Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-11
Auto Inspection
Up for New Test
In State Senate
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star stan coFresppndstit

BY GENE GOODWIN
Star stan coFresppndsrt
ANNAPOLIS. Feb. II The
proposal for compulsory auto
mobile inspections in Maryland
was up to the State Senate again
today.
That chamber has been its
burial ground in past sessions of
the Maryland Legislature.
A bill that would require that
all Free State motorists get
their cars inspected once a year
in a State licensed private ga
rage passed the House Of Dele
gates yesterday. 90 to Is. with
all IL Of the Montgomery and
Prince Georges delegations voting
for 1t.
Killed by Two Votes
It is the same bill that passed
the House by a good margin in
1855 and then was killed by two
votes in the Senate the last
night of the session.
Delegate Lansdale G. Sasscer,
jr., Democrat of Prince Georges,
made an unsuccessful attempt to
get the measure recommitted
yesterday to amend q provision
that the proposed inspection
system be supervised by State
police. He said he favored the
bill but thought the inspections
logically should be administered
by the Department Of Motor
Vehicles.
Delegate Blair Lee, Democrat
of Montgomery. a drafter OF the
inspection bill, said one OF the
reasons the bill put State police
in charge is that at the time it
was written . year ago, the COM
missioner of motor vehicles
showed no visible enthusiasm
for the measure"
Since the 1855 session, a new
commissioner, Frank Small. IT..
has taken over the department.
Mr.. Lee said Mr.. Small supports
the inspection proposal and al
though he feels the administra-
ton Of 1t should be under his
department, he is willing to go
along with this bill in the hopes
that it will be transferred to his
department in the future"
Competition Feared
Another of the bills drafters.
Delegate Myron l.. Bloom, Dem
ocrat of Washington County.
said State police are in good
position to administer the sys-
TEN because; They patrol the
and can check on in
spection stickers all Maryland
motor vehicles would have to
carry, and 2-The older troopers
can be employed to check on the
inspection stations.
The only delegate who took the
floor against the bill was J. Frank
Raley, jr.. Democrat of St.
Marys, who charged that the ga
RACES would be running compe-
Itition on who could give the best
deal on inspections"
Maryland experimental with
compulsory inspection in the
1930s but gave 1t up after nu-
merous complaints. Inspections
then were made by private ga
RACES. but hackers Of the present
Legislation claim that the ga
Irages were not tightly supervised
as they would be under their
proposal.
The current bill is patterned
after Pennsylvania's system. Vir-
ginia also requires inspections of
its motor vehicles in private
garages. The District maintains
its own inspection facilities.
Would Cost $1.50
Under this years bill, the first
inspections would begin Novem-
Der /. 1867. Fees would be $3.50.
The House yesterday also
passed across to the Senate a
Montgomery County delegation
bill to revise the State formula
for distributing State and Fed
|eral funds to the counties for aid
to dependent children.
Mr.. Lee told the House that
under the present formula,
Montgomery and four other
counties are not permitted to
use the Federal aid money ear
marked for them. The bill would
mean an additional $50, 900 or so
to Montgomery each year.
Mr.. Lee yesterday introduced
Ia bill to provide that State in
come taxes shall be withheld
from the pay checks Of all per-
sons working for District Of
Columbia installations in Mary
land. Withholdings are made
from checks Of workers in Fed