Evening star., 1947-02-12
Woman Jurors
Bill Advances
AT Annapolis
Effort to Defect
Saturday Holiday
For Banks Fails
By J. B. Zotmon
Star Sfom Correspondent

CONTROVERSIAL DILL qualifying WOlucu
for service on Maryland juries was
. step nearer final passage today,
after an attempt to kill the measure
failed in the Senate yesterday by
q vote of II to IL.
g At the same time, ~the Senate
passed bill to correct and re-enact
provisions of the 1945 act incorpo-
rating the College Park area.
Also approved was a bill abolish
ing the post of supervisor Of school
property in Montgomery County.
Both measures were sent to the
Governor.
In the House, supporters Of a bill
TO permit Maryland banks to close
on Saturdays beat down attempts
10 amend the measure to authorize
the Saturday closing only during
June, July, August and September.
j.. A motion to table the women's
fury service bill was made by Sen
ator Joseph M. George, Democrat,
of Queen Annes County, just after
the Judiciary Committee submitted
q favorable report on the measure.
County Exemptions Approved.
Following the defeat of the mo-
ton, the committees report was
adopted and the bill ordered printed
for third reading.
Senator Robert 3. Kimble, Re-
publican, Of Allegany County, then
offered an amendment to exempt
Allegany, Garrett, Carroll and
Washington Counties from the bills
provisions.
1. The amendment was adopted, and
The bill was withdrawn briefly from
consideration, after which six more
/ counties asked and were granted
exemption. They are Queen Annes,
Talbot, Dorchester, Howard, St.
Marys and Kent.
Some authorities were of the opin-
ion today that exemption of the 10
counties might invalidate the entire
bill. Others, including Senator
Della, Democrat, of Baltimore and
DR.. Horace E. Flack, director of
the Bureau of Legislative Refer
ences, said it was possible simple
act of the Legislature would not
be sufficient to permit women to
serve on juries, and that consti-
tutional amendment might be
necessary.
They cited Article 5 of the Decla-
ration of Rights in the State Consti-
tuition which guarantees "that the
inhabitants of Maryland are en-
titled to the common law of Eng
land and the trial by jury, according
to the course of that law ="
The common law Of England at
the time provided for male juries
only. E
An informal poll of Senators has
indicated the bill will pass, while
mhjority of the members in the
House of Delegates are believed in
favor Of the measure.
Wilkinson Reports Support.
Perry o. wilkinson, chairman of
the Prince Georges County delega-
ton, said he has received hundreds
of letters urging that the bill be
adopted. He said only one letter
opposed 1t.
The College Park bill had been
introduced by the Prince Georges
delegation in an effort to correct
defects in the title of the 1945 act,
which was declared unconstitu-
tional In September, 1945, in Prince
Georges County Circuit Court.
At hearing on the new bill last
week. opponents criticized the lack
of a provision for another referen-
dunn. They also said many residents
of the communities affected are
against Incorporation.
Immediately after the bill was
passed in the Senate yesterday, the
Prince Georges delegation decided
to support the measure in It's pres
ent form.
Communities to be incorporated
under the bill would include CAL
vert Hills, College Park, Lakeland,
Berwyn, Branchville, Oak Springs,
Autoville, Hollywood and Daniels
Park.
The Montgomery County bill
abolishing the post of supervisor of
school property would place the
duties of that official in the hands
Of an assistant superintendent OF
schools appointed by the superin-
tendent. The present supervisor
post is held by Martin F. Iverson,
who was appointed by the Board
of Education.
Attempts to amend the bank bill
resulted in the first debate on a
bill in the House this session.
Albert L. Sklar, Democrat, OF the
Fourth Baltimore District led the
forces fighting for the amendment.
They argued that closing the banks
on Saturdays throughout the year
would benefit only few and cause
inconvenience to many.
Among those opposing the amend
ment was John r. Reeves, Repubh-
can, of Montgomery County.
10 Counties Exempted.
Twelve counties are exempted
from provisions of the bill, which
was ordered printed for third read
ing. They are Caroline, Calvert,
Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Kent,
6{uCcil aIlllC. ot' N2oiy ., AOAAASAoS
Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester.
Debate on the amendment lasted
almost an hour, after which it was
defeated, 66 to 48. The Prince
Georges delegation voted for the
amendment, while the Montgomery
delegation opposed it.
Two bills were introduced in the
House by the Montgomery County
delegation. One would authorize
in the county to assess property as
of May ! instead of June 80. The
other would abolish the Board OF
Assessment and transfer its duties
70 the supervisor Of assessments.
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