The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-01-02
Governor Says Tasks Will Be
Complicated by ChangeOver
From Peace to Wartime Con-
ditiOns

Annapolis, Jan. 1.-Maryland's 1941
legislature convened formally to-
night, completed its organization and
cleared the way for the introduction
tomorrow of the legislative councils
seventy-five bills.
Governor O'Conor, in a traditional
message to the general assembly, set
the pace for "streamlined" session,
informing solons his biennial budget
would be placed before them some
time next week.
I O'Conor told legislators, before re-
viewing the state administrations ac-
complishments during the last two
years, that their tasks would be COM
plicated and burdened by a change
over from peace-time to wartime
conditions.
Senator Arthur H. Brice (D-Kent),
president of the Senate, and Delegate
Thomas H. Conlon, speaker of the
House, were reelected for another
term Both had been nominated at the
Democratic caucus which preceded the
governors reception for legislators.
AT the Republican caucus, Senator
Wilmer Fell Davis (R-Caroline) and
Delegate j. Milton Dick (R-Allegany)
were renominated for president of the
Senate and speaker of the House, re-
spectively. Because the assembly is
overwhelmingly Democratic, they au-
tomatically become minority floor
leaders.
Fifteen new members of the gen !
eral assembly We're sworn in by the
presiding legislative officers as the
session got under way.
O'COnOr Addresses Legislature
"Since your last meeting twenty
one months ago, catastrophe has fall |
en- upon the world" the governor told
a joint session of the House and SEN
ate, shortly after the 1941 session of
the legislature formally opened.
THE devastating hand of war has
brought death and ruin to thousands
oDlnfortunate victims Once free peo-
pieSpow live under the domination of
Inc a.gressor. The world over, dem
"! "V'0 principles of government are
oeihg chlenged, and force has OPP
posed ltse, to right.
I'm TINS Pod of danger, doubt and
uncertainty ! is vital that the COM
p 3,.o eo''l, ,r,;t ealths of our great
IN defense Of our a supreme effort
that form which hai VI soHei"lnen''
try nation of free l. ''i rs, 'o0n-
its strength, not envii 'U 1. IN
mined to maintain that u, ue'el =,
COSTS" he continued. '' O. al
The governor referred to
being taken to place this coui' u Go
state of preparedness and poi IL "
the new state council of defens 70
resources which he appointed ia
August.
Immediate Problems Ahead
Future plans of the council involve
continuation of the activities out
lined" he observed "but present some
problems that are immediate.
"The first of these is to handle The
impact of the increased military anC
industrial personnel on the civllloi
life of certain communities later
the council will be faced with the set
ting up of auxiliary police and fire
fighting services and the coordination
of these services throughout tn
state"
Before reviewing in detail the worl
of the state departments and his ad
ministration during the last tw
years, the governor noted he wa
"happy to report that the fiscal pro
gram for the next bennium is now i
=. such shape that it can be presente
TO you within few days"
State Budget Balanced
He observed that the state was i
a stronger financial position that q
any time in its history possessed
budget continuously in balance, an
finished up the fiscal year last Septen
Der so with an unencumbered balanC
of $6,151 ,955.
"The financial condition is sue
that | shall recommend program
tax reduction which not only will lea'
the treasury in safe condition b.
will benefit tens of thousands of OF
taxpayers" he told the assemblyme
In noting accomplishments of sta
departments, O'Connor proposed I
"even more ambitious roads progral
one that is wider in scope than ev
has been undertaken by the state"
He noted that plans were under co
sideration for "a much-needed road
greater capacity to connect Baltimo
city with Washington and also to co
meet Annapolis with Washington.
The governor anticipated a possit