2148 VETOES

YOUTH COMMISSION

May 7, 1951

Hon. John C. Luber

Speaker of the House of Delegates

State House

Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

I have today disapproved House Bill No. 349 which was de-
signed to create a "Maryland Commission for Youth" for the
following reasons:

I believe the creation of a new State agency would be ill-
advised, particularly at this time when a study of the State
government and its departments, bureaus and agencies is
being launched by the Sobeloff Commission.

I believe the proposed new agency would invade the realms
of responsibility and duplicate much of the work of the State's
subdivisions, the public schools, the churches, departments of
recreation where they exist, the departments of public welfare,
various private and semi-public organizations and other agen-
cies that now are functioning.

While the Bill would provide that the total appropriation
for the commission would not exceed $10, 000 per year, there is
no assurance that, once the agency was established, this sum
would not be increased with each new budget. There is the
danger that it eventually would become another major depart-
ment.

There is nothing to prevent the various organizations and
agencies interested in the problems of youth from getting to-
gether under existing authority for the exchange of ideas, the
study of facilities and the needs of youth in general and to
plan for cooperative action if such action is indicated.

I believe that a State agency for the purpose would succeed
only in creating confusion or adding to existing confusion.

I can envision nothing that such an agency could accomplish
which cannot now be accomplished by existing agencies.

Respectfully,

THEODORE R. MCKELDIN,

Governor