Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-05
Prince Georges
Bill Will Ask
7-Member Board
BY WILLIAM DUKE
Star staff Writer


ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 5.-The
Prince Georges County delega-
ton voted in a caucus today to
introduce a bill expanding the
number of county commission
ers from 5 to 7 and providing
for the election by the voters
of a commission chairman.
The action came on an 8-to-l
vote, with Delegate Hervey G..
Machen in opposition. The bill
will be introduced later this
week after a check with the
States Attorney General on the
constitutionality of adding the
new members in the next gen.
eral election in 1864.
The bill was part of a package
of county government revisions
presented to the delegation by a.
special nine-man committed
headed by Ebert Byrd Of Col
lege Park.
Probably "a Action
The bill agreed upon today,
would increase the NUMBER
probably in 1864. If the Attor-
Iney General rules against that,
the election Of the new COM
missioners could be postponed
until the end of the current
Commissioners terms in 1866.
At present. the five Com
missioners elect their own full
time chairman every two years.
Under the new bill, outlined
for the delegation by Delegates
Meyer M. Emanuel. jr., the
chairman would be elected di-
rectly by the voters.
Mr.. Machen, IN explaining
his vote, said the enlargement
Of the Board of Commissioners
had not been part of the Dem
ocratic platform. He said also
he thought it would be unfair
to force the chairman to run
at-large and then give him the
same vote on the board as
other commissioners.
Expansion Held Necessary
Delegate Denis H. Marshall
said the expansion was neces-
sary because of the increase in
population in the county and
because present commissioners
are overworked on their special
assignments as heads of certain
county departments.
The delegation also gave its
approval to legislation creating
co-ordinating committee Of
the heads of all county agen-
cies in a move to streamline
local procedure and to cut costs
by eliminating duplication.
Meanwhile final Senate action
on the administrations con-
gressional redistricting bill is
expected tomorrow after last
nights defeat of two Republi-
can attempts to alter it in
favor of large counties.
Republican amendments, de-
feated on a straight party line
vote, would have taken one
Congressman from Baltimore
City and given Montgomery,
Prince Georges and Baltimore
Counties each a Representa-
tive Of their own.
The Democratic majority, led
by Senator H. Winship Wheat
ley of Prince Georges, refused
to postpone action on the bill.
Rights Bill Delayed
The majority did agree, how
ever. to postpone until tomor-
row a critical vote on an ad-
ministration bill requiring
equal service TO Negroes at
hotels and restaurants.
The delay was granted to
await a final ruling by Attorney
General Thomas B. Finan on
whether an amendment re-
quiring a referendum in Carroll
County might void the entire
bill.
The Governors bill would
create a "shoestring" district
running down the middle of the
State from the Pennsylvania
border into Southern Maryland.
| Opponents of the bill warned
that it probably will face an
other voter challenge. A sim
liar bill passed at the last
session was petitioned into
referendum and defeated by
voters groups in the large
counties in the November cleo
ton.
In other action. the House
passed a bill requiring installa-
ton Of seat belts in all new
cars registered in the State
after June /. 1864.