268

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Radio Station WFBR, December 2, 1940
Baltimore

THE inauguration of a series of broadcasts dealing with the administration
of the State government, of which this evening's address is the opening
chapter, will make for a broader understanding on the part of our citizens
of the problems and functions of government. I am very happy to have the
opportunity to open this series, and it is particularly fitting that the topic
to be discussed, namely, the Legislative Council, was chosen. The functioning
of this new agency is possibly the most forward step in law-making that has
been taken in Maryland, during the past half century, or more.

It has been more or less common practice among the people, not only of
our State, but throughout the Country, to disparage Legislative bodies. Be-
cause of this tendency there has resulted a grave injustice upon the many
competent and public-spirited citizens who have been willing to make the
sacrifices necessary to serve their states in the law-making branch of govern-
ment.

The thing that always has seemed to bother critics of the Legislature has
been the fact that much, if not most, of the more important matters before
that body usually have been postponed until the closing hours of the sessions,
and then jammed through with little consideration and, to the minds of the
people at large, far less consideration than such weighty problems are entitled
to receive. What the critics of the Legislature and the public generally seemed
to have failed to recognize was that the Legislators themselves were not nearly
so much to blame as the system under which they operated.

The present system, of course, originated many years ago, when life was
decidedly less complex than now, and when the problems that came before the
law-makers required less technical and detailed research and judgment than
now is the case. So involved is the modern scheme of life that, more and more
of late years, thinking citizens and law-makers have questioned the ability
of seasonal Legislative Bodies to deal comprehensively and satisfactorily with
the intricate economic and social problems that continually are rising to demand
attention and solution. (

It was too much to expect of Legislators, many without previous experi-
ence, to come together from the four corners of the State and to solve in
ninety days intricate problems, touching upon every conceivable phase of
urban and rural life. Specialists on widely different topics were accustomed
to pour in upon legislative committees a large volume of data on their pet
subject. The law-makers were expected to come forth with the answers, after
brief consideration, when research and the most thorough investigation were
needed to reach the solution of many of the issues. It just couldn't be done
and I repeat that the individual members of our General Assembly were not
at fault but the system was primarily to blame.

After much consideration by various groups and research organizations
throughout the Country, the thought finally was evolved that if a way could
be found to eliminate some of the work at the regular sessions of the Legis-
latures by interim study and research, much of the complexities facing law-
making groups could be removed in advance. Thus it was that in one form