Evening star., 1949-03-31
Bill Sent toLane
Repeating Voter
InfentionsA Act
Approval Would End
Need for Declarations
By New Residents
O., 7.S-..
By J. B. Zotmon
Stor Sfoff Corraspondenf

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 31.-Legisla-
ton repeating the 47-year- old
Declarations of Intentions Act
was awaiting the Governors sig
nature today.
Final approval of the measure
last night in the House eliminated
attempts over a 20-year period to
remove the law from the States
statute books.
If signed by the Governor, it
means that new Maryland resi-
dents no longer will have to de-
clare their intentions to vote at
least one year prior to an election
in order to be eligible to cast
their ballots. One years resi-
dence in the State still will be
required. however.
Earlier, the House advanced to
the final passage stage a Senate
approved bill to repeal the Jim
Grow law, while the Senate de-
feated an attempt to permit the
Montgomery County Council to
refuse to guarantee payment OF
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission bonds.
Montgomery Exception Rejected.
The Senate also passed and sent
to the House the Governors bill
to set up a $50,000,000 State credit
pool from which counties and
Baltimore City could borrow for
school construction.
Although the House voted SO to
48 to reject an unfavorable COM
mittee report on repeal of the
Jim Crow law, final passage is still
far from assured since at least 81
votes-a majority of the 1913 dele
gates-are needed for such action.
Among those supporting the bill
was Montgomery Delegate Dewitt
S. Hyde, Republican, who said:
"Demagogues have used this
subject to exploit minority groups
and to discredit this Nation in the
ewes of the world. Laws such as
this are a definite handicap to us
in the battle of ideologies now
going on. 1t is nothing but an
''irritant."
Davis Pushes Bond Option.
The attempt to give Montgom-
cry County the option of refusing
to gurantee payment OF Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commis-
sion bonds was made by Senator
Roy Tasco Davis, Republican, OF
Montgomery County.
It was in the form Of an amend
ment to a bill to exempt the COM
missions water bonds from its
IA per cent bonded debt limitation.
A similar move was defeated in the
House last week. At present, both
the Montgomery County Council
and the Prince Georges County
commissioners are required to
guarantee payment of principal
and interest on commission bonds.
With a voice that trembled,
Senator Davis appealed to the
Senators mot to place this cross
of gold on us from Bethesda to
Damascus.
Sees Heavy Burden.
eve do not stand in the way
of progress he declared. But
the commission already has $40
100000 in bonds outstanding and
when you tell my county it must
guarantee payment of all future
bonds issued by the commission,
you place a heavy burden on our
credit
He emphasized the guarantee
ing by the counties of commission
bonds issued in the past would
not be affected.
II have confidence in our Coun-
ty Council that it will not be
arbitrary" he told the Senate.
Il assure you they will be fair and
just and reasonable"
Then, turning to Senator L..
Harold Sothoron, Democrat. OF
Prince Georges County, Senator
Davis said: "If you don't have that
same confidence in your county
commissioners, vote against this
amendment"
Senator Sothoron insisted, how
ever, that it is essential for both
counties to guarantee payment OF
the bonds Gin order to divorce the
commissions functions from po-
litical expediency."
Vote Is 16 to IL.
1--WE must keep cheap, petty,
demagogic politics out OF the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission" he asserted, to con-
tinue the orderly development OF
our two counties
Earlier, the Senate adopted a
favorable committe report on a
bill to raise Montgomery County's
bonded debt to limit from Z to 10
per cent of it's assessable base.
County officials have estimated
the legislation would permit them
to issue about $1l. 100000 in addl-
tional bonds.
AhnrvInnd Avoids