Evening star., 1950-02-03
Lane May Face
Fight Today on
Screen Bill
Opponents Charge
Cog Rule Seek
Reconsideration
By J. L. MichoeI
Special Stor Correspondent

OA-A~B S0' - SlAO1Sdl
dynamite may be exploded in the
Maryland House of Delegates
today.
Opposition to an administration
measure to screen" all bills intro
duced in the current three-day
session appeared to be gaining
impetus last night. The bill is
regarded as the crux of Gov.
Lanes strategy.
Veteran State House observers
said coalition of Republicans
and dissident Democrats may find
votes enough to force reconsidera-
tion of the proposal. 1t squeaked
through the House by a one-vote
Wednesday and survived
a severe blasting yesterday.
The Senate passed the bill
Wednesday after brief battle,
but anti-administration leaders
are laying the groundwork for
oSo0UilllS OpcI dClOllS.
Other. informed sources said,
however. that administration lieu
tenants expected to have the situ-
alton in hand before the House
convenes at 2 pm. today.
Gag Is Charged.
Opponents call the bill a gag
rule" designed to cut off all meas
ures without administration back
ing. Its hackers say it is a sincere
attempt to prevent action on leg
islation which is not of fiscal
nature, or does not vitally concern
the public welfare.
The current session is supposed
to be limited by law to enactment
Of monetary and emergency meas
ures. But legislators have local
bills they want passed, all of
which they say, are of an "emer-
gency" nature.
An administration leader told
reporters, IAN attempt is under
way to wreck this session of the
Legislature"
Pumphrey Succeeds Albers.
In another fight yesterday. Dele
gate Leroy Pumphrey, Prince
Georges was named a member of
the powerful Rules Committee to
succeed Delegate Albers, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore City. Mr.. Albers
was dropped. He wanted to know
why. Speaker Sybert said he had
acted under authority given him
to select the committee.
'It's cheap, partisan politics and
political dictatorship" Mr.. Albers
replied.
Naming of the committee broke
a jam which had held up all bills
introduced. The Rules Committee
distributed several to other COM
mittees.
An administration measure
would have the States chief
engineer survey Blackiston Island
in the lower Potomac to see what
could be done to prevent erosion.
The island was the first landing
place Of Maryland's colonists.
Another bill by Speaker Sybert
would repeal a law passed last
year requiring that children's
furniture and toys shall by a label
call attention to the use of any
paint or other material containing
lead or other poisonous substances.
Lead makers say their product is
not poisonous. The Lead Indus
tries Association, the bill said, has
arranged to finance a study of the
question.
The Montgomery County dele
cation introduced several bills.
Among them was one which
amends the State constitution to
give all counties full condemna-
ton powers in right-of-w dis
putes. This would enable any
county to take over any land
needed In a road project without
waiting for a court to fix the
valuation.
Others would: Raise the sher-
ifs salary from $4,000 to $4,000
a year and furnish him an auto
mobile; bring children suffering
from cerebral palsy within the
laws relating to education of
handicapped children; provide
that the Mayor of Kensington re-
ceive a yearly salary of $125 and
that council members be paid SIS
for each session they attend. At
present none of the town officials
receive any compensation.
Another would make it unlawful
to discharge firearms within one
quarter mile of any incorporated
town or within Shooting distance"
OF any inhabited building in the
State. The bill includes "BB"
guns.
Prince Georges Bill.
A bill introduced by the Prince
Georges delegation seeks to return
authority to make sewer and
water connections in the county
to the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission. Most of
this work is let to private con-
tractors.
Other Prince Georges measures
would: Permit a referendum in
Riverdale on the question of in
creasing the towns fire tax from
S to 10 cents per $100; give the
town of Bowie the right to de-
termine by special election
whether a special 10-cent levy is
to be imposed for fire protection;
another Bowie municipal bill
would permit a referendum on
proposed changes in the towns
charter. An additional Bowie
measure would increase the tax