Evening star., 1951-01-11
Prince Georges
Moves TO Repea
Sothoron Law
Delegation Drofts
Legislation to Keep
! 6. O. P. Promise
BY a sioff corresponden. Of The stor

". ". r. FTOmISe
BY q sioff Correspondent Of The Star
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. II. The
Prince Georges County delegation
today was to begin drafting legis-
lation to repeal the controversial
Sothoron Act.
The action is intended to full
fill one of the principal pledges
made by county Republicans dur
ing last years political campaign,
and which is believed to have been
a major factor in the COP county
wide sweep in November.
Sponsored at the 1850 session
by former State Senator L. Har-
old Sothoron of Prince Georges,
the law provided principally for
full-time county commissioner
and a purchasing bureau.
1t was strongly opposed by civic
groups and the League of Women
Voters, who attacked it as prema-
ture pending survey of the
county government. Their request
for such a study was refused
however, by the former Board of
County Commissioners. The new
all-Republican board has prom
ised to have a survey made as
soon as possible.
Repeal Seen Likely.
With a Republican Governor in
the State House and a f1ve-man
COP majority on the seven
member delegation. the Prince
Georges legislators are confident
they will encounter little diff
Guilty in pushing through repeal
of the law.
But they warned the matter
must be approached cautiously
because of constitutional questions
involved.
They pointed out that if the
measure is repealed in its entirety,
the county would be left with a
1949 law which is unconstitu-
tional.
This law provided for election
of a full-time county commission
er but failed to specify the num-
ber of commissioners to be named.
1t was to go into effect after No
vember. 1850.
When Mr.. Sothoron introduced
his bill last year, he claimed one
of it's purposes was to correct the
defeat in the 1949 law.
Latimer Case Cited.
Another problem, the delegation
said, is the fact that Thomas E.
Latimer already has been ap-
pointed full-time commissioner at
$500 a year.
If and when the Sothoron Act
is repealed. spokesman for the
group explained. some provision
would have to be made to retain
Mr.. Latimer's salary because a
State law prohibits any change
in an elected officials salary dur
ing his term of Office.
For these reasons, the s.,okes-
man said. some "stop-gap" legis-
lation will be necessary to replace
the Sothoron Act pending intro
duction of a bill to carry out
recommendations of the county
government survey after it is COM
pleted.
In this connection State Senator
John R. Fletcher, Republican, of
Prince Georges said he favored
made by the county
Citizens Committee for Good
Government in carrying out the
survey. But he emphasized the
final decision must be made by
the county commissioners, adding
that the delegation would not
pressure" the commissioners to
accept or reject the suggestions
Deduction Bill introduced.
There was just one piece of
business before the House of Dele
gates that was not connected with
the installation of Gov. McKeldin.
Delegate Burlington, Democrat,
of Baltimore introduced a bill to
allow deductions of paid Federal
income taxes when filing State
income tax returns. Identical
bills have been introduced in each
regular session of the Legislature
the last several years, but none
came close to passing.
The State controller estimates
on the basis of 1947 returns that
deduction of Federal income taxes
would reduce revenue by $5,046, 900
a year.