Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-29
Liquor Traffic
Patrol Backed
In Maryland
Enforcement Bill
Passed by State
Senate, n to 7
By a stoff correspond.nt q n. Sc,


ANNAPOLIS. Mar. 2s.-Legis-
lation aimed at creating q
border patrol to stop illegal
transportation Of liquor into
Maryland from the District
passed the State Senate today,
22-7.
An amendment was added,
however. which restricts the size
Of the so-called Maryland alco-
hol tax enforcement unit to
seven members. The bill now
goes back to the House. where
it originated, for concurrence in
the Senate amendment.
The measure has strong back.
ing from Maryland liquor deal.
ers, which led Senator John Gra-
son Turnbull. Democrat, Of Bal
timore County. to declare that
he is suspicious Of the bill. He
said the liquor lobby has been
acting with staggering belliger-
ence" on this and other legisla-
ton.
Dealers Back Measure.
Maryland liquor dealers sup.
port the measure to protect
themselves from the lower liquor
prices in the District. They com.
plain that the present law, all
lowing a person to bring only
one bottle of liquor into Mary
land, Is not being enforced.
The original bill would have
given Controller j. Willard Tawes
authority to set UP q border
patrol" Of any size he saw 1T.
Senator Turnbull said he and
other opponents Of the measure
would review its effect in two
years.
Among the seven who voted
against the bill was Senator An.
ders r. Lofstrand, ir.. Represent
alive of Montgomery County.
Senator j. Raymond Fletcher,
Representative of Prince Georges
voted for it.
Back Ban ON Liquor Stores.
Meanwhile, the House APP
proved and sent to the Senate
a bill giving property owners the
right to block liquor and beer
shops in their neighhorhood if
the majority oppose them.
Prince Georges County is ex-
empt from the bill as it passed
today, but three of the six
Prince Georges House members
said they will try to get Sem
ator Fletcher to put their coun-
ty back i'll it when it gets to
the Senate. Montgomery is in
cluded in the measure, although
that county's delegation also is
split 3-3 on the issue. They put
their deadlock up to the House
and the other delegates voted to
keep Montgomery in the bill. :
The House had another Hurry
over the Maryland-N National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. It came on a Mont
gomery County bill introduced as
a companion measure to the
main park and planning bill
which was defeated by the House
Thursday night.
Called Usurpation.
Today's bill merely would have
made a technical transfer Of
the authority under which the
county now operates the Upper
Montgomery County Planning
Commission from one State statue
to another. But Delegates Perry
o. Wilkinson. Democrat, Of
Prince Georges. and August c.
Myers, Democrat, of Baltimore
City, denounced it as another
attempt by Montgomery County
to usurp the powers Of the Mary.
land Planning Commission.
The House decided to re-refer
the bill to the judiciary commits
tee because it amends State law.
Senator Fletcher's bill to raise
State library aid to counties to
10 cents per capita was enacted
in the House and sent to the
Governor. where it is assured of
being signed into law.
Final approval was given in
the Senate to a Prince Georges
delegation bill authorizing ex-
penditure of sos million for
school construction in the next