Evening star., 1955-02-19
Adoption Law Move
Draws Blasts From
Prince Georges Area
Star stan Photo
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Stoff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. ia move
to preserve the right of lawyers.
doctors and clergymen to serve
as middlemen in placing children
for adoption has drawn the fire
of the County League of Women
Voters and the Family and Child
Welfare Committee.
Prince Georges delegates here
were barraged with kilograms
yesterday urging them not to
amend a statewide bill to
exempt Prince Georges from a
provision prohibiting individuals
from serving as adoption agen-
cies.
The amendment, applying to
Prince Georges and Hartford
Counties, was accepted by the
House yesterday on a voice vote.
The bill would prevent any
person or persons. other than
licensed adoption agencies or
welfare departments, from plac-
ing children for adoption.
Provisions Listed.
The Prince Georges-Harford
amendment would allow lawyers.
doctors and clergymen in those
two counties to arrange adop-
tions without a license provided
that they filed a petition for
adoption in Circuit Court which
would set forth: /. The reason
they are arranging the adoption.
2. The extent of their knowledge
Of the background of the child
and the adopting parents. 3.
THAT no sums were paid such
person for aiding, abetting or
arranging the adoption"
Delegate Hervey G. Machen,
Democrat, of Prince Georges,
who is the chief instigator of the
amendment in his delegation.
said he does not intend to give
into public pressure on the issue.
People certainly have a right,
he said. ITO turn to their lawyer
or doctor or minister in such
delicate matters. Adoptions as
they are handled by the profess
sional welfare people in our
county have been totally made
Quate."
He denied, as was alleged in
some of the kilograms, that the
amendment would encourage
baby rackets. He pointed out
that the amendment retains pro-
vision in the present law against
financially profiting from adop-
ton cases.
The protests on the amend
ment came in kilograms from
several individuals and from Mrs.
William Wood, chairman of the
Family and Child Welfare Com
mittee Of the Prince Georges
Planning Council. and Mrs. Haig
Derman, president of the League
Of Women Voters.
In other Developments yes
terday:
Would Extend District.
The Montgomery and Prince
Georges delegations introduced in
the House legislation to extend
the Washington suburban dis
trict to new areas in Montgom-
cry and Prince Georges, includ-
ing Potomac and Morningside.
The two local House delega-
tions met as committee yester-
day and reported favorably a bill
to require the Sanitary Commits
sion to consult with the Mary
land National Capital Park and
Planning Commission on new
trunk sewers.
The joint House delegation
decided to introduce. If the
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Senators approve, a bill requir-
ing that the State pay the cost
when utilities have to be moved
to make way for a road construc-
ton project by the State Roads
Commission. This is a bill often
sought by the Sanitary Commits
sion.
The Montgomery delegation
decided to hold a hearing here
at 8 pm. Thursday on their bill
to abolish the trial magistrate
system in the county and re-
place it with a peoples court Of
three full-time judges.
The Prince Georges House
delegation introduced bills asked
by Judge Charles C. Marbury
of Prince Georges Circuit Court.
They would enable the court to
draw more Jurors and increase
the maximum annual salary Of
secretaries to Prince Georges
Circuit Court judges from $500
to 1000,