Evening star., 1949-03-23
New Bill Drafted Assembly Group
ToAct on County
Liquor Bills
Proposals Would Give
Montgomery More
Control Over Board
BY O S.or StoH Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. %. The
Senate Judiciary Committee will
act this week on two bills affect
ing the Montgomery County
Liquor Board, with majority of
the members reported ready to
vote against them.
One of the measures provides
for appointment of board men,
bers by the County Council, in
stead of by the Governor. The
other would transfer title to the
liquor dispensary building in Sill
yer Spring from the board to the
county
Supporters of the bills, spon-
sored by Montgomery Senator Roy
TaSco Davis. Republican, told the
committee yesterday they are in
tended to return control over the
board to locally elected county Of
ficialS.
The opponents, however, led by
James w. Gill, attorney for the
board, claimed the board is func-
tioning efficiently under the pres
Ient system and that the proposals
were initiated by the Republicans
and charterites in an attempt to
oust the five Democratic board
members.
Other Counties Cited.
Cepotor Doyie roapohor of +l,o
committee. said at the hearing
that in Baltimore and Queen
Annes County liquor boards are
appointed by the county commits
siopers. while in Is other counties
the commissioners ARE in direct
control over liquor sales
Also speaking for the bills was
Delegate Dewitt S. Hyde, Repub-
lican, of Montgomery County.
Mr.. Gill. in opposing the meas
ures, was supported by E. Brooke
Lee. leader of the county Demo-
cratic organization. who told DEM
ocratic members of the committee
that in counties which have been
Republican for many years, :"
there has been no attempt to re
move from the Governor appoint:
ments in the manner and to the
extent that legislative representa-
tives of Montgomery County have
proposed subsequent to the elec-
ton of the only Republican dele
cation to the General Assembly
from Montgomery County since
the Civil War"
Takoma Bills Before Senate.
Bearing House approval. FIVE
bills dealing with Takoma Park
today were before the Senate.
The measures were among II
passed yesterday in the House.
They would:
Eliminate tax discounts. repeal
an obsolete law concerning town
assessments. authorize the town
to establish storm water drainage
districts, advance the municipal
itys election date to the fourth
Tuesday in March. and fix the
first Monday in February as the
date by which the supervisors of
elections in Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties must fur
nish the town with list of elig-
ible voters
Other bills sent to the Senate
would authorize the Montgomery
County Council to levy a 1O-cent
fire tax in the Burtonsville area
empower the Washington Subur-
ban Sanitary Commission to as
sesS the cost of storm water drain
age work against property owners
affected. including governmental
agencies. and authorize the Mont
'gomery County Council to adopt
disqualification and group health
insurance for county plans.
A bill sponsored by the Prince
Georges delegation provides for a
full-time chairman of the Board
of County Commissioners at an
annual salary of $4,000. The four
other commissioners would re-
ceiVe $2.400 a year each. The
measure would go into effect after
the 1850 general election.
Mental Hygiene Bills Passed.
The Montgomery and Prince
Georges delegations injected
light note in the session by having
the House approve a resolution
welcoming spring and congratu-
lating Prince Georges Delegates r.
Raymond Burch and Perry q.
Wilkinson, Democrats, and Mont
gomery Delegate Dewitt S. Hyde,
Republican, on their birthdays
Monday.
On the other side of the State
House. the Senate passed two bills
to abolish the Board of Mental
Hygiene and the Boards of Man.
ayers of the various mental hos
pitfalls and to create a Department
of Mental Hygiene.
The department would be head
ed by commissioner who would
appoint mental hospital superin-
tendents.
The legislation follows recon-
mendationS of the General A 4
sembly's special mental hospit'
investigating commission Whic,
were indorsed by the Governor.
Another bill. introduced bl
Senator L. Harold Sothoron, DEM
ocrat, of Prince Georges County.
would change the name of the
Cheltenham School for Boys in