N&W AND C&O RAILWAY SYSTEMS 537

He said State Police records showed that at the beginning of this
week there had been 715 persons killed on Maryland streets and high-
ways this year, an increase of 45 over the same period last year.

"In sending my official greetings to this meeting, I want to take this
opportunity to urge all of you concerned with law enforcement, and
the judiciary as well, to redouble your efforts to halt the senseless
slaughter on our highways and streets, " he said.

"I urge you to return to your departments with fresh determina-
tion to strictly enforce existing traffic safety laws.

"At the same time, I am calling on those judicial officials who hear
traffic cases to back up your efforts with stringent penalties for those
convicted and also to impress upon offenders the gravity of even
seemingly minor traffic offenses.

"It is not enough to blame human error for the accident rate, or to
depend on individual drivers to protect their own lives, let alone
those who become their innocent victims.

"We, as public officials charged with the responsibility, must invoke
the maximum restraint possible. "

The Governor is sending letters to lower court judges throughout
the State this week urging their cooperation in a campaign to cut
down the injury and death toll.

STATEMENT ON PROPOSED MERGER OF N&W AND
C&O RAILWAY SYSTEMS

November 29, 1967

In view of the announcement that hearings before the Interstate
Commerce Commission on the proposed merger of the Norfolk &
Western and Chesapeake 8c Ohio Railway systems will open on De-
cember 5, I would like to strongly endorse the position taken by the
Maryland Port Authority in this matter.

Recognizing that the proposed merger of the Norfolk 8c Western
and the Chesapeake & Ohio rail systems would give the Norfolk &
Western improved access to the Port of Baltimore, I nevertheless share
the fears expressed by the Authority that an indefinite continuation
of control of The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company by the merged
system would prove injurious to the B8cO and consequently the Port.