Evening star., 1953-04-02
Change 10 Drop
Merit System in
Home RuIebiII
WiILAIso Require
Engineer as Chief
Of Public Works
By Gene Goodwin
Sfnr SA.EE CnrrnsnnndanA

BY Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, April 2.-The So
called Prince Georges County
home rule bill is being amended
to remove a provision that would
give the county commissioners
authority to establish a merit
system. ,
A second amendment-report-
edly agreed upon by all six Of
the counties House Delegates and
Senator j. r. Fletcher, Republi-
can-would put into the bill the
language Of existing law, requir-
ing that the director of the De-
partment of Public Works be a
qualified engineer. The bill now
would allow the commissioners
to hire a person other than a.
qualified, engineer to head the
department.
The measure, which would give
the commissioners power to pass
ordinances and other broad au-
thority, was approved by the
House last night and sent to
the Senate. The two Democrats
in the county delegation, Leroy
Humphrey and Perry o. Wilkin-
son. moved to have the bill re-
committed. But they withdrew
their motion when Delegate j.
Frank Lillard. jr., Republican,
assured them the two amend
ments would be added in the
Senate by Mr.. Fletcher.
Pleads for Action.
Mr.. Lillard urged the Demo-
Gratis not to delay this vital
bill" 3
Mr.. LilTard said later both the
Democrats and Republicans in
the delegation have agreed to
the amendments.
Delegate Harry E. Taylor, jr.,
Republican, said it was felt that
any merit system established in
the county should be set up by
law and not by an ordinance Of
the commissioners.
The two Democrats are be-
lieved to be strong for the first
amendment as a protection for
fellow-Democrat Arthur w. Tay-
man, now director of public
works. They are said to fear
that if the law allowed the COM
missionerS to put a non-engineer
in the post Mr.. Tayman would
be replaced.
Parent Law Signed.
Meanwhile. q bill to protect
parents of adopted children in
Prince Georges County from
having their identity revealed to
the natural parents has been
signed into law by Gov. Nc
Keldin. za
Lack Of such a law in FRINGE
Georges has moved many adop-
ton agencies to refuse to place
children in that county. Under
present law, county courts can
and often have-directed that
natural parents of a child put
out for adoption have the right,
at some later date, to learn the
identity of the persons who
adopted their children.
Also signed by the Governor
was bill to exempt the Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission from a State require
ment that it either put fish lad
ders on its two Patuxent River
dams or pay a special fee. Sen
ator j. r. Fletcher, Republican,
OF Prince Georges said the law
will save Washington suburban
area taxpayers 100000 over. the
years.
The Governor signed Joint
Montgomery Prince Georges
measure to change the deadline
for voter registration from 80
days to IS days before the gen.
eral election.
Several Prince Georges bills
were given final enactment in the
Senate yesterday. They included
measures creating a commission
to study the Maryland City"
proposal, raising the sheriff's
automobile. allowance from
$1,000 a year to $2,5OO and his
allowance for deputies and a
Stenographer from $4,000 a
year to $4,000, and authorizing
the county commissioners to
borrow up to 100000 for metro
politan area improvements.
Senator Fletcher introduced a
resolution to authorize the gov
erning bodies of Prince Georges
and Montgomery counties to
spend total of $4,000 to survey
their joint boundary.
The Prince Georges House
group finally decided what to do
about the thorny Riverdale bill,
which would authorize that town
to annex about 200 acres north
Of it, including the huge Engin-
eering Research Corporation. The
delegation decided to put a ref
erendum clause on the bill and a
provision that ERGO pay the
town $4,000 a year in lieu OF
taxes.
The town had asked the annex
alton bill to compensate it for
wear and tear on it's streets
caused by ERGO traffic. There
are about Is families in the
Would-be annexed area.