Evening star., 1943-04-03
Adjournment
Of Legislature
Tonight Seen
Relief and Oyster
Measures Remain
To Be Handled
BY the Associated Press.

catlonS Today were that the Mary
land General Assembly would break
modern Free State precedent and
adjourn sine die tonight-two days
ahead of schedule.
Not for at least so years has the
Legislature adjourned before the end
OF the 90-day session limit set by the
constitution. Indeed, it has been
the rule IN late years that last
minute jams Of such proportions
have developed th.at the Assembly
has run over the limit by setting
back the clock"
Legislature leaders said that the
calendars were fairly we'll cleared
IN both houses, and that the sine
Ole adjournment should come some
time tonight.
Meanwhile, two measures which
observers said might tie up proceed
lngs remained to be disposed of to-
day. They are hill requiring three
years residence in Maryland before
any person would be eligible for
direct relief and the Potomac River
oyster bill.
heHe1 BILL paSSeS House.
The relief bill passed the House.
92-l5, yesterday and is up for Senate
consideration. while the oyster bill
passed the Senate and was sent to
the House.
The House disposed of another
measure which was thought might
cause delay by suspending its
rules to pass a pension bill retiring
two Eastern Shore judges shortly
before it recessed about 12:45 am.
The measure, which was passed bv
the Senate after heated debate
earlier in the night was approved
by the House without a dissenting
vote
The House of Delegates overrode
an unfavorable. Judiciary Commit
tee report on the relief bill three
days ago by vote of 81 to ~. The
measure, aimed at barring nom
resident war workers from obtaining
relief benefits in Maryland, received
Its strongest support from the rural
county delegations The State De-
partment of Public Welfare opposed
the proposal.
Senate Votes Oyster Bill.
The Senate passed the hotly con-
tested Potomac River oyster bill,
which would open the Potomac
River to oystermen, and the judges
retirement bill amid charges that
political pressure and extensive vote
swapping were involved.
Senator Joseph A. Wilmer. Repub-
lican, of Charles charged that pas
sage of the bill retiring two judges
OF the first judicial circuit was the
"payoff on the court bill"-a refer
ence to the stiff fight in which ad-
ministration forces pushed through
the Senate the Bond Commission
plan to reorganize the Court of
Appeals.
Mr.. Wilmer charged further that
votes had been lined up for the
judges retirement proposal by Of
ferlng Senator's voice in the ap-
pointment of the two jurists who
will take their places in the first
Judicial circuit, which comprises
Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and
Worcester Counties in the lower
Eastern Shore.
Political Pressure Charged.
During the debate on the Po-
tomac River oyster bill, Senator
Wilmer c. Carter, Democrat, of
Baltimore, said he had seen little
evidence at this session that votes
might be changed by debate and
argument and asserted that ap-
proximately so per cent of all legis-
latlon lis passed because of polit-
lcal pressure rather than on the
merits of the bill
Mr.. Wilmer declared passage of
the oyster bill, which was approved
by Senate vote of 1910, was fool
ish, since the commanding officer
OF the naval training station at
Dahlgren, Va, had told members
OF a Senate committee that if the
river were opened to oyster boats,
he would be forced to order it closed
as a safety measure.
Among them were administration
proposals to set up a commission
on postwar reconstruction, provide
for the establishment of forest con-
servancy districts and give the State
Welfare Department extensive pow
ers in dealing with delinquent chill
dren.
Tobacco Bill Passed.
Other bills of major import pass
ed by the Senate included one to
provide for the regulation of the
loose Leaf tobacco market in the
State, a bill to raise the compensa-
ton OF the register of wills, and a
measure calling for the establish
ment of State commission to regu-
late the poultry sales business.
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee considered an administra-
tion request to reconsider an earlier
decision to discard the emasculated
McClayton plan to recodify the
State liquor laws. The bill, ex-
tensively revised by the committee,
contained few of its original points.
One other measure to which the
House gave final legislative approval
was one recodifying and moderniz-
ing the States outmoded motor
vehicle laws.