COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PLANNING 899

Q. If the law were thrown out by the courts it would conceivably —
or could conceivably require a special session to fix tilings?

A. I would think that if the law were faulty, and the court said so,
and the Court of Appeals upheld that decision, and we weren't
getting any mortgage money into the State, that might constitute a
crisis serious enough for a special session, yes.

Q. Governor, what is your understanding of the present scope of
the crisis involving the usury law?

A. Well, as far as I'm concerned, there's not a demonstrated crisis
until somebody that's so concerned about it, as some seem to be, has
taken the trouble to test it in the courts. They can't be too worried
about it; they can file for a declaratory decree and get a decision,
I'd say, within a couple of weeks. There has been no action; the
Attorney General's office told me this morning that no case is filed;
so I think that things can't be as bad as they've been said to be.

REMARKS TO MARYLAND ADVISORY COUNCIL ON
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PLANNING,
STATE OFFICE BUILDING, BALTIMORE

July 2, 1968

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen:

The 89th Congress on November 3, 1968, enacted Public Law 89-
749, which provided for the first time for total comprehensive plan-
ning in the public health field by the states in partnership with the
Federal government. I emphasize the word TOTAL. That is the
reason you are here today, and it is the reason why the Advisory
Council on which you have agreed to serve is so large.

I understand that Maryland's 74-member Council is the largest
appointed thus far in the country, with approximately half of the
states moving toward full compliance with the law. There are definite
reasons for this. First, Maryland is blessed by a multiplicity of
excellent private and public health facilities, and it would be derelict
not to draw upon all these resources.

The Federal law emphasizes that the majority of the Advisory
Council must be consumers. We have consumers galore. And here
again I think you'll find that the representation is as wide as it is