Evening star., 1961-10-12
Council Action
Seen by Della
And Wilkinson
BY PAUL HOPE
Star Staff Writer

and hotels had the support
today of the leaders of both
houses of the General Assem-
bly,.
Senate President George w.
Della, jr.. Democrat of Balti-
more, and House Speaker Perry
o. Wilkinson, Democrat Of
Prince Georges, predicted that
the Legislative Council will
approve a bill to present to the
General Assembly at its 1862
session.
Their comments followed a
statement last week by Gov.
TaweS in which the chief ex-
ecutive said he would support
such legislation at the 1861
session of the General Assem-
bly,.
The Governors stand has
produced a marked change in
the chances of the so-called
public accommodations" leg
islation getting through the
Legislative Council. Until Gov.
TaweS made his statement at
a press conference, the bill
seemed to have little chance of
Endorsement by the council.
I'm confident we have the
votes" Senator Della said
yesterday.
Confident Of Votes
Mr.. Wilkinson also said he
was confident of enough votes
for council passage, and said
he would work for its approval
IN the General Assembly,
"1t's ridiculous that a per-
son travelling between New
York and Washington can't
stop ana get a sandwich" said
Mr.. Wilkinson.
The issue has gained prom
inence during the past several
months because Of a series of
incidents in which foreign
Negro dignitaries have been
refused service at Maryland
restaurants.
The Judiciary Committee of
the council, headed by Senator
Frederick Malkus, Democrat of
Dorchester, was scheduled to
take up the issue yesterday but
ran into a log-jam of hearings
on other matters and didn't
get to its business session.
Senator Malkus said that
opponents of the legislation
have asked for time to be
heard but he has not yet de-
cided whether to hold another
hearing. Proponents of the
legislation, including a rep
resentative of the State De-
partment. urged support for
the legislation at a hearing last
Delegate Ridgely Melvin.
Democrat of Anne Arundel, vice
chairman of the council COM
mittee. said that even with
approval from the council, the
bill probably has little chance
of getting through the Cen
eral Assembly at the 1862 ses-
sion.
Mr.. Melvin, a probable sup
porter of the bill, said that
some counties are almost sure to
exempt themselves from the
legislation. Traditionally, coun-
ties are allowed to exempt
themselves from most nom
budget measures.
The 1862 short session will
be limited to Statewide legis-
lation, and withdrawal of some
counties from the public ac-
commodations bill would make
its passage questionable from
a legal standpoint.
Ask "TVA" Project
In other business, the Legisla-
tive Council asked the Federal
Government to develop the
Potomac River in a Tennessee
Valley-type project.
The stand was recommended
by the councils Potomac River
Committee headed by Delegate
Hervey Machen, Democrat of
Prince Georges.
1T is our conviction that de-
velopment of the Potomac River
basin should be placed. under a
program authorized, admin
iStered and financed by the
United States. Only with this
kind of program do we believe
there is any certainty Of the
development of the BASIN" the
committee said.
Mr.. Machen said the Federal
is necessary because
of the diversity of jurisdictions
involved in the basin, the pre-
ponderance of Federal bene-
tits the uncertain success
Of State compacts, and the fact
that the chief beneficiary of
Development must be'the Wash
ngton Metropolitan Area"
The council took under study
another recommendation by the
committee asking State appro-
for a IS million pro-
gram of parkland acquisition in