Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-02-26

N~AiCu ulSpdlCIl.
1t will probably be the same way
in the Senate.
Many Legislators have misgiv
ings about the bill, but, in the
final analysis, it is all a matter
of guesswork. Who can say for
sure that Tawes' plan won't work
better than its predecessor?
1t provides more centralized a,l
thority in the person of the Com.
mission Chairman, who is also
Director of Highways, with re-
spect to the Interstate and pri
mary highways and more decen
tralizatlon with respect to the sec
ondary highways, with each OF
the six regional members be
ing kingpin in his own region.
Observers have pointed out that
this could lead to horse-tradine
and log-rolling and whatnot in
the secondaries, but, on the other
hand, the Director may have SO
much overall authority that he
may be able to prevent it. Who
can tell until it has been put ia
the test?
The only substantive amend
ment made by the House of Dele
gates was one that / offered in
the Ways and Means Committee
The original language purported
to express Legislative intent" in
some language describing pri
mary and secondary highways
The primary roads were defined
as those leading from one county
seat to another or from one INA.
jor geographical area" to another.
This definition seemed singu.
larly ill-suited to the big subur.
ban counties, where a primary
highway will frequently connect
up a series of local communities
which can scarcely qualify as
"major geographical areas" of
the State.
At any rate, the definitions
have now been eliminated. Uni
versity Boulevard and Veirs Mill
Road are no longer in danger OF
being listed as faImtomarket
roads!
Liquor Bill
If the general public is con
fused about the status of bills
affecting Montgomery County''
liquor cotrol system, it may gel
some comfort out of the knowl
edge that the Delegation is in ne
better shape.
During the past 10 days liquor
bills have been falling on An
napolis like snow. AS of this writ
ing, no bill has been introduced
but there are plenty TO choose
from. Even the County Council
got into the act, with a bill tina
would ban bottle clubs except a
certain veterans and fraterna
lodges.
plan to call a Delegation meet
ing as soon as possible (probably
tonight to sort out the liquor
bills and adopt some sort of ar
official position. More news or
this subject in next weeks col
umn. "a public hearing on thi'
whole subject has been set fol-
March Z at Wheaton High. Ed
tors Note.)
Obscene Literature
Some of the people at home go
terribly confused by the voting II
the House on Senate Bill 8, which
is aimed at strengthening the law
against the sale of smutty comic
books, etc, to young persons.
All of us in the Montgomery
Delegation supported an amend
ment that would make the pro
prietor of a store responsible fol
sales made by an employee, bu
we split wide open on another pro
vision that would make the dis
play of prohibited literature
prima facie evidence of a guilty
intent to violate the law by sell
ing to youngsters.
Charley Woodward, Alger Bar
bee and / could not swallow thi'
one. The presumption of limo
cence until proven guilty is a basi'
bulwark OF our personal freedom
as defined by Anglo-Amerlcar
juris prudence for centuries, ant
we are not about to sell 1t dowr
the river for an anti-smut cam
paign or anything else.
After a lot of parliamentary
maneuvers and an extremely i'll
advised intervention by the Mayor
OF Baltimore, the bill was re
ferred back to the Judiciary Com
mittee, which now appears tc
have worked out a satisfactory
compromise.
The presumption Of guilt" sec
ton has been deleted in favor Of
a provision making it unlawful tc
permit a youngster to "peruse" q
smutty magazine which he may
find displayed on the racks.
Council Veto
We had quite a hassle last