join the other states in granting to these people the sacred right the
rest of us enjoy—the right to vote in a national election.

During the first part of our term we saw the transfer of most of
the major departments of State Government into the new State Office
Buildings in Baltimore City and in Annapolis. This required careful
planning and the solution of many housekeeping problems naturally
incident to any such transfer and transition. All of this was accom-
plished with a minimum of dislocation or interruption of State busi-
ness. It has resulted in the elimination of congestion and over-crowd-
ing which had existed in some State agencies and has resulted in
greater convenience to the public. This Administration has strength-
ened the Office of Commissioner of Personnel in order that there may
be a continuing re-evaluation of position in the State service. This
step was taken in order that salaries in State service would be ad-
justed from time to time on an intelligent basis geared to a compari-
son with wages offered in private employment and in comparable
employment in our area. The wisdom of this step has already been
confirmed by the acceptance of a report recommending salary adjust-
ments based on the criterion of comparability by the Maryland Clas-
sified Employees Association. In fact, the budget which I will submit
during this session will reflect an appropriation of funds for the im-
plementation of these recommended salary adjustments.

As you know, prior to my inauguration there had been a number
of plans proposed for the alteration of the 30-day even-year sessions
of the General Assembly. I urged, and you agreed, that we would
await the results of the I960 30-day session under Democratic leader-
ship of the General Assembly and a Democratic Chief Executive. I
believe that it is now accepted and a matter of history that this past
30-day session was orderly, efficient and conducted in the best inter-
ests of the general public. You have proved that 30-day sessions can
be conducted within the bounds of the present Constitutional re-
quirements and without change. For this you are to be congratulated.

Another accomplishment in which both you and I can take pride,
is the fulfillment of a long desired reorganization of the State Tax
Commission of Maryland which had exercised both administrative and
quasi-judicial functions. It has long been recognized by students of
government that these functions ought to be separate. Studies had
been made and recommendations had been proposed for this reform,
but to no avail. In the first year of our term of office (1959) legisla-
tion was enacted for the creation of a Maryland tax court with juris-
diction of a quasi-judicial nature and in the same legislation we created

39