Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-08
0'Conor Backs
Of State Courts
Inougurotes Weekly
Broadcast Series on
Legislative Questions
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, March 8.-The
Bond Commission plan for reor-
ganization OF Maryland courts had
Gov. O'Conor's formal backing to-
day.
In a radio address yesterday in
augurating a>weekly series of broad
casts for the duration Of the legis-
lative session to discuss first hand
with the people" important pend
ing questions, the Governor warned
that II the Legislature failed to
adopt the plan I'VE will close the
door for years, possibly for decades,
to the opportunity for improve
ment."
Gov. O'Conor recommended re-
manding the problem to the people
at the next general election for
final decision and. taking issue with
the plans opponents. said IT can
not see why they (the opponents).
are opposed to having the people
vote upon the question. Even If
the Legislature passes the present
plan, it win not become effective
unless the people approve it at the
next general election"
Discusses Tax Problems.
Gov. O'Conor said he was in
augurating the weekly series of
broadcasts because newspaper re-
ports, have not always given the
most complete and unbiased state
ment of the legislative proceedings"
The Governor also touched on the
question OF taxes during the next
two years and said it related to "the
most important fiscal program that
has ever been proposed to Mary
land legislature"
Speaking of the Bond plan under
which the judges "of our highest
court" would limit their duties to
appellate work, the Governor said
under it, they would not have to
sacrifice time which should be given
to their most important work,
which represents final judgment
on the lives, liberties and proper
ties of our people," by being forced
to engage In trial work, often OF
very extended nature.
THE quality of judicial work
would be improved If this were
effected. One practical result would
be that the services of the very
best qualified men would be secured
from the State at large because
under the new system, three of the
judges could be named from any
where in Maryland and two from
Baltimore City.
Selection Often Limited.
"The one point which
would like to stress now with all the
emphasis at my command is this:
Under the present system judges
must be selected from certain
sections, in some of which the
field of selection is extremely linn
| tied ="
Discussing proposed income and
real estate tax cuts; Coy. O'Conor
said they could be made and still
leave revenues sufficient to provide
for AL necessary activities without
throwing our State budget out OF
balance where it has remained for
the last four years."
He declared that the income tax
reduction, retroactive to include
1912. as we'll as the 1884 fiscal
period, would have the people about
So, 000, 900, while the real estate tax
reduction would represent a $3,OOO,-
600 saving.
Represents Composite View.
Returning to the court reorgani.
cation plan, he said the report rep
resents the composite view of the
commission, mot the view of any
single Individual"
For IS years, he added, "sugges-
tons have been made that there is
room for improvement of our court
system. To the credit of
our judges it must be said that they
have rendered creditable service,
even under difficulties"
Main points in the court revision
plan are:
Consolidation of the courts Of
Baltimore City into a single court;
abolition of the present juvenile
courts; reduction of the number Of
judges on the Court of Appeals from
eight to five, two from Baltimore
City and the other three from the
State at large; abolition of the Or
phans Court. probate work of which
would be taken over by the Balti-
more Superior Court and the county
Circuit Courts, and limitation of the
number Of trial judges in Baltimore
to 10 and an aggregate of u in the
counties