Evening star., 1957-04-18
|McKe|din Signs
|PrinceGeorges
Vice Curb Bills
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star Stan Correspondent

AoedAC hA lCoPOAAoC w ulnCluSutSi
of widespread pinball machine
payoffs and illegal Sunday liquol
sales in Prince Georges.
The Republican Governor also
signed IA other legislative en-
actments and vetoed 10. CON-
pleting action on all 1890 bills
passed by the General Assem-
bly, during its 90-day session
which ended April 2.
Among Statewide measures
signed were bills:
l.. Creating a so-called "un.
satisfied judgment" fund to pay
Maryland motorists unable to
collect damages from traffic &C.
cidents, because the other party
was uninsured or a hit-rur
driver. This fund will be buiit
up. starting next spring wher
motorists reregister their We.
hicles, by contributions of 5!
from each insured motorist tn,
first year only. So a year from
uninsured motorists and one hall
OF per cent of met direcI
written premiums" from in.
surance companies.
Taps Foreign Trucks
Q. Making out-of-State truck.
and buses buy their gasoline ir
Maryland when they come
through the State or pay the
equivalent amount of the State
gasoline tax Of 6 cents pei
gallon.
3. Increasing the State harnes.
race bet tax from l3 to Is pei
cent.
Possession Of Federal gam.
bling stamps will be prima facit
evidence that pinball machine:
are being used for gambling
under one Of the Prince George.
County measures signed. A
check in late January showed
that owners of some 400 ma.
chimes in the county had pur.
chased $3.50 Federal gaming
stamps.
The bill. sponsored by Sen.
ator H. Winship Wheatley, jr.
Democrat Of Prince Georges, also
increases penalties for cash pin.
ban payoffs from 500 fine Il
$500 fine. six months in Jail OF
both.
Another of the Prince George.
bills signed provides for auto.
matte suspension or revocation
of liquor licenses when gam.
bling or liquor laws are broken
Limits Liquor Interest
The third bill is aimed at pre-.
venting syndicate-type o.
control over county liquor estab.
lishments. 1t viii prohibit any
one person. firm or corporation
from having a direct or indirect
interest In more than one
alcoholic beverage license.
The latter two bills were spon.
sored by the six Prince George:
House members. all Democrats
The House delegation earlier hac
won passage Of other LIQUOR Law
changes. including a new require.
ment that liquor establishment:
keep their liquor locked in CLOSED
compartments on Sunday, wher
its sale is illegal.
Gov. McKeldin vetoed an at.
tempt to transfer control O,
State audits from the Governor.
ofiice to the Legislature, nov
controlled by Democrats.
The vetoed bill, sponsored by
Delegates Blair Lee, III, Demo
crat OF Montgomery. and Jerom,
Robinson. Democrat OF Balti.
more. would have had the Stat,
Auditor appointed by a commit.
tee consisting Of the State Con.
troller, the Senate President. tn,
House Speaker and the majorit,
and minority floor leaders.
Sees No Benefit
Il see no public benefit no
any valid reason for the change
the Governor said in a vet,
message.
The system has functione,
well for generations and through
successive administrations tn
ONCE OF State Auditor is on,
which has remained essential,
non-political in character. Fur
thermore. II the appointiv
power in such matters canno
constitutionally be foisted upol
the judiciary. as decisions of ou
Court Of Appeals have held.
would seem equally questionabl
that the Legislature could AFRO
gate such power to ITSELF"
Gov. McKeldin had until Ma,
l to act on the some 500 bill
left on his desk when the Legis
lature adjourned. but he ha,
to clear them up this week be
cause he is leaving Saturda,
for Africa and Europe.
The Governor will be gone 81,
weeks. First stop will be Ii
IBERIA. where he will attend cere
monies C com m e m Grating tn
Tooth anniversary of the admis
sion Of Maryland County" :,
statehood In that African nation
Then the Governor plans
European tour, concluding will
a commencement address at tn
University Of Maryland's over
seas branch at Heidelberg.
Incentive Award