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executive. I am for the Board of Public
Works properly constituted, but let the
legislature make that determination and
as the years pass, let it improve that kind
of system that will produce the most visi-
bility, but let us not lock it into the consti-
tution now. Let us not confuse this particu-
lar issue with respect to the Board of
Public Works, with the other issue as to
which candidates should be elected, and let
us not open the necessity for cementing
this in the constitution with respect to our
decision on the two other offices that are
being included in the revised Board of Pub-
lic Works.
I would hope that this Committee of the
Whole would give us the benefit they gave
the other committees of this Convention.
We have strived hard and long to improve
the system, so that the people of Mary-
land will be protected.
Now, on the other side of the coin we are
told because they cannot elect particular
officials they are losing something. If this
is true, why do we not add more elective
officials. Why do we not elect the state
road commissioner, why do we not have
other elected officials with shorter terms so
that the people could be consulted at the
polls more often. Of course this is ridicu-
lous. It makes no sense whatsoever. Let
us have visibility. The legislature will take
care of that, but let us have a single exec-
utive so we will know where the respon-
sibility is.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Dorsey.
DELEGATE DORSEY: Mr. President,
I would like to allot three minutes to Dele-
gate Storm.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Storm.
DELEGATE STORM: Mr. Chairman,
my distinguished brother from Prince
George's has just pointed out that the pov-
erty program, the air pollution program,
and the water pollution program are areas
in which the states have failed to act.
I submit that the Board of Public Works
has nothing whatsoever to do with any of
these particular things. Please look on page
three of the Majority Report where the
functions of the Board of Public Works are
outlined.
The first item they control is the sale of
state property. Now, I submit to you no
governor is going to campaign and say
what particular pieces of state property
will be sold. This is not something that a
man runs on for governor, but this is
properly something that should be consid-
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ered very carefully by more than just the
executive — an unfettered executive.
This Convention decided to select a bi-
cameral legislature to guard against hasty,
ill-considered legislation. Should there not
be some disclosure, at least, of what might
well be hasty, ill-considered action in the
sale of state property or in approving the
creation of new jobs in the budget?
Our governor already has a tremendous
amount of power because he controls the
budget. This particular provision, number
7, page 3, has been used when emergency
situations arose, when new jobs had to be
created. This really is a legislative func-
tion, not an executive function, and so it
was lodged by the legislature in the Board
of Public Works where there is a com-
bination of executive and legislative
functions.
Look at some of the other things — to fix
interest rates in the sale of state bonds.
No governor is going to be handicapped in
his program by this particular section, that
is why we have always had state treasurers
who are expert in this field.
I ask you please to keep the Board of
Public Works for visibility. It is important
in my opinion not because our future gov-
ernors will be dishonest, but because they
will receive advice from some persons who
may give them hasty and ill-considered
advice. I plead with you — even the Ma-
jority Report say they do not mean to do
away with the Board of Public Works.
They want to keep it and the best way to
keep it is in the constitution because as
Senator Raley says, please consider this
carefully before you take such radical sur-
gery on the state.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: Mr. Chairman,
I yield five minutes to Delegate Fornos.
DELEGATE FORNOS: Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Fornos.
DELEGATE FORNOS: Mr. Chairman,
fellow delegates: Much emotion surrounds
the problem with which we are confronted
at the moment. Certainly I hope we can
isolate the motion and try to analyze the
issues which confront us in the decision of
whether Maryland moves in the twentieth
century or whether it continues to retain
governmental arms which are best suited
for the nineteenth century.
I submit to you that one of the reasons
that the legislature continually sends func-
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