Evening star., 1943-02-05
Assemb|yFaces
FiIibuster Over
Potomac0ysters
Southern Mory|onders
Oppose Bills for
Hondscropin9
BY the Associated Press.


By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS. Feb. 5.-A filibuster
was threatened in the Maryland
General Assembly today after bills
were introduced in both Houses yes
terday to open the Potomac River to
handscraping and dredging for
oysters.
Southern Maryland legislators
wasted no time in announcing their
opposition to the measures, intro
duced by Eastern Shore members.
Delegate James B. Monroe, Re-
publication, Of Charles said: We're
ready to talk to April l in order to
keep the Potomac closed"
Three residents of Crisfield, a sea-
food city. introduced the bills which
touched of the threat, Senator l..
Elwood Die and Delegates Wells
w. Todd, Republicans, and Norris
E. Ward, Democrat.
Annual Budget Proposed.
Meanwhile, the General Assembly
heard certain details of the most
recent survey of the State Guard
detail which patrols vital Maryland
installations against sabotage. The
details were released by Gov.
OConor a day after the Senate had
asked Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord
to resurvey the need for the detail.
House and Senate leaders an
nounced yesterday also they were
agreed on a Today time limit on
dating bills, move which would re-
move the Governors absolute veto
power.
In another legislative develop
ment, Controller j. Millard Tawes
recommended that the State 20 on
an annual budget basis, with the
General Assembly holding its regular
biennial session but meeting in the
OH years to discuss the budget only,
The oyster bill failed of passage
IN the Senate in 1941 by fuke.
The vote, taken after lengthy fill
buster led by former Senators Philip
H. Dorsey, jr., of st. Marys County
and Joseph A. Wilmer of Charles
County, was l4-14, One Senator who
favored the bill was off the floor
when the vote was taken.
OPPOSITION Explained.
The Southern Maryland legisla-
tors charge that if the Potomac were
opened to the Eastern Shore seafood
industries, the supply Of oysters in
the river would be depleted quickly.
Only longing is permitted now.
There are plenty Of oysters in the
Potomac" Mr.. Todd said in support
Of his bill, land we see no sense in
not opening the river to hand scrap
ing.
"It would be better" Mr.. Ward
aided, Ito eat oysters that are
wasting on the bottom of the river
than to eat horse meat, which we
may yet come to-"
Hand Scraping by watermen from
Maryland and Virginia would be
permitted during daylight hours
from November to January l
undsfe terms of one bill offered by
Mr.. Todd and Mr.. Ward. There
would be 4 limit Of 40 pounds per
day.
/ second bill would open the
mouth OF the Potomac from Ragged
Point Lighthouse to Piney Point
Lighthouse to dredge boats in No.
vember and December.
Revenue Problem Cited.
Controller Tawes' proposal for an
annual budget session of the llegis-
lature was prompted, he said, by
the difficulty or should I say the
impossibility OF even fairly accur-
ately estimating revenues that far
two years ahead.
I'VE have had adequate proof of
that during the last four years,
when we found ourselves at the end
Of each fiscal year with consider
ably more revenue than was neces-
sary to extract from the taxpayers
for the current operating expenses
Of the Government. -"
Il recommend therefore that
earnest consideration be given to
changing the budget law to pro-
vide for the preparation of and
approval of budgets annually. l
know this would entail considerable
change in our legal setup but
believe the results would be justified
and the finances of the State placed
on more current and up-to-date
basis"
Report on Guard Detail.
One part of the State guard detail
report released by Gov. O'Conor
said there was very close co-opera-
ton between the Army and Mary
land officials in respect to the place
ment and size of this detail"
Speaker Thomas E. Conlon, dis
cussing the agreement reached on
the resolution to remove the Gov
ernors absolute veto, said measures
would be sent to the Governor on
passage and after 10 days, exclud-
ing Sundays. they would be dated
and sealed, thus requiring the Gov
ernors signature within another six
days.
Gov. O'Conor also sent to the
House bill providing for a credit