Evening star., 1945-01-20
Assembly Bill Seeks
Representation Boost
For PopuIous Areas
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 20.-A bill
which would increase representa-
tion In the House of Delegates for
Baltimore City and four of the more
populous counties was introduced
In the Lower House yesterday.
Sponsored by Delegate Leon A.
Rubenstein, Democrat, of Baltimore,
the bill would give II more dele
gates to Baltimore City, two more
to Baltimore County and one ad-
ditional each to Allegany, Mont
gomery and Prince Georges Coun-
ties.
1t is similar to one Mr.. Ruben
stein introduced in 1941 and which
failed to pass. That one, however,
applied to Baltimore City only.
Conflict Foreseen.
The proposed padding of the city
and large county delegations was
almost certain to create contention
in the Assembly, with small-county
legislators leading the opposition.
Backers claimed the bill would
give representation in more equit-
able proportion to population.
Ten bills were introduced, five
In the House and five in the Senate,
and none was passed by either
chamber. The Governors budget
message, asking s1l2, ,733,590, was
presented simultaneously in both
House and Senate, and referred to
the House Ways and Means and the
Senate Finance Committees.
Both houses adjourned about noon
until 8 pm. Monday.
Requested general fund appro-
priations were boosted in the budget
message from the $57,160, 1855
given in 1944-45 to $57,851 ,825 for
1946-47.
The greatest increase, however,
was in special funds, where the
figures bounced from $48,191, ,695
last time to $54,881,765 for the next
biennium
The greatest part of this incre-
ment was specified for the State
Department of Education. State
hospitals and public health services.
Proposed Increases.
Increases included: Public schools,
$2,113,112 for total fund of ST.
862,850: mental disease hospitals,
5000, 1888; University of Maryland,
$713,787; tuberc llosis sanatoria,
s2S9, $50, and State teachers COL
leges, $278,311.
The Governor listed a $4,000 900
postwar State construction program
in addition to S61 ,000, 900 in such
projects in the State Roads Com
mission.
The latter work, he said, would be
paid from motor vehicle revenues.
while the former would be financed
from three sources:
Transfer of $5,2OO,o00 from State
surplus (Which now is about
$4,000 ,0OO).
Use of balance in postwar con-
struction fund, which is 81, ,725 900.
Issuance of new bonds aggregat-
ing S5,075 ,000
Salary increases of State employees
aggregating $1,157,228 were provided
for in the budget, while 596 addi-
tional positions were specified. "Of
this number" he said, "409 have
been included in the budgets for the
mental disease hospitals, so that an
eight-hour working day for en-
ployes can be arranged"
Others were listed for the tubercu-
losis sanatoria, Board of Mental
Hygiene and State Police Depart
ment. One hundred would be added
to the latter department, raising It's
total strength to 281.
Despite the record budget appro-
priations requested, the Governor
said the States bonded indebted
ness, which stood at s48, $50, 900 in
1889, would be reduced to $24, $50 900
by 1947. At present, he added, it
stood at $27,150,0o0.