Evening star., 1963-01-12
Report Due to Urge
Prompt Ban on Slots
TuWes Group
Meets Today
On Procedures
BY PAUL HOPE
Star Staff Writer

ANNAPOLlS, Jan. IL a
majority of Gov. Tawes' slot
machine committee is expected
to recommend immediate aboli-
ton of the machines.
The commission is scheduled
to meet today to draft its re-
port to the Governor.
While it is understood that a
majority will recommend i'm
mediate abolition, some of the
committee members repeatedly
favor eliminating slots gradu-
ally, perhaps up to three years.
In his campaign for re-elec-
ton, Gov. Tawes pledged to
try to get rid of slot machines
which are legal in four South
ern Maryland counties. He ap-
pointed the commission to rec
ommend procedures for elm
mating them.
The commissions job was to
determine what economic effect
elimination would have on the
four counties. Commission
members who favor immediate
abolition feel the effect would
not be serious enough to
stretch il out over several
years.
Some Fear For Revenue
Slot machine interests and
some officials of the four coun-
ties, which collect tax revenues
from slots, claim elimination of
the machines will leave the
counties in a hole financially
and will affect business activity
in Southern Maryland.
Slot machines are expected to
provide good deal of fireworks
at the current session of the
General Assembly. Already
there are reports that slot in
tereSts are trying to line up
opposition to abolishing them
from legislators outside the four
counties.
Legislation to outlaw slots
has been introduced almost
every year recently but usually
never gets out of committee.
Until last year, Gov. Tawes held
that slots we're a local issue for
the four counties to settle
themselves. But during the
campaign he changed his posi-
ton.
Before the Legislature sd-
journed yesterday for the week
end, the House Judiciary
Committee turned down a pro-
poSal to create a commission to
study changes in Maryland's
100-year-old Constitution.
Step to Convention
Creation of the commission
would be the first step toward
calling a convention to revise
the Constitution.
Chief hackers of the commits
sion at the Judiciary Cor.mit-
tee hearing were Alfred Scan
Ian, attorney for the Maryland
Committee for Fair Represen-
tation. and Mrs. Edward Sat-
terthwaite, representative of
the Maryland League of
Women Voters.
Mr.. Scanlan said the Con-
Stitution is cluttered with
amendments, contains some
archaic provisions and is badly
in need of streamlining.
The Constitution has had
little basic change since it was
adopted in 1867. Rural law
makers have traditionally, and
successfully, opposed any extern
sive revision. They feel that a
constitutional convention might
result in changes that would
substantially lessen the powers
OF the rural areas.
After the commission pro-
posal was defeated in commit
tee, some legislators said there
may be moves to change the
proposal somewhat to overcome
some objections or to get it on
the floor for a vote. Cost was
among the objections voiced by
committeeman. This included
$50 a day expenses for COM
mission members when they
worked, $4,000 a year for legal
counsel, a $4,000 a year ex-
ecutive secretary and an un-
limited number of clerks and
stenographers.