Evening star., 1947-01-03
Zane Takes Oath
AsGoyernor Of
Maryland Today
O'Conor Resignation
To Become Senator
Effective at Noon
By }. B. Zotmon
sior staH Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Md, Jan. 3.-Wil
liam Preston Lane, jr., was to b.
sworn in as Governor at noon to
day to fill the five-day unexpiret
term Of Gov. O'Conor, who resignet
yesterday to take his seat In th'
United States Senate.
The 56-year- Governor -elec
was to take the oath of Office befor'
Q judge of the Maryland Court o
Appeals in the Senate chamber O
the 1s47 General Assembly. Forma
Inauguration ceremonies will be helt
Wednesday.
Election of Mr.. Lane took place II
q 14-minute joint session OF tht
Legislature after Gov. O'Conor sem
identical letters of resignation tt
the President of the Senate ane
Speaker of the House. In the let
tiers, he said:
IT beg to. submit herewith my res
ignation as Governor OF Maryland
the said resignation to be effective
as of noon on Friday, January 3
1947.
I'm explanation of my action, ]
might state that in the general
elections on November S, 1916, I was
elected to the United States Senate
The term of the Senator begins on
January and I, therefore, am re-
hnquishing the goyernorship in or
der that I might qualify for the
Office to which have been elected
I'm rendering my resignation,
desire to express sincere gratitude
to the members of the General As
sembly of Maryland as well as to
the public officials for their CO.
operation and to the people of
Maryland for the honor they con-
ferred upon me in electing me to the
goyernorship of this State
Republicans Offer No Candidate.
In the joint session, L. Harold
Sothoron of Prince Georges County
Democratic majority leader of the
Senate, nominated Mr.. Lane, who
was elected Governor last Novem-
ber.
Declaring that is seemed wise
for Gov. O'Conor to resign and take
over his duties in the United States
Senate Immediately, Mr.. Sothoron
said:
There are many men we would
like to honor by naming them Gov
ernor for the unexpired term OF
Gov. O'Conor, but we cannot ignore
the mandate of the people"
F.. The vote was unanimous. The Re-
publican minority did not offer any
candidate for the fve-day term.
This Is the second time Mary
land Governor has resigned. The
precedent was set in 1874 when Gov.
William p. Whyte resigned midway
in his four-year term to take his
seat in the United States Senate.
He submitted his <yesignation on
January 27 to take e6ect March 4,
when Senators used to assume their
seats. On February the Legislature
elected James B. Groome, a dele
gate from Cecil County, to fill the
unexpired term.
Majority Leader Undecided.
After the new Governor takes
office today the Legislature is ex-
pected to recess over the week end.
In contrast to the hours of wait
ing by delegates prior to the opening
session of the General Assembly
Wednesday while Mr.. Lane and his
advisers threshed out organizational
problems, the Legislature moved
swiftly In getting yesterdays work
done.
The day ended, however, without
any decision on who would be DEM
ocratic majority leader of the House,
an important post in steering legis-
lation.
While there was considerable talk
by delegates that the job would &c
to John Luber Of the Fourth Balti-
more District, who was floor leader
in the last session, 1t was evident
MIR. Lane has not yet reached Q
decision.
Leroy Pumphrey of Prince Georges
County has been a prominent con-
tender for the position, but 1t wa.
reported yesterday he was consid-
ering dropping his candidacy.
Streamlining Study Group.
The first committee named BY
House Speaker c. Ferdinand Sybert
Of Howard County was five-mem.
Der group to study streamlining oi
the House committee system,
Chairman John Clark, Democra
tic delegate from Hartford County
told committee members he hoped
the 80 House committees could be
reduced to 18 and proper division
Of work made.
"A great many of the commit
tees" Mr.. Clark asserted, never
receive a single bill, and there ap-
pears to be no justification for their
continuance. The system as it is
now places an undue burden on
the members Of the two most i'm
portant committees-judiciary and
ways and means"
In the Senate, Mr.. Sothoron was
appointed chairman of the Finance
Committee and William p. Bolton
Democrat, of Baltimore County
chairman of the Judiciary Com
mittee.
Other members OF the ,Finance
Committee include James B. Mon.
roe, Charles County, and Paul j
Bailey, st. .Marys County. Both arr
Republicans.
The judiciary Committee in.
cludes Wilbur r. Dulin, Democrat
OF, Anne Arundel County, and Ro!
Tasco Davis. Republican. OF Mont
gomery County.
Fairfax Masonic Lodge
Elects Fowler Master