Evening star., 1941-03-20
Bill Would Lift
Prince Georges
Reelection Ban
Commissioners Gould
Succeed Selves
Under Proposal
BY BEN III. PEARSE,
Star staff Corresnnndent


Star STAFF Correspondent.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 20-The
Prince Georges County commits
sioners would be permitted to run
for reelection to succeed themselves
under bill introduced in the Legis-
lature last night by the county
delegation.
Delegate Ralph W. Powers, dele
cation chairman, said the bill, which
removes the present requirement.
that commissioners wait two years
before seeking reelection, was
drawn at the suggestion of several
county civic and political leaders
and was in the nature of a trial
balloon" to get a test of public
sentiment.
Il am for the bill personally be-
cause l don't believe the county
should be barred by law from having
the services of competent commits
sioners continued in Office" he said.
The measure was one of a score
or more bills introduced or acted
on by the House last night, includ-
ing one by Montgomery County dele
gates to authorize $4,000 bond issue
to buy voting machines, which cost
about $1,000 each, and another to
increase salaries of trial magistrates.
Hearing on Taxing Areas.
Delegate James w. Gill, delega-
ton chairman, pointing out that the
Brookings Institution report urged
| voting machines be given a fair
trial" said he believed the expert
ence in the election last fall proved
their worth and that they should be
made a permanent part of the
county's electoral machinery.
Mr.. Powers announced a hearing
would be held here Monday night on
the bill authorizing the Prince
Georges County Commissioners to
establish special taxing areas. To
date no opposing sentiment has been
recorded with the delegates against
the purpose of the bill, he said, but
suggestions will be received.
A bill introduced by Mr.. Powers
last month passed the Senate and
went to Gov. O'Conor last night
which would make permanent and
lncurable insanity ground for di-
vorce in certain cases. Gov. O'Conor
vetoed a bill of somewhat similar
/ nature two years ago. The present
bill was drawn to meet his stated
objections.
The bill to increase the trial
magistrates salaries from Sl,auJ
to s2,700 a year is a companion
! measure to one introduced earlier
increasing their jurisdiction in civil
cases from limit of S1O0 to $500,
which would automatically increase
the number of cases heard, and
another introduced yesterday pro-
viding for three deputy sheriffs to
serve civil processes and handle
prisoners in the trial magistrates
courts.
| One for Each Court.
The deputy sheriff measure would
authorize appointment of one
deputy for each of the three trial
magistrates courts in the county to
perform work for which deputies
now receive no pay. 1t would also
relieve county police of the re-
sponsibility of handling de-
PENDANTS awaiting trial and pris-
onerS after conviction. Their
salaries of not more than $1,000
a year, plus a $500 car allowance,
would be paid from court revenues.
One bill followed the Brookings
Institution report in authorizing
the county health department to
approve the location of septic tanks
and disposal plants before erection
of G building outside the areas
served by the Washington Subur-
ban Sanitary Commission. All
buildings inside areas served by the
commission are required by law
to use the commissions facilities.
Another Montgomery County
measure provides for sharing in
come tax refunds made to the county
with sections outside municipalities
and special taxing areas and within
the metropolitan area. Under the
proposed bill, the county would re-
ceive half the refund of taxes paid
within its jurisdiction and the east
ern and western suburban districts
would each receive one-quarter of
such refunds.
Changes Juvenile Court Age.
The jurisdiction of the Juvenile
Court would be changed to include
youths up to 18 years and would
have concurrent jurisdiction with
the Circuit Court in cases of youths
between 18 and 81 years under an
other bill. The court had been act
ing in cases involving youths up
to 18 years until recent opinion
of the attorney general held that
16 years was the maximum.
The other Montgomery delegation
bill was a Statewide measure per-
mitting the titles of cars of dece-
dents valued at less than $500 to be
transferred by the commissioner of
motor vehicles without going through
| the usual procedure in the Orphans
Court, where satisfactory evidence
was available that all debts were
paid.
A technical change would be ef-
| fected by a bill to relieve the clerk
of the Montgomery County Board
of Commissioners from the duty Of
making a daily report Of changes
of ownership and transfers of prop
erty to the county treasurer and
authorize a report only when assess
ment lists are being made up.
Delegate Powers also introduced
a Statewide measure giving orig
inal jurisdiction in non-support
cases to trial magistrate courts.
Jurisdiction now is limited to cir
cult courts.