Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-12

Inconvenience. Similarly. many
delegates from the other coun-
ties voted for the inquest and
then the $40. 900 appropriations
for It's professional star be-
cause they didn't want to Of
fend and obstruct their Balti-
more colleagues.
Valid Use Of inquest!
The question Of whether an
investigation Of the Gripping
Baltimore strike Ia o valid use
Of the grand inquest power Is
one that will provide bar asso-
Citations with food for debate
for years.
Some hold that using this
very special power In this case
10 like using Q shotgun to kill
an ant. They take the view
that the grand inquest should
be reserved for criminal inves-
LEGATIONS Of the most extraordi-
nary nature - for example.
some serious act Of corruption
on the part Of q Court Of APP
peals Judge.
The language Of the grand
inquest provision (Article 3.
Section "a Is vague and sub
ject to various interpretations:
"The House OF Delegates"
it says. may inquire, on
the oath OF tpitness, into all
complaints, grievances and
o6enses. as the Grand In
guest of the State. and may
commit any person. for any
crime, to the public jail.
there to remain. until dis
charged BY due course OF
Iaic. They may sransine and
pass all accounts OF the
State. relating either to the
collection or expenditure OF
the revenue, and appoint
auditors to state and adjust
the same.
"They may call for all
public. or official papers and
records, and send for per-
sons, iohom they may fudge
necessary In the course OF
their inquiries. concerning
AFFAIRS relating to the public
interest, and may direct all
Office bonds mitch shall be
made payable to the State.
to be sued for any breach
thereof. :"
Constitutional histor ianS
have shed little light on the
grand inquest section. Lawyers
in the Attorney Generals ofice
here who checked into it said
that not even in the records Of
the 1867 Constitutional Con-
vention were they able to find
out what the drafters had in
mind when they adopted the
strangely worded provision.
Nevertheless, Article 3. Sec
ton "A is the authority under
which q Grand Inquest Steer
ing Committee Of the House
will begin hearings ct II am.
tomorrow on the Baltimore
transit situation. Sitting a.
special counsel for the investi-
CATION viii be Washington At
torney jerome M. Alper.
Long Range Solution
The aim Of the inquiry goes
far beyond the mere settling
Of the strike and 1t will 60 on
even If the strike ends. A.
one Of its hackers put 1t, 1.-THE
good that can come from this
investigation Is In finding q
way to prevent these transit
tieups year after year after
year."
There seems little question,
from the tone Of remarks made
here by promoters Of the In
quest, that one Of the big tar
gets will be the absentee
owners Of the Baltimore
Transit Co.. National City
Lines Of Chicago.
There have been accusations
on the House door that the
owners have been gradually
selling the physical properties
of the transit company and
draining of its profits. with
the idea Of abandoning the
franchise once 1t has been
MIXED dry.
Two other fundamental
prejudices on the part Of pro-
snoters Of this investigation
are bound to shape It's out
come.
One is the pro-labor and
pro-union bias openly and
understandably held by praeti-
cally every member Of the Bal
timore City delegation.
The other is the point Of
view held privately by leaders
Of the current inquiry that
public ownership Of the Balu-
more Transit system 10 the
only real answer. Some cynics
are suggesting that csrtain
city political bosses already
have added "bus driver" 70
their lists Of patronage Pod.