NEWS CONFERENCE 473

Q. Do you believe it's a personal attack against you and against Mr.
Wolff?

A. Well, that's nothing new for Congressman Long. He's been mak-
ing personal attacks against me since I originally entered public life.
All of the attacks he's mounted were made prior to my election, so
I would have to assume that the electorate is not paying a great deal
of attention to him.

Q. Governor, what is your opinion of Maryland's possibility of hav-
ing a lieutenant governor?

A. I think we should have a lieutenant governor, and I so testified
this morning before the Executive Committee. I think it would be a
great assistance to the Governor. I think it would allow for the possi-
bility of the Governor's being unable to complete his term; and I
think that the responsibilities of the governorship have grown so
quickly, because of the communications and transportation advances
we've made in recent years, that it's much needed.

Q. Governor, in the statement you gave us on capital punishment
you noted that at present there are 21 convicts under the death penalty
in the State. Some months ago you said you were going to review all
of those. I can recall at least one that has been commuted. What is
the status?

A. There is only one that has actually come to me for a determina-
tion. In short, the one that I commuted was ready for some action.
And I want to point out that that commutation was recommended by
all of the people intimately involved with the case, and there was a
public hearing held before the commutation was granted. None of
the other cases indicates the exhaustion of all legal moves at this point.
So they are not ready for disposition.

Q. Governor, you said yesterday that you have used all your influence
to try to prevent a possible cutback of Federal highway funds. Exactly
what weapon did you have to prevent this sort of cutback?

A. Well, I think one of the major weapons is the Maryland Con-
gressional Delegation who will certainly be active and effective in
making the point of view of the Maryland Roads Commission and the
executive branch known. I secondly would like to trigger the public's
attention on it so that they could in turn respond by letting a Con-
gressman know that they are leery of these cutbacks in the area of
revenue funds. It doesn't make real sense to me that dedicated funds,
funds that can't be used to supplement general fund revenues, would