Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-21
Bill Would Add Extra
House Delegate for
Each Nearby County
BY stoff Correspondent of The s.or

LueH NVuIUy ~VuHly
BY Stoff Correspondent Of The Stor
ANNAPOLIS. Mar. 21.-AddeG
representation in the House Of
Delegates for Montgomery, Prince
Georges, Anne Arundel and st
Marys Counties is provided in a
bill before the Senate.
The proposed constitutions,
amendment, introduced yesterday
by Senator Leroy w. Preston
Democrat, of Baltimore, also
would set up a new legislative
district in that city. 1t now has
six districts.
If passed by the General AS
sembly and approved by the voters
in the 1852 general election. the
bill would increase the House
membership from 1913 to 1874, anc
that of the Senate from % to go
Other legislative developments
included:
/. The House passed and sent
to the Senate legislation to reor-
ganize the Prince Georges County
government and repeal the Soth-
oron Act.
2. The House received bill tt
add a 400-acre farm adjoining the
University of Maryland to College
Park and place the Engineering
and Research Corp. plant in the
town of Riverdale.
Auto Inspection Study Voted.
3. The Senate Finance Commit
tee appointed a three-man sub
committee to study the compulsory
automobile inspection bill.
4. The House upheld Gov. Nc
Keldin's veto of an Anne Arunde,
County liquor license measure.
Senator Preston's proposal is 9
new approach to the old problem
of rearranging the lineup of Dele
gates and Senators. The Genera
Assembly has been arguing the
question of more representation
for larger counties and Baltimore
for years but always has hit 6
snag in the form of opposition
from the small counties.
Membership in the House Of
Delegates was frozen at the pres.
ient 1913 seats by a constitutional
amendment approved last Novem-
Der.
Under Senator Preston's bill, 6
new population formula would bt
established for House membership
but it would provide that NJ
county would have fewer delegate!
than it had last January !. Hi!
plan would provide that:
Each of the Baltimore City dis.
tricts would have six delegates
each county of less than $4,000
population, two delegates; ovel
1000 and less than 10000, three
delegates; over 10000 and les!
than 10000, four delegates; owe
10000 but less than 10000, five
delegates: over 10000 and les!
than 100000, six delegates, ane
over 100000, seven delegates.
Adds Extra Delegate.
This would mean Montgomery
Prince Georges, Anne Arundel ant
Baltimore Counties would increase
their membership in the HOUSE
from six to seven delegates each
St. Mary's County representation
would be increased from two tt
three delegates.
At the same time, Senator Pres
ton introduced resolution calling
for appointment by the Governo
of a commission to study the prob
lem of local bills. which flood TIN
Legislature at every session.
His resolution noted that ap
proximately so per cent of tn
hundreds of bills considered b,
the General Assebly are purel.
local. He commended they take VI
too much time and reduce legis
lative efficiency.
Clash on Commission Bill.
A bill to increase the member
ship of the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission from tire
to five was recommitted to tn
Prince Georges and Montgomer.
delegations, after a sharp verba
clash between the all-Republical
Montgomery group and the tw'
Democratic members of Prince
Georges delegation.
The measure, which had com,
out with a favorable report, pro
vides that two of the five mem
bers be named by the Montgomer.
County Council and two by tn,
Prince Georges County Commits
sioners. The fifth would be ap
pointed by the Governor. II
addition, the bill calls for a gen
eral manager.
Appointment of a Senat
Finance subcommittee to stud.
the automobile inspection bill wa
made after a hearing at which tn
committee was urged to supper
the measure.
Among those speaking at tn
|hearing was Washington I. Cleve
land of the Montgomery Count,
Safety Council. He urged tn
committee to consider an amend
|ment enabling counties an,
municipalities to conduct thei
own enr11nallsorv Ansnections-A