Evening star., 1948-05-28
Granted
All He Sought
From Assembly
Special Session Ends
After Voting Funds fo'
Pay Raises, Welfare
BY J. B. Zotmon
Ssor Stoff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, May 28.-Members
of the General Assembly are on their
way home today after giving Gov.
Lane everything he asked at the
second special session in two years.
Bills appropriating $2,101. .654 for
salary increases to State employees
and $5O0,0O0 for public welfare,
which comprised the major legisla-
ton, were pushed through both
Houses with only minor debate
Ninety bills and resolutions were
passed at the three-day session
which ended last night.
In addition, the legislators directed
the Governor to appoint a nine
member commission to investigate
the Tidewater Fisheries Commission
and to name a committee to expose
subversive activities in Maryland.
Bridge Study Ordered.
A third resolution called on the
State Roads Commission to study
the possibility of building bridge
across the Patuxent River between
Charles and Calvert Counties.
The smoothness with which the
session operated was in sharp con-
trast to last November's meeting,
when there was wrangling over at
tempts to repeal the sales tax.
This time any bills the admins
tration leaders feared would stir
controversy and delay legislative
progress swere bottled up in the
Rules Committee.
Fo rexample. an attempt by Dele
gate j. Bernard Carrick, Democrat,
of Baltimore, to start a move to
suspend collections of the sales tax
when receipts total $36, 100000 was
smothered in committee. When he
tried to get it out, he was easily
voted down.
Pay Raise to Affect 1900.
The pay raise bill, principal rea-
son for the session, provides higher
salaries for an estimated 1900
State workers. All but about 800
of those affected will receive a 10
per cent wage raise. The 800 will
get the difference between 10 per
cent and the increases they already
have received since September, 1916
Excluded from the benefits of the
bill, in addition to State policemen
and mental hospital employees, are
workers in new classifications Gre
ated since September /, 1916.
There was no debate when the
measure, which originated in the
House. passed the Senate by vote
of 27 to 0.
Some difficulty was encountered
by administration leaders in plotting
the $5O0,0O0 welfare bill through the
Senate.
Increase Voted by Committee.
Earlier yesterday, the Senate Fl
nance Committee voted to increase
the amount to 81 1926 ,37s .50-half the
sum sought by the Department OF
Public Welfare. When the commit
tee brought the bill to the floor
several Senators made a determined
fight for the new figure. Leading
the battle were Senators William
C. Carter, Democrat. of Baltimore
and Daniel Ellison, Republican, OF
Baltimore.
They challenged Gov. Lanes con-
tention that the State could not
afford to give more than $5O0,00O in
additional public assistance funds
for the coming fiscal year.
But after more than an hour Of
consideration, the Senate rejected
the proposed increase and restored
the S500,0O0 figure. The measure
then breezed through the House.
Another administration welfare
proposal, calling for creation of a
15-member commission to investi-
gate welfare expenditures. went
through both branches of the Cen
eral Assembly without opposition.
Fishery Resolution Disputed.
The resolution dealing with the
Tidewater Fisheries Commission,
whose members have been at odds,
produced some argument in the
Senate.
Opponents argued the resolution
was budding ripper bill' designed
to oust the present three commits
sion members. Chairman John E.
Clark and George T. Harrison have
been the main disputants in the
group. The third member is Allen
A. Sellers.
After Senate passage, the resolu-
ton went to the House. where it
received strong support from Dele
gate Leroy Pumphrey, Democrat, of
Prince Georges County, majority
leader.
LETS bring the whole thing out
in the sunlight and find out why
conservation is not working" Mr.
Humphrey urged.
There was some grumbling by Re-
publican Delegates, but no one took
the floor to oppose it and the reso-
luton was adopted by a voice vote