Evening star., 1953-04-02
Strange Alliance
In House Threatens
Curbs on Planners
BY ssaff Correspondent Of The star

BY a Stoff Correspondent OF The StoF
ANNAPOLIS, April IA
strange. alliance of Montgomery
County Republicans and Balti-
more City Democrats has posed
new threat to plans of the
Maryland-Nationl Park an d
Planning Commission to get "ac-
ceptable" legislation concerning
that agency through the General
Assembly.
The acceptable" legislation is
a bill by Senators j. r. Fletcher,
Republican, of Prince Georges
and Anders r. Lofstrand, jr., Re-
publican, of Montgomery which
has already passed the Senate.
1t would strengthen the Demo-
crat-dominated agency by ex-
tending it throughout both coun-
ties and reduce some of its taxes.
When the bill came over to
the House from the Senate, wary
Democrats. who are In control
there, referred it to the House
Judiciary Committee. Their plan
apparently was to pass it, even
if the Montgomery-and possibly
some Prince Georges-delegates
objected.
Re-Referral Defeated.
The Montgomery delegates
tried twice on the House floor to
get the bill re-referred to the
Joint Prince Georges-Montgom-
cry delegation, where they would
have a chance to amend it to
bring the State agency more un-
der county control, or even abol-
ish it. Both moves were rejected
by the House.
Then the Baltimore City del
egation got caught in a similar
pinch, when the House voted to
re-refer from the delegation to
the judiciary COMMITTEES q city
court organization bill.
That vote obviously irked the
22 city Democratic delegates, who
opposed the move.
A few moments later, Joseph
w, Mach, Democrat, chairman of
the city delegation, got up and
moved that the park and plan
ming bill be re-referred to the
Montgomery-Prince Georges del
egation. With the support of his
81 city colleagues, the motion
carried.
Mr.. Mach told reporters he had
initiated the pact.
''In plain language, we were
horse trading" he. declared.
Delegate Kathryn Lawlor, Re-
publican, of Montgomery, COM
mented:
"We simply saw an oppor-
tunity and took advantage of it. "
Just what the anti-planning
commission element in the two
delegations proposes to do with
the bill is a matter for conjec-
ture.
The Montgomery group had
less luck on another one of its
pet bills-the one to increase the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission to five members,
with the two Montgomery mem
bers being appointed by the
County Council. That bill was
defeated by the House SO to. AZ
yesterday. after Delegate j.
Frank Lillard, jr., Republican, of
Prince Georges said his delega-
ton had voted S to l against it..
The only supporter in the Prince
Georges group was Delegate VIII
liam R. Hughes, Republican.
The Montgomery delegates
were scheduled to take action
today on a bill settling up a
Peoples Court of three full-time
judges to replace the present
full-time Juvenile Court judge
and three part-time trial mag
iStrateS.
Opposed by Bar Group.
Representatives of the County
Bar Association, headed by
Ralph Shure, president, opposed
the bill at a hearing yesterday.
They said it is unnecessary.
Another Montgomery bill,
sponsored by Senator Lofstrand,
was voted down yesterday in the
Senate Finance Committee. The
measure would have allowed Cir
cult Court judges to draw their
pension after 20 years on the
bench, instead of waiting until
they are go years of age.
This bill would give one Of
the great politicians of Mary
land an opportunity to be a Judge
in the next few months" said
Committee Chairman Io1liS 7,