Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                 1675

work 'in any week prior to the passage of this Act.' While the Bill
was probably intended to provide that the compensation should not
be reduced below the amount which the employee was receiving at
the effective date of the legislation, it actually provides that the com-
pensation for a 40 hour week may not be reduced below the compen-
sation that the employee was receiving for a 44 hour week at any
time prior to the passage of the Act. However, it actually has two
very different results. Hourly employees will receive a salary increase
since they must be paid the same compensation for a week of 40 hours'
work as they received for a 44 hour work week. Secondly, an em-
ployee might argue that his compensation 10 years ago, or at any time
prior to the effective date, was higher than it is now and that it can-
not now be reduced below that amount. Conversely, an argument
could be made that the minimum below which the salary may not be
reduced is the lowest wage which the employee has ever received,
which might be considerably lower than his present wage. This
Section is obviously ambiguous.

"Under these circumstances, we feel obliged to advise you that
there is substantial objection to the legal form and sufficiency of
the Bill."

In view; of the patent ambiguities of the Bill, and its failure to meet
the Constitutional test of Section 29 of Article 3 of the Maryland Con-
stitution, I have vetoed House Bill 346.

Sincerely,

(s) Theodore E. McKeldin,

Governor.

TRMcK/tk

House Bill No. 384—Bingo in Charles County

AN ACT to add new Section 318A to Article 27 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1951 Edition) title "Crimes and Punishments",
sub-title "Gaming", to follow immediately after Section 318 there-
of, relating to and legalizing bingo in Charles County.

April 15, 1957.

Hon. John C. Luber

Speaker of the House of Delegates

State House

Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

House Bill 384 legalizes bingo in Charles County. The group of re-
sponsible citizens of Charles County who originally requested this
legislation, intended that it should be limited, as in other counties of
the State, to a restricted class of organizations with the proceeds
solely for their accepted purposes.

Unfortunately, the bill contains no such limitations. It would per-
mit anyone to conduct a game of bingo in Charles County and use
the proceeds as he saw fit. This would lead to evils which occasioned