1938 VETOES.

ELECTIONS

SENATE BILL No. 446

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section
50 (1) of Article 33 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1947 Supplement), title "Elections", sub-title "Nomina-
tions and Primaries", relating to the election of managing
bodies and executives and executive committees of political
parties.

The purpose of this Bill is to amend the elections laws to
provide that members of State Central Committees, party
executives and the like shall be selected in accordance with
the regularly adopted constitutions of the political parties and
that copies of said constitutions shall be filed with the Secre-
tary of State and the Department of Legislative Reference.
The present law requires these officers to be elected at primary
elections. I have been informed that neither the Democratic
party nor the Republican party has a constitution. Therefore,
I have concluded to veto this Bill in order that the validity of
the acts of the State Central Committees or party executives
may not be questioned upon the ground that those officials
were not selected in a proper manner. If the political parties
desire to provide themselves with constitutions, I believe that
no subsequent General Assembly will deny them the privilege
of selecting these party officials in the manner set forth in
those documents.

ELKTON

HOUSE BILL No. 523

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section
185 of Article 8 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Mary-
land (1930 Edition), title "Cecil County", sub-title "Elk-
ton", relating to the boundaries of said town and their
extension and relating to the taxing of certain agricultural
and wooded areas in said town.

This Bill contains a provision very similar to that set forth
in House Bill No. 518, although the ordinance under this Bill
must be submitted to the qualified voters of the town and of
the area to be annexed. For the same reasons for which House
Bill No. 518 was vetoed, I have vetoed this Bill.

FENWICK

SENATE BILL No. 511

AN ACT to add 19 new sections to Article 24 of the Code of
Public Local Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "Wor-