Evening star., 1951-01-21
Assembly Held
Likely TO Defeat
Convention P Ian
Pressure Builds Up
At Annapolis Against
New Constitution
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 20.-Pressure
Is building up rapidly against two
of the General Assembly's most
controversial questions consti-
tutional convention and tax on
trucks.
The two proposals are expected
to create as much fireworks as
any to come before the Legisla-
ture which starts its fourth week
Monday night.
Betting around the State House
already is that the Legislature
will refuse to cali State consti-
tutional convention. Voters ap-
proved a convention, 200,439 to
5000, last November but it is UP
to the General Assembly to call it..
First Move Causes Wrangle.
A good hint of the arguments
ahead came Wednesday when the
first move to hold hearing on
the convention bill produced a
wrangle. House Judiciary Chair
man Thomas Dempsey, Democrat.
of Baltimore, wanted it held next
Thursday, but was voted down and
the hearing was set for January 80.
Arguments on the bill itself are
expected to boil down to a few
points. Proponents will claim the
84-year-old constitution is out
dated and that the people showed
in November they wanted new
one.
Opponents will counter that
necessary adjustments can be
made by amendment and that a
majority of the people didn't
actually express any opinion.
Logic Used 20 Years Ago.
On this last point, opponents
point out that while 100000 voted
for a convention, there were
$4,000 ballots cast in the race
for governor. Therefore, they say,
a majority of the voters didn't
favor the convention. The same
logic was used 20 years ago when
the Legislature refused to call
a convention although the referen-
dunn received favorable vote.
The growing opposition prompted
Gov. McKeldin to put himself
strongly on record for the con-
vention. He so instructed Repub-
licans in the assembly yesterday,
saying, 1--WE have to be for it, It's
in our platform"
The DERIVING sentiment
against the convention lies with
smaller counties fearing a loss of
representation. They now enjoy
greater proportion of representa-
ton in the General Assembly
than their population warrants.
compared with Baltimore City and
larger counties.
Goldstein Heads Opposition.
Senate Floor Leader Louis l..
Goldstein, Democrat, of Calvert
County, already has come out as
leader of the opposition in the
Upper House.
The proposal to tax trucks may
not produce much open debate as
the convention bill, but there will
be just as vigorous pushing and
pulling behind the scenes. Rich-
ard w. Case, chairman of the
Tax Survey Commission which
recommended charge of two
mills per ton mile on trucks over
$4,000 pounds. predicted the in
dustry would lobby strenuously
against it.
The bill will have public
hearing January 81 before the
Senate Finance Committee.
In the meantime, some Eastern
Shore Senators already said they
are inclined to oppose it as a
matter of "home interest" They
point out they are almost entirely
dependent upon trucks for freight
service and the new tax would
merely be passed on to the GUS
toners.
The proposed tax Is aimed
largely at out-of State trucks
passing through Maryland. The
Case Commission noted that most
OF them even escape the gasoline
tax by filling up before entering
the State.
But 1t will apply just the same
on Maryland-owned firms and
that Is from where the strongest
opposition will come.