J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       1669

The Bill purports to do three things. It authorizes (1) the Gov-
ernor to appoint a person to serve as Chairman during the absence
or disability of the Chairman and confers upon the person so ap-
pointed all of the authority conferred by law upon the Chairman;
(2) it provides that the Chairman should keep the Commission fully
advised and informed on the status and condition of the highways
in the primary and interstate systems, and (3) it provides that the
Commission shall by resolution approve the appointment of all con-
sulting engineers and all others who perform contractual services
for the Commission.

Although I am generally in accord with the overall objectives
of this Bill, I am advised by the Chairman-Director of the State Roads
Commission and the office of the Attorney General that the proce-
dures called for in the Bill not only legally can be, but already have
been, provided for administratively. The Special Assistant Attorney
General, who serves as counsel to the State Roads Commission, has
ruled that the Governor has the legal authority under existing law to
appoint an Acting Chairman to perform the duties of the Chairman
should this become necessary because of illness or temporary dis-
ability.

The Chairman-Director and several members of the Commission
have advised me that the Chairman, as a matter of administrative
policy, is keeping the Commission fully advised and informed on the
status and conditions of the highways in the primary and interstate
systems.

With respect to the third objective envisioned by the Bill, there
is already in the law a provision that authorizes the Commission to
review all contracts with consulting engineers and to modify or alter
the termination dates thereof. I am advised that a committee of the
Commission members is already in existence which has reviewed and
will continue to review such contracts.

It would appear, therefore, that the procedures provided for
in the Bill have already been initiated and are now fixed and per-
manent administrative procedures of the State Roads Commission.
Accordingly, I have concluded to veto Senate Bill No. 603.

With kindest personal regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

(s) J. MILLARD TAWES,

Governor.

House Bill No. 44—Usury

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 4 of
Article 49 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement
Volume), title "Interest and Usury," to provide that any person
guilty of usury shall forfeit ALL THE EXCESS ABOVE the real
sum or value of the goods and chattels actually lent or advanced and
all interest charges thereon.