The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-06-05
PETITIONS ASK
REFERENDUM ON
HOUSE BILL 1856
Affects Recent Legislation Di-
viding the County Into Three
County Commissioner Districts

OOunJy commissioner DlSJHlcGS
Although Governor Herbert r.
O'Conor signed the County Commits
sioner bill last Thursday, there is no
chance that twill go into effect until
1916, and possibly not then, as the re-
suit of some petitions that have been
signed by voters of the county, asking
that the bill be put to vote of the
people.
The bill which is known as House
bill 1856, would establish three dis
tricts in Garrett county for the cleo
ton of the County Commissioners,
providing that one commissioner
shall be elected from each district.
The first district would include the
first, fourth, tenth, twelfth and
thirteenth election districts; the sec
ond district, the second, third, fifth,
sixth, ninth, eleventh and fifteenth
| election districts; and the third dis
trict, the seventh, eighth, fourteenth
and sixteenth election districts.
The bill provides that one commits
sioner shall be elected from among
the voters residing in each County
Commissioners district by the gener-
al vote of the county.
Discussion and arguments both pro
and con as to the ultimate good of
this bill have been heard frequently.
There are those saying that the bill
would stop the possibility of having
all three commissioners from one sec
ton of the county. There are those
who do not like the fact that every
voter in every election district would
be able to help elect commissioner
from one particular commissioner dis
trict. They point out that only the
voters in the commissioner district af-
fected, should have the say as to who
should be elected from that district.
AS soon as the Governor signed the
bill, Commissioners G. Blaine Giess-
man and Cheston H. Browning, and
possibly others, circulated petitions
asking the voters to request that this
question be put to vote of the peo-
pie in 1912 under a referendum.
A tenth of the vote at the last reg
ular election, or 624 names, were
required to be obtained before the
petition could be granted. There have
been 581 names signed to petitions
which have been turned in to the Sec
rotary of State, Murray G. Hooper,
and those seeking the petitions have
been granted 80 days to get the addi-
| tional Al.
Other Bills Signed
Governor O'Conor last Thursday
signed into law thirty-eight bills in
Guiding the controversial anti-sabo-
tage, truck weight and retail INSTALL
ment sales MISUNDERSTANDING the
total number of new laws placed on
statute books to 854.
The days bills were the last of the
997 General acknowledgement
measures to be placed before the Gov
ernor. Maryland law required him to
dispose of the remaining legislative
proposals by June l.
The governor vetoed twenty-three
bills, topped in Importance by the
perishable foods and parole measures,
bringing the total legislative pro-
posals rejected to eighty three.
In addition to the anti-sabotage
truck weight and retail installment
sales bills, other major laws enacted
would:
Exempt from taxation used motor
vehicles taken in trade by motor We
hicle dealers; increase judges pen
sions; outlaw Shutdown strikes, and
divorce the state loan laws admins
traitor from jurisdiction of the state
banking commissioner.