Evening star., 1944-08-15
Unit
Studies Hospital
Plan
Legislative Council
Delays Action on
County Home Rule
By the Associated Press.

6y Ine AsSoclAteo PreSS As
BALTIMORE, Aug. 15-The Leg
islative Council turned today to a
study of postwar plans and a sys-
tenn OF hospital licensing after de-
laying until its October meeting
the controversial matter Of grant,
ing more home rule to the counties.
Invited to today's sessions of the
two-day council meeting were the
Maryland Postwar Reconstruction
and Development Commission and
representatives Of the Maryland
District Of Columbia Hospital As
sociation.
The hospital representatives asked
the council to consider a proposed
law setting up standards and re-
quiring the licensing Of all hospitals.
Four proposed constitutional
amendments to delegate to the
county commissioners powers now
held by the General Assembly were
made a special order of business for
the October meeting by unanimous
vote of. the council yesterday.
The decision, on motion by State
Senator Robert B. Kimble. followed
q controversial session on the pro-
jected legislation which resulted in
q virtual deadlock between ex-
ponents and a bloc Of county legis-
lators.
John r. White, Prince Georges
County, Speaker of the House of
Delegates, and State Senator Wilmer
Fell Davis, Senate minority leader,
led the fight against the four pro-
posed constitutional amendments,
declaring it might lead to the break
down of the county system Of gov
eminent and eventual collapse of
the two-party system of government
in Maryland.
Would Control Salaries.
The proposals would, among other
things, transfer the county commits
sioners' powers to enact certain
local regulations, including fixing
salaries of county employees, pur-
chase and sale of real estate, fixing
compensation and expenses of
sheriffs' Offices and Orphans Courts
and prohibit the introduction of new
bills within 20 days of the end of
the legislative session rather than
10 days, as at present.
In the two months before the Oc-
tober meeting information on the
proposed amendments and a COM
panion bill will be sent to county
commissioners and Assembly mem
bers for their opinions.
Votes taken on two of the amend
ments were stricken from the rec
ord on motion Of Delegate Leo M.
Moore.
one OF the measures, which would
extend to 20 days the present Today
deadline for introduction of new
legislation at the end of Assembly
sessions without Rules Committee
recommendations, received nine
favorable ballots to three against,
Predicts Cost Increases.
An unfavorable report on another,
prohibiting the State Legislature
from acting on such local legisla-
ton as the granting Of divorces and
changing Of names, was carried, rs.
Senator Davis predicted that If
the amendments comforting in
creased power on the county COM
missioners were passed, the cost of
county government would rise
sharply.
Senator Joseph R. Byrnes said In
retaliation that some of the coun-
ties apparently did not hold their
officers in high regard, and Senator
James j. Lindsay added that in such
cases county voters probably would
remove the officeholders.
Mr.. Kimble also recommended
that the council determine WHY
county sheriffs were not allowed to
succeed themselves in oflce, whereas
many other elective officers could
do 50.