Evening star., 1949-01-26
Mental Hospital.
|Conferees Will
Meet With Lane
II Legislators Named
At His Suggestion to
Discuss Conditions
By J. B. Zatmon
Star Sfoff CORRESPONDENT

- ~ A9VtutOU
stor stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 26.-A 12-man
committee of State legislators will
meet with Gov. Lane soon to dis
cuss conditions in mental hospitals
and make recommendations for i'm
proving them.
The group, comprising an equal
number of Delegates and Senators
was appointed last night by House
Speaker G. Ferdinand Sybert and
Senate President Joseph r. Byrnes.
The appointments were In line
with the Governors suggestion in
his budget message, in which he
recommended an increase of nearly
$500, 900 over current appropriations
for mental institutions.
He told the General Assembly a
survey of physical facilities in
mental hospitals is now being made
by the Department of Public I'M
provements.
Another study, he added, Is under
way by Drs. Riley H. Guthrie, head
of the Division of Mental Hygiene,
United States Public Health Serv-
ice, and Ralph M. Chambers, chief
of the inspection service, American
Psychiatric Association.
To Drop Probe Proposal.
Results Of the studies, expected to
be completed soon, will furnish the
basis for his recommendations in q
special message on personnel and
construction, the Governor said.
He had suggested a joint commit
tee be named to meet with him to
explore" the reports and nelp him
draft his program.
Representing the Senate on the
committee are P. G. Stromberg,
Howard County; George w. Della,
Baltimore; John G. Turnbull, Bal
timore County, and Henry H. Balch,
Talbot County, Democrats, and Rob-
ert B. Kimble. Allegany County, and
Daniel Ellison, Baltimore, Repub-
licanS.
Representing the House of Dele
gates are Clarence E. Tyler, Anne
Arundel County; Jerome Robinson,
Baltimore; T. Raymond Burch,
Prince Georges County. and Myron
L. Bloom, Washington County, Dem
ocrats, and Jacob r. Ramsburg
Frederick County. and C. Ray
barnes, Carroll County, Republicans
Senator Ellison, a leader in the
criticism of conditions in mental
hospital, said he would withdraw his
resolution proposing establishment
of five-man investigating commit
tee. The resolution was scheduled
to come up for final action today
after being deferred Monday night.
College Park Tax Rise Sought.
He emphasized, however, he would
resume his fight If the committee
fails to take concrete action"
Meanwhile, the house passed and
sent to the senate q bill calling for
a referendum in 1850 on the ques-
ton of calling a convention to adopt
new State constitution or change
the present one.
Also approved was bill permit
ting juries, by adding without
capital punishment" to their YER
diets, to limit the punishment of
persons convicted of rape to 20
years.
Among measures introduced was
one by the Prince Georges County
delegation to raise the College Park
tax rate from Is to so cents per 500,
eliminate the rural land" classifi-
cation for assessment purposes and
make the post of treasurer an ap-
pointive one, instead Of elective.
DR.. NJ B. Steward, Democrat, of
Prince Georges County, submitted a
bill to authorize the mayor and
council of Laurel to borrow up to
$4,000 for street improvements.
Frederick Bill introduced.
Mrs. Leona M. Rush, Republican,
of Montgomery County, sponsored
a resolution calling for a study of
the cost involved in the installation
Of an electric voting system in the
House.
She also introduced a bill to
legitimize children resulting from
marriages which have been an
nulled.
Other new House bills would au-
thorize the Mayor and Council of
Frederick to borrow up to $45, 900
for public improvements, ban the
sale Of alcoholic beverages in Mary
land on Sundays and eliminate a
law prohibiting erection of duck
blinds in any tributary Of the Pa
tuxent River south Of Trumans
Point.
In rejecting a favorable commit
tee report, the House killed a pro-
posed constitutional amendment to
make juries the judges only of fact
in criminal cases. At present, they
are judges of the law as well as
tho fort