by the new budget. The House
adopted the Governors recon-
mendationS and chopped S216,00O ~
welfare funds, and the upper cham
ber, on its own initiative, sliced
off another 100000
The House reversed itself and
adopted Senate amendments elimi-
mating budget provision of Sat-
678 for the installation and opera
ton of a police teletype system.
When it first considered the budget
the lower chamber rejected a SIM
liar amendment.