Evening star., 1951-03-14
Mrs. Rush Burns Up
As Democrats Bar
Her From Caucus
By q steff Correspondent of The stor

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 14.-Mont-
gomery County's attractive woman
delegate, Mrs. Leona Rush, is lust
burned up" today because she and
five other Republicans were
shooed out of locked door COM
mittee room when % Democrats
suddenly decided to caucus.
The 20 delegates are members
of the House Education Commit
tee, headed by Perry o. Wilkinson,
Democrat, of Prince Georges
County.
Chairman Wilkinson called his
group together yesterday to de-
eide whether any of them would
sponsor four bills designed to ef-
feet a $45 million program pro-
posed by DR.. Thomas G. Pullen,
State superintendent of schools.
The bills are cooling off today,
but Mrs. Rush isn't.
1T was an outrageous, unheard-
of procedure for the chairman to
USE" she stormed, land I am
virtually ablaze about it,"
Mr. Wilkinson said, after the
meeting, that no one had agreed
to sponsor the controversial meas
ures, which have been curtly
rejected by Gov. McKeldin.
Further Discussion Forecast.
There will be further discus
sion of the bills" said Mr.. Wilkin-
son. "but none whatever on Mrs.
Rush's statement"
Veteran State House observers
said it is unusual for committee
chairman to ask minority mem
bers to leave a meeting. The
normal procedure, when a caucus
is planned. they explained, is to
hold the secret session at an
other place.
The four bills would:
Give the States teachers
$500-a-year pay raise, set up a
$35 million fund for school con-
struction, increase incentive fund
payments from 10 to Is cents and
give libraries a total of $4,000
this year.
Republicans and the Democra-
tic majority apparently are agreed
that all of the school proposals
are out for this session. But
there is some sentiment for a
cost = of living pay boost for
teachers of from 5000 to $500 a
year.
Finance minded members of
both parties have searched high
and low for funds that could be
used for that purpose without
raising taxes, but so far the cup
board is bare.
Other Developments.
There were these other Wash
ington Area developments yester-
day:
Republican Senator John r.
Fletcher of Prince Georges County
introduced a bill to authorize the
county commissioners to sell a
$500.000 bond issue to make gen.
eral Improvements in the Metro
politan Area.
Specifically the bill would au-
thorize construction of two-lane
highway on abandoned streetcar
tracks between Branchville and
Beltsville. The rest of the money
would pay for improvement OF
sidewalks, highways and lighting
installations in various sections.
Delegate j. Frank Lillard, jr.
Republican of Prince Georges, an
nounced that the county delega-
ton is considering amendments te
the Sothoron Act repeater which
would:
Delete sections providing for 6
county architects office and strike
out clauses providing that the
full-time commissioner head the
county Purchasing Bureau ane
proposed board of public works
Mr.. Lillard said, however, the
delegation may insert a CLAUSE
directing that at least five bid!
be obtained on county construc.
ton projects.
Also considered are retention
of the section making a govern.
mental survey mandatory and g
new clause requiring that the in.
quiry report be returned by next
February l..