Evening star., 1951-02-21
HedringP|edged
On Montgomery
Beer Proposal
PIon Would Wipe
Out County Control
Over Distribution
By J. B. Zotmon
Stcf Stoff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 21.-A pro-
posal to eliminate Montgomery
County's monopoly over the
wholesale distribution of beer
will be given full public hearings
before the county's all-Republican
delegation takes any action on it
Montgomery's Senator Dewitt
S. Hyde, in announcing this yes
terday, gave assurances that such
a bill would not be introduced un-
less it contained a provision au-
thorlzing the county to tax all
beer sold there.
This, he explained. would Offset
any loss of county revenue result
ing from the change in the pres
ent system. 1t has been eSti-
mated that the county receives
about $4,000 annually from its
beer operations. "
Representatives of the State
Controllers Office have urged the
delegation to sponsor legislation
to return the wholesale distribu-
tion of beer to private interests
Redistricting Plan Approved.
They say the present. system re-
duces consumption and decreases
State revenues from such a
source. They have predicted that
under their proposal, beer con-
sumption would go up and the
county would benefit because of
increased State refunds under the
Sherbow laws.
HighlighJing yesterdays session
of the General Assembly was ap-
proval by the Republican minority
of Montgomery Delegate j. PAUL
Marshall's congressional redis-
tricting plan. Appropriate legis-
lation is expected to be introduced
today.
Mr.. Marshall's proposal would
transfer Howard County from the
Fifth to the Second District and
establish Maryland's Seventh Dis
trict, to which it is entitled under
population gains, in Baltimore.
The Montgomery delegate be-
lieves removal of Howard County
from the Fifth District would
pave the way for election of a
Republican representative in 1852.
Scant Hope of Passage.
The district, which now con-
sists of Howard. Prince Georges,
Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles
and st. Mary's Counties. is repre-
sented by Lansdale G. Sasscer.
Democrat, who lives in Upper
Marlboro.
His plan has scant hope of pas
sage. however. in the Democrat
controlled Legislature. The Demo-
Gratis are drafting legislation in
accordance with their own re-
districting plans.
The Democratic proposal also
would place the additional district
in Baltimore and would reduce
sharply the Baltimore City areas
included in the I'd and 5th dis
tricts. The makeup of the other
districts would be left unchanged.
The Senate, meanwhile, post
poned until today consideration of
a favorable report on bill by
Senator Louis N. Phipps, Demo-
crat, of Anne Arundel County
calling for erection of a SIS million
State Office Building in or near
Annapolis.
Della Cites Legal Restriction.
The postponement came on a
motion by Senator Bernard Melni-
cove, Democrat, of Baltimore. who
said he wanted to amend the
measure to make it subject to a
referendum.
At the same time, compromise
plan for reasseSsing property every
three years was approved by Sen
ators from 20 of the % counties
and the six from Baltimore City
in a closed session.
Senator G. Ferdinand Sybert
Democrat, of Howard County
chairman of a Finance subcom-
mittee working on the compro-
mise, said his group will confer
with Attorney General Hall Ham,
mond to write amendments in the
proposed annual assessment bill.
The latter, which would elimi-
nate the present five-year rota-
tipnal assessment system, was op-
posed last month by representa-
tives of 19 counties.
Wilkinson Submits Bills.
Among bills received by the
House were five by Delegate Perry
O. Wilkinson, Democrat, of Prince
Georges County. They would:
/. Increase by 10 per cent the
pensions of public school teachers
retired on disability.
Q. Clear the way for teachers
to enter the State retirement sys-
tenn.
3. Increase the pensions of re-
tired school teachers.
4. Authorize Federal social Sc
curity coverage for employees OF
county boards of education who
are not members of the State re-
tirement system.
S. Clarity the law permitting
boards of education to receive
school cite donations.