Evening star., 1947-01-02
y
Maryland House
Leader Choice
Still in Doubt
Sothoron Appointed
To Post in Senate;
Sybert New Speaker
By J. B. Zotmon
Star Stoff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 2.-Attentior
Of members of the 1947 General As
sembly today centered on selection
of a House majority leader after c.
Ferdinand Sybert, Howard County
delegate, and State Senator Joseph
c. Byrnes of the 4th Baltimore City
district, were elected House Speaker
and Senate President, respectively
at the opening session last night.
L. Harold Sothoron of Prince
Georges County was named major
ity leader in the Senate, but ap-
pointment of a floor leader in the
House was deferred until today aft
er a bitter behind d-the-scenes fight
developed over the selection.
Mr.. Sothoron's appointment, in
the opinion of some observers, rep
resented a. compromise since he had
been considered a leading contender
in the race to head the Senate. His
appointment carried with it the
Craftsmanship of the Senate Finance
Committee.
A native of st. Marys County. Mr..
Sothoron, who has law Offices in
Washington and Upper Marlboro,
is serving his third term in the
Senate.
Received Degree I'm 1924.
He moved to Prince Georges
County in 1916 and attended the
Charlotte Hall Military Academy
and National University Law School,
where he received his law degree in
1924.
He first ran for a State Office in
1884 when he was elected to the
House of Delegates, and in 1888 he
was elected to the State Senate.
In the 1916 gubernatorial primary,
Mr.. Sothoron supported H. STREET.
Baldwin who lost the nomination to
w. Preston Lane, jr.
Mr.. Sothoron is vice president and
general counsel of the Teck Con-
struction Co., which is building the
Hecht Co. store in Silver Spring,
and holds the same positions with
the Mount Vernon Mortgage Corp,
Washington. He also is general
counsel for the City Bank of WASH
ington.
The new House Speaker was q
dark horse in the contest for the
post. Delegates pointed out that
the selection of floor leader is
important since this is Mr.. Syberts
first term in the Legislature. He
supported Mr.. Lane in the primary.
The battle over selection of
House leader is believed to be be-
tween those who supported MIR. Lane
for the gubernatorial nomination
and those who did not.
Several in Running.
Among those considered in the
running are Leroy Pumphrey of
Prince Georges County and John C.
Luber of the. 4th Baltimore district,
who was floor leader in the last
session.
Organization Of the Legislature
was delayed by bad weather and a
series of long conferences between
Gov. .-elect Lane and his advisers.
Earlier the Republicans held a
caucus and selected Robert B. KIM
BILE, Allegany County, as Senate
minority leader and Jacob r. Rams
berg, Frederick County, as minority
leader in the House Mrs. Leona M.
Rush, Montgomery County Delegate,
was appointed secretary Of the cau-
Gus.
Democrats Delayed.
Things did not move as smooth
ly for the Democrats, however.
Throughout most of the day Demo-
cratic Senators and delegates stood
in the Capitol halls waiting for
word to attend a caucus, neces-
sary preliminary before the Legis-
lature could formally go into ses-
sion.
The Senate went into session
about 8 o'clock and MIR. Sothoron
nominated Mr.. Byrnes as Senate
president. Roy Tasco Davis, Re-
publican of Montgomery County,
placed the name of Senator Kimble
in nomination but Mr. Byrnes was
elected by a vote of II to 10. Mr..
Davis then moved that the election
be made unanimous.
After Mr.. Sybert was named House
speaker, both branches of the Legis-
lature went into joint session to
hear Gov. O'Conor read his message.
The Legislature then adjourned
until / this afternoon.
Many Are Newcomers.
Senators and delegates sworn in
last night included many who are
serving their first terms. Among
them are all the members of the
Montgomery and st. Marys Counties
delegations.
Those from Montgomery County
are Senator Davis and Delegates r.
Duncan Clark, John r. Reeves,
Anders r. Lostrand. jr.; Dewitt
Hyde, Mrs. Rush and Julian p. King.
AL are Republicans.
The st. Marys County delegation
also Republicans, compromises Sen
ator Paul j. Bailey and Delegates
Oliver r. Guyther and Joseph A.
Mattingly.
Others serving their first terms
include Senator Louis l.. Goldstein
and Delegate James E. Hance,
Calvert County; Senator James B.
Monroe and Delegate j. Franklin
Winkler. Charles County, and Dele
gates T. Raymond Burch, William
H. McGrath and George G. McLeish,
Prince Georges County.
Following are the desk officers Sc
lected:
Senate-Secretary, C. Andrew
Shaab, Howard County; assistant
secretary, Alfred C. Quimby, Talbot
County; journal clerk, Walter D
Addison, Prince Georges County; as
sistant journal clerk, Frank Lupo
Baltimore County; reading clerk
Joseph Newman, Baltimore: ser.
geant at arms, John L. Nickerson
Queen Annes County; chief page
Albin Owings, Baltimore.
House of Delegates-Sergeant al
arms, Henry F. Abrams, Anne Arun.
del County; chief clerk, John A
Mention, Baltimore: assistant chiei
clerk, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Reese, Bal
timore; journal clerk, George Ow.
ings, Calvert County; chief page
George Paul Bishop, Baltimore