Mr. Ritchie served as Attorney-General from December
20, 1915, to December 20, 1919. He organized the first State
Law Department of Maryland, which took over the legal
work of all of the State Departments except the Public Ser-
vice Commission, thus doing away with the employment of
numerous special counsel, and resulting both in economy
and increased efficiency to the State. At the War Session
of 1917 he prepared or supervised all special legislation made
necessary by the war, and this work served as a model in
many States.

On June 3, 1918, Mr. Ritchie was appointed General Coun-
sel to the United States War Industries Board, serving in
this capacity until December, 1918, when the Board was dis-
solved. He secured a leave of absence from his duties as
Attorney-General and moved to Washington in order to
devote his entire time to war work.

Ill September, 1919, Mr. Ritchie was nominated without
opposition as the Democratic candidate for Governor of
Maryland, and in November, 1919, he was elected by the
narrow margin of 165 votes. This was more of a victory
than the figures indicate, because a Republican plurality of
10,000 in the Baltimore City Mayoralty election of May,
1919, was converted into a Democratic plurality of 1800 in
November of the same year.

Governor Ritchie's first term was noteworthy for a number
of constructive achievements.

The State Reorganization Bill and the Fewer Elections
Bill were passed.

He fostered and developed the Public School System of
the State, until, from a position of stagnation, it now equals
the best in the country.

He advocated and pursued the policy of building and main-
taining the roads of the State until Maryland stands second
to no State in the Union in the excellence of its highways.
He established the Merit System for State employes.
He inaugurated a business system of purchasing State
supplies, effecting a remarkable saving of the taxpayers'
money.

He secured the passage of model legislation on the subject
of co-operative marketing, the eradication of tuberculosis
from dairy herds and the promotion of agriculture.

He redrafted and liberalized the Workmen's Compensation
Act and advocated and secured legislation protecting the
health and safety of the miners of the State.

When, in 1922, President Harding, during the coal miners'
strike of that year, called upon the Governors of all the coal
producing States to send troops to the mines, Governor