Evening star., 1941-03-20
Senate TakesU Up
Sunday Dry Bill;
Jam Is Faced
Maryland Chamber
Has 10 Days Left to
Act on Mass of Work
BY TIE Associated Press.

BY tLt Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, March 20.-A har-
ried Senate with only 10 days left to
act on the major portion of the
administration must" bills today
gingerly picked up piece of legisla-
tive dynamite-a measure for State
wide Sunday prohibition"
1t would ban LIQUOR and beer sales
between midnight Saturday and 6
am. Monday, and it threatens to
blast the Senate open with uncom-
promising debate.
The Sunday closing" bill is one
of two special orders for the day.
The other is a measure aimed
against the administrations pro-
posal to "streamline" the Court of
Appeals, and it counts many sup
porters.
The two bid fair to take up one of
the previous days remaining for Sen
atorS who still must push through
such measures as the budget, the
appeals court bill, the fireworks ban,
and half dozen other major bills.
Dry Bill Favorably Reported.
The Sunday dry bill introduced in
the Senate, came out of the upper
chambers Temperance Committee
with favorable report, and action
was scheduled for today on that re-
port.
The opposition appeals court bill
will bring echoes of a long hearing
yesterday on the administration
court bill, which would reduce the
eight-judge court to six judges hav-
ing appellate functions only.
Under the opposition bill, an addi-
tional judge from Baltimore would
be aSsigned-increasing the court to
nine members-and the seven Cir
cult Court judges on the appeals
bench would continue their circuit
duties.
At the hearing two former Ap-
peals Court judges pumped for and
against the reorganization. Judge
F. Neal Parke argued that the
judges should continue to work in
the circuits, and said the 'independ-
ent" system had been tried before
in Maryland and had failed.
On the other hand, Judge Ham
mond Urner approved the stream
lining in principle, presenting ar
guments for its passage.
Budget Cuts Urged.
To the Senate Finance Commit
tee last night Gov. O'Conor sent
recommendations to slash the rec
ord SLOT ,443,O00 biennium budget by
S242,000 This would be done by
directing the Board of Public Works
to impound 100000 from general
fund appropriations and by saving
$4,000 in servicing the proposed
State bond issue for capital i'm
provementS.
At the same time, the Governor
said the administration would not
go further to ease the burden on
the counties imposed by the neces-
sity to equalize Negro and white
teachers pay.
The budget now proposes that the
State pay half the total cost of $700,-
900 for equalization" with 10 coun-
lACo idAoiIlS tIlCl Odh ldICS Uy . CCIlCS
to help finance the remaining costs.
While the General Assembly faced
again the old, old prospect of last
minute jam, Delegate Leon A.
Rubenstein came forward with his
idea of how to avoid it in the future
by giving government to the
counties.
His bill proposes a constitutional
amendment to give the counties
home rule"
Nominating Petition Bill Passed.
To the accompaniment of bursts
of patriotic oratory, the House
passed, 83 to IL, and sent to the
Senate last night measure tight
ening the requirements for nominat-
ing petitions and designed to avoid
such cases as the Communists
perjury trials following the last
election.
The measure, drawn by the Legis-
lative Council, would require that all
petitions to place a candidates name
on the ballot bear the names, adj
dresses and the ward in which the
signer lives.