Evening star., 1943-02-11
Labor Attacks
Maryland Bill
ToCut Relief
Measure Bitterly
Debated in Senate
Committee Heorinq
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. ll.-Legislative
death appeared likely today for one
controversial bill, but the fate of two
others was in doubt.
Apparently doomed was a local
school board bill which provoked a
rift in the Republican House delega-
tion from Allegany County and a
bitter fight on the floor. 1t was then
referred to the House Ways and
Means Committee, where its eventual
extinction was forecast by the firm
opposition expressed during the floor
fight by Delegate John S. White OF
Prince Georges, majority leader and
Ways and Means chairman.
The Senate Finance Committee
and the House Ways and Means
Committee were the scenes Of the
other controversies yesterday.
Cut in Relief Tax Urged.
The bill on which the Senate
group held hearing would revise
the unemployment compensation
law to provide cuts in employer taxes,
with ratings based on drain from
unemployment compensation funds.
Labor opposed the bill and a repre-
sentative of the Baltimore Associa-
ton of Commerce favored it. A
similar measure was killed in the
l94l Legislature.
The third dispute flared in
House Ways and Means Committee
meeting at which opponents are
proponents of proposed building
and loan association regulations
had their say.
The legislative day brought also
another work or fight" bill, this
one introduced in the Senate by
Senate President Arthur H. Brice OF
Kent. A proposal to increase the
salaries Of school teachers, princi-
pals and superintendents by $40 per
month for the duration of the war
also reached the Senate.
Senator Joseph A. Wilmer of
Charles offered the second bill of
his eight-year legislative career. It
would permit the shortening of of
school year from 180 to 160 days as
farm labor shortage aid.
All told, the Senate took 40 min
utes to receive IL bills, get IS more
from the House, adopt IS favorable
committee reports and kill one bill
The killed bill would have given the
State police superintendent power
to classify police and clerical en-
ployes.
The House got II new bills and
passed 9 minor and local measures.
The spark which touched of the
floor hight on the Allegany County
School Board bill was Delegation
Chairman Jonathan Sleemans even
tually successful move to send it to
the Ways and Means Committee for
further consideration.
Labor Attacks Bill.
Sidney r. Katz, secretary-treas-
urer Of the Maryland and District
of Columbia Industrial Union Coun-
Gil (CIO), spearheaded labor's at
tack on the unemployment COM
pensation proposal.
He said it would deplete the COM
pensation reserve fund and work Sc
rious damage to labor. He added
that it would undermine labor
morale.
Mr.. Katz was backed by Robert J.
Buxbaum, president of the Mary
land Federation OF Labor.
H. r. French of the Baltimore
Association of Commerce favored
the bill, suggesting its adoption with
an amendment excluding war in
dustries.
Paul Higenbothom, representing
the Neighborhood Alliance Associa-
tions, was one of the building and
loan regulation opponents heard by
the House group. The bill would
organize a supervised commission to
administer the Maryland building
and loan associations.
William Rogers, head of the Mary
land League OF Building and Loan
Asssociat tions, said he was submit
ting few nominal amendments to
the bill and that the league favored
its passage.