Evening star., 1951-03-02
B Slot Machine
Measures Head
ForMcke|din
Senate Bills Likely
To Force Definition
Of Governors Policy
BY }. L. MiehoeI
Stor Staff Correspondent

~ Ss 6' Nf$HoSt
Star sioff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 2.-Slot
machines were set today to shell
out a jackpot of problems for the
McKeldin administration.
Legislators from three counties
in which the machines are legal
lined up new bills designed to
effect major changes in present
laws and prepared to drop them
simultaneously in the Senate
hopper.
They are Senators Louis L.
Goldstein. Democrat, of Calvert
County: James B. Monroe, Re-
publican. of Charles County, and
Paul J. Bailey. Republican. of st.
Marys County.
Seek to Correct Defects.
Anne Arundel is the only other
Maryland county in which slot
machines operate within the law.
All the measures seek first of
all to correct possible defects in
titles of the old bills. The orig
inal legalizing statutes called slot
machines amusement" instead of
gambling" devices. A similarly
worded act passed for Prince
Georges County was held invalid
when Circuit and Appeals Court
judges ruled that the language
was deceptive"
Thus, If the three bills clear
both houses, Gov. McKeldin will
in effect decide the slot machine
policy of his administration by
his signature or veto.
If he signs them. he may be
confronted with a flood of legal
izing bills from other counties,
and If he vetoes them, he Is
certain to rock the economy of
the three counties.
Revenues Listed.
Calvert and st. Marys Counties
get 100000 a year each from slot
machine revenues, and Charles
County's annual return totals
$120, 900.
Under present laws, Calvert
County earmarks the first $780,
600 from slot machines for new
hospital, and it was to funnel
subsequent revenue into the coun-
tvs general fund.
Senator Goldstein's new bill
would make an additional $50, 900
available for the hospital and
specify that slot-machine income
be used solely for public i'm
provements after the 100000
hospital fund is accumulated.
About $230.000 is now on hand
for the hospital project.
The measure also allocates $12,-
900 a year to take care OF the
hospitals annual operating def
cit.
North Beach Works Planned.
Water and sewage systems for
the town of North Beach are next
in the line of planned improve
ments. After that comes the
county road system.
North Beach in the new bill Is
allotted $4,000 year to help pay
for sanitary installations. A sep
arate bill for North Beach was to
be introduced today by Senator
Goldstein. 1t would authorize the
town to float a $3.50 900 bond issue
for the facilities. The bonds would
be amortized over 40-year period.
Also to be introduced today by
Senator Goldstein was a State
wide measure which would permit
formation of regional sanitary
districts made up Of town or
counties Or both. Its objective is
to enable communities and unin-
corporated areas to band together
in financing such projects when
one section alone has an insuff-
cient taxable basis to justify a
bond issue.
One suggested district would
take in North Beach, North Beach
Park and Chesapeake Beach.
Clerk Would Draw $2,400.
Proposed changes in the Charles
County slot machine law include
employment of license clerk who
would be named by the county
commissioners and would receive
S2,4OO a year. At present, slot
machine licenses are issued by the
Circuit Court clerk. The bill also
provides for the following annual
allocations:
Volunteer fire departments-La
Plata, $4,000, and $1,000 each to
Hughesville. Waldorf. Nanjemoy,
Indian Head, Potomac Heights
and the 5th election district unit.
The Children's Aid Society. for
use in Charles County, $1,000.
The Charles County Public Lii
brary $500 and $4,000 to Physi-
clans Memorial Hospital, La Plata.
The measure specifies that after
payment of the special allocations
all additional slot machine rev.
enue shall be used to reduce the
county real estate tax. now 81 for
each $100 valuation and for the
reduction Of school bonds.
The st. Marys bill would in
sert penalties for permitting
youths under 16 to play the
machines.