J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                          1503

House Bill No. 577—Private Detectives' Licenses

AN ACT to repeal Section 91 of Article 56 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Licenses'', sub-title "Private
Detectives", and to enact a new Section 91 in lieu thereof, to stand
in the place of the section so repealed, providing for the rules and
regulations which are to govern hearings before the Superintendent
of the Department of State Police pertaining to the issuance, re-
newal, suspension or revocation of licenses and the manner in
which appeals may be taken from the decision of the Super-
intendent after such hearings.

May 5, 1959.

Honorable Perry O. Wilkinson
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

House Bill 577 is intended to alter the present practice and pro-
cedure before the Superintendent of Maryland State Police in con-
ducting hearings for the issuance, suspension or revocation of private
detective licenses. I do not believe that the modifications to existing
procedure are desirable since the changes will involve additional
expense in administering the law and will unduly restrict the ability
of the Superintendent to conduct informal investigations and pre-
hearing conferences. It is a most unusual requirement that an ad-
ministrative official must give advanced detailed notice as a condition
to discussing a complaint with a licensee. There is no justification for
preventing the Superintendent from considering truths which may
be revealed as a result of voluntary disclosure during an informal
investigation. Investigations, conferences and hearings should have
a goal of ascertaining truth with a minimum of technicalities. The
requirement that all hearings, regardless of the probable outcome,
must be stenographically reported, will substantially increase the
cost of every hearing without any commensurate benefit. I am advised
that this procedure is already employed in all formal hearings where
revocation or suspension is even likely. I believe that the provision
for automatic stay on the mere entry of a motion for re-hearing or
of an appeal after an applicant or licensee has been given a full hear-
ing without the necessity of showing a good and probable cause, is
to encourage dilatory tactics and to delay prompt and final determina-
tions. I further believe that this Bill would unduly complicate the
established administrative procedure at additional expense to the
State and thus impede prompt and final administrative determina-
tions.

Accordingly, I have vetoed House Bill 577.

Respectfully,

(s) J. MILLARD TAWES,

JMT:ss                                                                           Governor.