Evening star., 1941-03-30
Liquor Bill
'ShakedoWn'
Brings Probe
Offer of $500
To Kill Measure
Is Reported
Hy the Associated Press.


ANNAPOLIS. Md, March 29.-On
the threshold of adjournment,
Marylands General Assembly sud-
denly instituted a formal investi-
cation tonight into an alleged legls-
lative "shakedoWn racket ana
shipped through third reading files
bulging with bills up for final pas
sage.
The Senate Grand Inquest Com
mittee summoned Lawrence j.
Lockwood of Baltimore to appear
here following testimony that
man had offered to kill legislation
for cash remuneration.
Wallace J. Smith. general man
ager of the Read Drug & Chemical
Co, testified before a Senate Tenn
perance Committee that his COM
pany had been approached three
separate times by a man who at
tempted to negotiate snake
down
The man, Mr.. Smith said, offered
to halt passage of a measure Wnlch
would allow chain store organlza-
tions to sell liquor at only one OF
their stores.
Mr.. Smith said sum of S2,500'
was mentioned during his conver-
satiGn with the man, who, the COM
panv official declared, remarked
that the measure was near pas
sage.
Prepared to Crack Whip"
Administrationists prepared to
"crack the whip" if necessary to
get Gov. OConor's fiscal leglsla-
ton through the Assembly before
the weekend adjournment.
The administration fiscal nllis
topping the third reading tlleS are
those reducing the State real estate
tax. authorizing a bond issue Tor
capital improvements and enaphng
the State Roads Commission TO
purchase the Claiborne-AnnapohS
Ferry.
Also near the head of the list are
the Governor conservation ana
race track measures. The conSerVa-
tion bill would set up a board OF
natural resources TO coordinate
the conservation activities OF state
departments. The proposed board
would have control over the State
Forestry Department, now under
Jurisdiction of the University OF
Maryland.
The other bill would impose
per cent tax on all bets placed at
half-mile race tracks, the revenue
to be used to help defray the cost
of equahzing Negro and white
teachers salaries.
Will Press Court Bill.
Gov. O'Conor's- followers plan to
press for final passage of the
administrations Court Of Appeals
reorganization measure without
further delay. 1t would create a
six-iudge body to hear appellate
cases only. Two of the jurists would
come from Baltimore and four from
the counties.
Opponents threaten to fllibuster
until the sessions end to defeat the
proposal. The proposal was brought
out on the Senate floor with fav-
orable report. Since it proposes
an amendment to the constitution,
18 votes are required for its passage.
Early in the day the upper
chamber passed so measures, send
ing them all to the Governor for his
signature. Among these were pro-
posals to prohibit the taking of
crabs by trap and to require persons
filing certificates of nomination for
State Offices to pay 25-cent fee for
each name on the petition.
The fees would be used to defray
expenses of publishing the list.
Signers also would have to print
their names on the petitions and
give the precinct or ward in which
they live.
Rider" Is Defeated.
Senator Robert B. Kimble, Re-
publican, of Allegany sought unsuc-
cessfully to attach a rider" to the
measure to repeal the Declarations
of Intentions Act. 1t requires per-
sons from out of State moving into
MARYLAND to announce their in
tentions year before they are en-
titled to vote.
A similar repeater was defeated
in the Senate several days ago.
The upper chamber also adopted
a favorable report on bill to pro-
hibit interference with the move
ment of periShable goods in intra-
state commerce.
On the House side, Delegate
Charles G. Lord, Democrat, of Bal
timore County issued a statement
accusing lobbyists for foreign rail-
roads and public utilities of attempt
ing to undermine State admins
tration proposal to tax foreign cor
porations.
The lobbyists want continued the
existing system of assessment OF
railroad and utility property, he
said. The assessments now are made
by local county authorities. The
Y,ropoSed law would Dlace this au-