Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-02
-Four Major Bills
For Nearby
Die
Casualties Include
Juvenile Court and
Relocation Costs
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN
Star star Correspondent.

NSiOSUttOU SOStS !
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN
Star star Correspondent.
ANNAPOLIS, April -Four
major Montgomery and Prince
Georges County bills are dead
for this session Of the General
Assembly.
Senator H. Winship Wheatley.
jr., Democrat. of Princes Georges
early today said he will not
move the House-passed Juvenile
Court bill through the Senate.
The Senate Finance Commit
tee yesterday killed q bill, which
would have required the State
Roads Commission to pick up the
check for relocating sewer and
water lines in rights-of-way of
roads slated for improvement In
the 12-year roads program.
81 Million Cost
The action will cost residents
of the Washington Suburban
Sanitary District about 81 mil
lion under State roads contracts,
slated to be let this year in the
bi-county area.
That's according to Harry B.
Shaw, the commissions chief
engineer. He puts the cost to
local residents at nearly So mil
lion during the 12-year program.
Dying a slow death in the
Montgomery delegation is bill
to raised 5000. 900 a year through
q SIS recordation fee on deeds.
mortgages and other transfer
papers.
The delegation is being blocked
by a coalition of Republican Gill
best Guide and Democrats Will
liam B. Wheeler and Charles w.
Woodward, jr.. both attorneys.
All three have threatened to
fight the measure on the House
floor, If it's moved out of the
delegation Office.
Transfer Is . Fatality
The fourth measure to die is
one that would have transferred
storm drainage control and con-
struction from the Sanitary
Commission to the Montgomery
Council.
The bill was put in by the
Montgomery delegation along
lines of a proposal made by a
special storm drainage COM
mission. appointed by a former
council.
County officials repeatedly feel
the county is not vet ready to
take over the program, and bond
attorneys also are said to be un-
happy over the proposed switch.
The Prince Georges juvenile
court measure would transfer
juvenile jurisdiction from the
trial magistrate system to Circuit
Court. Senator Wheatley said he
had been requested to drop the
measure for the present by the
County Bar Association and the
Circuit Court itself.
Court officials say the new
jurisdiction would hamper the
present work Of the Circuit Court
judges. They also contend court
room facilities are lacking, Sena-
tor Wheatley said.
Additional Approval
Sometime next year. however,
a new addition to the Upper
Marlboro courthouse should be
completed. A bill already has
been enacted here authorizing
funds for the addition.
Senator Wheatley said he had
considered amending the reform
bill to provide for a master to
hear juvenile cases under Circuit
Court jurisdiction. Such a .plan
already is in effect in Baltimore
and Anne Arundel counties.
The Senator added he would
study the success of this system
and introduce appropriate legis-
lation in the 1857 Assembly ses-
sion.
Slum Bill Killed
A House-passed bill sponsored
by Blair Lee III, chairman of the
Montgomery delegation, to pro-
vide for a referendum on grant,
ing slum clearance powers to
county officials, was killed last
night in the Senate.
Another Montgomery measure
to split the quasi-judicial and
administrative jobs of the State
Tax Commission was only one
step short Of enactment in the
Senate today. 1t passed its
second reading yesterday.
Another Prince Georges bill
enacted yesterday by the Senate
would require Sanitary Commits
sion approval of sewer and water
facilities established by private
concerns outside the sanitary
district in Prince Georges
County.