Evening star., 1951-04-21
Signs
7 Acts 10 Curb
Traffic in Drugs
Governor Approves
IA New Measures;
Isl Await Action
BY J. [. Michael
Sfor Sfoff Correspondent

BALTIMORE, April 21-Twol
sharp legislative weapons designed
to cut deeply into the illicit drug
traffic are on Maryland law books
today along with a new plan forl
the rehabilitation Of defective de-
linquents.
I The acts were among "A signed
yesterday by Gov. McKeldin, who
affixed his signature tol
523 measures passed during theI
last 90-day session of the Cen
eral Assembly. The Governor hasl
until May 8 to act on 25l more
and has scheduled another bill
signing ceremony for noon next
Friday at Annapolis.
Bills on his desk after the dead
line will be vetoed automatically
and. with those actually disap-
proved, will be taken up as thel
first order Of business at the Legis-
lature's next regular or special
session. AT that time, the As
sembly, In accordance with con-
stitutional amendment approved
by voters last November, will sus-
tain or overrule all gubernatorial
vetoes.
One of the narcotics bills
signed yesterday steps up penalties
for drug peddlers. The other pro-
vides fol- confiscation of vehicles,
vessels and airplanes used in il
legal drug trade. Both will become
effective June /.
Mrs. Bertha d. Baldwin, assist
ant to the supervisor of the Fed
|eral Bureau Of Narcotics, said the
penalty act would do more to|
curb the use of drugs than any
previous legislation because cit
viii strike at the source and put
the peddlers out of circulation for
la long time"
She presented an opium -smok-
ing outfit to the Governor. He put
the contraptien together but re-
|neged when Mrs. Baldwin offered
to get it going so he could try al
whiff.
The penalty act provides for
fines up to $1,000 and mandatory
two to five year prison terms for
convicted first offenders and five
to ten years confinement and fines
Iup to $4,000 for second offenders.
A third conviction means impris-
onment from ten to twenty years
and a $4,000 fine.
Another act previously signed by
the Governor makes five to twenty
years confinement mandatory for
Ipersons convicted of selling drugs
to minors.
New Agency Approved.
The act to aid defective delin-
quents. termed forward looking
legislation by the Governor. calls
for a new State agency to handle
the problem and erection of a
new building near the House of
Correction at Jessups. The struc-
ture will be known as the "Patux-
ent Institution" and its activi-
tiles will be within the general ad-
ministratiye control of the State
Board of Correction.
Defective delinquents are de-
fined in the act as persons with
persistent, aggravated anti-Social
Ior criminal behavior or found to
have either intellectual deficiency
Ior emotional unbalance.
/ Requests for examinations of
'Ipersons possibly in those categories
may be made after convictions for
Ifelonies or misdemeanors punish
able by imprisonment, Examina-
tions may be asked by States at
!. torneys, the chairman of the
Board of Correction or defendants
themselves.
/ If adjudged within the defini-
Ition. they may be sent to the in
stitution, where they will be given
lpsychiatric treatment and re-
,fleased If they respond favorably
i Top-ranking acts still on the
,lGovernor's desk would authorize
Iconstruction of a SIS million State
! office building in or near An
Inapolis, give wide home rule
powers to the University of Mary
.Iland. change the States present
Ireal estate tax assessment system
land set up a Maryland Youth
lCommission.