Evening star., 1953-03-28
".
Prince Georqes
.Peop|e'sCourt
Bill Prepared
Fletcher Reveals
Plan on Proposing
Juvenile Tribunal
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Stcff CORRESPONDENT

Star Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 28.--Last-
minute introduction of a bill to
set up a Prince Georges County
Peoples Court of three full-time
trial magistrates was under
consideration here today by
Senator John R. Fletcher, Re-
publican, of that county.
The Senator revealed he was
working on the Peoples Court
measure last night. as he intro
duced a separate bill creating
a county juvenile court. with
the salary of $4,000 a year for
the judge and $2,700 for court
clerk.
His thinking was to get, the
juvenile court bill, which has
the. approval of the county's
House delegation, into the hopper
last night, which was the dead
line for introducing bills. Sus-
pension of rules is required to
introduce any new bills between
now and the end of the session
on April 6.
On Montgomery Pattern.
Senator Fletcher, said that. if
he does put in the Peoples
Court measure, it would be pat
termed after bill introduced
by the Montgomery delegation.
That bill sets up a court Of three
full-time judges, one for juvenile
cases, and the other two for
criminal. civil and traffic cases.
Among other Prince Georges
and Montgomery bills tossed in
Just before the deadline was
one by Senator Fletcher to
authorize an annual expense
account of $2,500 for the presi-
dent of the county commissioners
and $1,250 for the other four
commissioners. The president.
Thomas E. Latimer, designated
as a full-time commissioner. re-
ceives a salary of $500 a year.
The other four part-time COM
missioners get $4,000 a year.
The bill would take effect on
June l.
Senator Fletcher also intro
duced a compromise bill to
reorganize administration of the
Prince Georges General Hospital.
Hospital doctors stoutly objected
to an earlier bill, introduced by
Delegate j. Frank Lillard, jr..
Republican, of Prince Georges,
to put control of the hospital
under a seven-member board OF
commissioners, with no physician
representatives. The doctors
and the county commissioners
proposed a 12-member board
with two physicians on it.
8 Members Proposed.
Mr.. Fletcher's bill would set
up nine-member board Of
directors, with one doctor on it,
certified by the county medical
society and the hospital medical
staff. Four Of the members
would be appointed by the
county commissioners and one Of
the commissioners also would
serve on the board. The other
three members, all non-doctors.
would be appointed by the COM
misSioners upon recommendation
of the hospital medical staff, the
Ladies' Guild of the hospital
and the county medical society.
The Montgomery delegation
proposed a bill to require the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission to conform to local
laws and ordinances in its oper-
alton. It stems from COM
plants from Fairland (Mdo
citizens that the commission is
operating a sanitary land I'LL in
their community in. violation OF
the zo1ling ordinance.
Senator Anders r. Lofstrand.
jr., Republican, of Montgomery
tossed in a measure to permit
Circuit Court judges to retire on
a $4,000 annual pension after
20 years service. instead of wait
ing until age go.
The purpose of the bill, it is
reported, is to allow Chief Judge
Charles w. Woodward of Mont
gomery County to retire now, m
stead of waiting two more years.
Secretary of State John r.
Reeves of Bethesda, who Is be-
ing mentioned as a possible sue
cessor to the judge if he should
retire, has been lobbying for
such legislation at this session.
Would Plug LoophOle.
A loophole in the Prince
Georges liquor laws would be
plugged by a bill introduced by
the county delegates. It would
make a liquor license-holder
liable. if an illegal sale is made,
not only by an employe, but "by
any of his agents in his behalf"
Delegate Albert r. Hassall, Re-
publican. chairman of the Prince
Georges delegation, said the ON
nibus liquor bill the county
legislators have been working on
for a month was not ready in
time yesterday and will have to
be introduced under suspended
rules.
Senator Fletcher also put in
a resolution urging that the new
Annapolis = Washington freeway
be named in honor of John
Hanson, Colonial patriot, who
lived at Oxon Hill and served
as president of the Continental
Congress. ,~s
Another resolution by Dele
gate William r. Hughes, Repub-
lican, of Prince Georges urges
that Queens Chapel road be
renamed Michigan avenue ex-
tendeds
And Senator Fletcher Joined
Senator LofStrand in sponsoring