Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-22
New Measure Is Due
On Car Inspections
Maryland Bill
To Ask Stute
To Run Garages
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star stan Correspondent

administration leader in the
Maryland House of Delegates was
set today to introduce a bill fav-
ored by Gov. McKeldin to provide
for compulsory motor vehicle
inspection in State-owned and
operated garages.
The House already has passed
and sent to the Senate a meas
Iure calling for annual inspection
of trucks and cars by State po-
llce-supervised private garages.
The House action was on 90-to-
10 vote.
But Gov. McKeldin is on rec
ord, in his State of the State"
address. delivered at the OPEN
ing of the 1857 session, as being
in favor of a system of State-op-
Grated inspection stations, SINH
lar to the Washington and De-
laware systems.
The Republican Governor said
he saw a danger in the private
inspection system of some gar
age operators who might make
only superficial inspection" for
friends or try to exploit motorists
by discovering "non-existent
mechanical faults"
SIS Million To Start
House Minority Leader George
r. Hughes, jr., said the bill he
had ready for the hopper today
would Insure a greater degree
of integrity in inspections and
guarantee equal treatment for
the motoring public"
His bill would authorize a SIS
million State appropriation to
get the program started, after
which it would be supported by
inspection fees. Inspections
would be required every six
months at ST each. The Commits
sioner of Motor Vehicles would
administer the program.
This is substantially the same
measure introduced in the House
two years ago but shelved by the
Ways and Means Committee in
favor of annual inspections by
State police-supervised private
garages at $3.50 fees. This is the
system used in Pennsylvania.
| Chief objection expressed then
to the State owning its own in
lspection stations was the initial
cost and the fact that there
could be fewer stations than I'M
! der the private garage system.
Hears of Opposition
= Delegate Hughes said he had
heard of strong opposition in, this
: Senate to the current House in
Spections bill, sponsored by. q
Legislative Council Committee
!. on Motor Vehicle Laws. The
Senate has killed similar meas
ures in the last two sessions.
The minority leader said his
bill would put the issue squarely
before the legislature "asa to
whether it wants automobile
inspection of any kind"
A State-operated inspection
system also has been Endorsed by
Henry A. Barnes, director Of
traffic for Baltimore City.
| Another measure set for intro
Iduction in the House today would
abolish the State Tax Commits
sion as it now exists and create
a State Tax Court and a new
: Department of Assessments.
. The bill is being sponsored by
the Mont emery delegation,
: which introduced almost the
same measure two years ago. It
: died in the Senate then and
again a year later when it came
in under Legislative Council
sponsorship.
/ The bill was recommended in
1850 by the Case Commission but
has never received legislative
sanction. The Case group OBJ
jected to the present set up Of
having property assessment SUI
lpervision and assessment appeals
handled by the same commission
Area Bills Enacted
/ The first two Washington area
) bills of this session were enacted
: last night in the Senate. They
| were the two measures put in by
the Montgomery delegates to
exempt Maryland nonprofit
: rescue squads from the State adj
! missions and titling taxes.
, Youngsters who come before
the court for playing Rookie,
running away from home or
being habitually disobedient
would be classified as "incor-
Irigibles" instead of "delinquents, -
, under a bill introduced last night
by Delegate Ernest A. Loveless,
jr.. Democrat of Prince Georges.
Mr.. Loveless said the measure
was requested by Judge Dudley
Digges of the Seventh Judicial
Circuit to remove the stigma Of
the delinquent" label.
Other bills introduced last
: night included legislation to give
Maryland game officials au-
r thority to set up a doe season
: and to require doors to be re-
J. moved from abandoned ice boxes