Evening star., 1941-03-08
.AnnapoIisHeads
For Rows0v
Three Subjects
Budget, Fireworks and
Oyster WroneIes
Due Next Week
BY the Associated Press.


ANNAPOLIS, March 8. - Ths
Maryland Legislature appeared to-
day to be heading into entangle-
ments next week over such contro-
versial subjects as the budget, fire.
works and oysters.
The General Assembly adjourned
yesterday until Monday night after
the House had sent S107. .443, 900 ap-
propriations bill to third reading for
final passage and the Senate had en-
gagged in another heated wrangls
over oysters
Laid over until Monday night was
the administration prohibitory fire.
works bill, amended by the Senate
Judiciary Committee to give the in
surance commissioner authority to
approve fireworks he considers safe
for children.
Senator Cecil Squier, Democrat. Of
Cecil, who himself has introduced a
regulatory fireworks measure, has
promised a fight against the admin
istration's prohibitory measure. sup-
ported by group of Senators whose
strength has not yet been tested.
Special Order of Business.
Mr.. Squiers own measure has been
made a special order of business for
Thursday, as has the bill to permit
women to serve on juries, which was
reported unfavorably.
The House yesterday overrode
amendments to reduce Gov. O'Con-
or's mountaineering budget and in
stead approved amendments which
would add about $750000 to the orig
inal s106 664 900 measure.
Lone budget increase voted down
during the f1ve-hour session was
a Ways and Means Committee rec
ommendation to add $4,000 for an
electric voting device in the House.
Among the House approved
amendments was one to increase
the legislative budget by $4,000.
Part of this sum is to pay salaries
of additional legislators. Frederick,
Montgomery and Dorchester Coun-
ties are entitled to additional repre-
Sentation in the next General AS
sembly as a result of the census.
Little Further Debate Due
When the budget bill comes up
again Monday the House is expected
to send it to the Senate with httls
further debate.
What treatment the appropria-
tions bill-now combining the Gov
ernors original and supplemental
budgets-will receive in the upper
chamber is problematical.
The Senate Finance COMMITTEES
has given no indication of what 1t
thinks about the budget and little
open discussion has been heard in
the Senate.
Senators Philip H. Dorsey, ir.,
Democrat, of st. Marys, and Elwood
Die, Republican, of Somerset.
whose battle over oysters has had
the Senate in a turmoil, almost
came to blows yesterday
They exchanged heated words
after adjournment had cut short de-
bate on Mr.. Dies bill to permit
handScrapers to operate in the Po-
tomac River.
Dorsey Opposes Measure.
Mr.. Dorsey has opposed the meas
ure vigorously and earlier in the
week set out to talk it to death in q
fllibuster ended by a compromise.
In the House, Delegate Bertram
Boone, Democrat. of Baltimore pro-
posed a bill to raise the pay and
rank of three State police staff off,
GERS, including Supt. Beverly Ober.
Col Ober would become commits
sioner" with the rank of colonel at
$4,000 instead of $4,000 annually.
The second in command of the
| department would be a major at
$4,000 and the next in line would be
a captain and field officer at $500.
! The bill was intended to elevate
| Capt. Edward NICK. Johnson, pres
ent executive officer, and 1t. Ruxton
Ridgely. present field force Ohm
| mander.
Another salary bill, by Delegate
John C. Luber, Democrat, of Balti-
more, would raise the pay of Chair
man George R. Mitchell of the
Board of Motion Picture Censors
from s2,4OO to $4,000.
Wants Commission Increased.
Delegate Rudolph Behounek, DEM
ocrat, of Baltimore introduced a
measure to increase the membership
of the State Industrial Accident
Commission from four to five, with
the fifth commissioner a labor rep
reSentative.
Terms of the present commits
sioners would be extended to permit
| staggered termination and, on the
expiration of each term, the Sue
ceeding commissioners would be
named to f1ve-year terms under the
! bill.
Legislation to deny the State en-
ployment commissioner the right TO
disqualify an applicant for a merit
system job because of age or minor
physical defect was offered by DELE
gate Charles F. Argabright, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore.
The bill specifies that over-ags
persons also could be employed
under certain other conditions if
they waived pension rights.
Taxpayers Groups Plan Fight.
Meanwhile in Baltimore taxpayers
groups were reported lining up for
Statewide opposition to any budget
increases.
Harry S. Middendorf, president of
the Taxpayers League of Baltimore
County and chairman of the State
wide Council of the Citizens Stats
Budget Emergency Committee, said
taxpayers leagues had been formed
in nearly every county in the State.
Mr.. Middendorf berated Gov.
O'Conor for the size of the budget
and asserted it was a tragic step
backwards" for increases to be made
after two months of study ostenably
directed to reducing the appropria-
tionS measure.