J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1365

Whereas, Statistics indicate that at least fifteen thousand young-
sters leave school each year without graduating, and close to one-half
of these leave when they reach the age of sixteen, or the age to which
they are required to attend school; and

Whereas, It is well established that, due to the difficulty of obtain-
ing employment, economic pressures and in some cases the indif-
ference of their parents, these children resort to criminal activity;
and

Whereas, Various local, State and Federal projects have been
attempted to alleviate this problem; and

Whereas, The General Assembly of Maryland is of the opinion
that legislation in one area will not be sufficient to encompass the
broad scope of the problem of drop-outs; and

Whereas, The General Assembly would like to have the opinion of
experts in the field of education to express the results of their
studies and recommendations towards raising the mandatory school
age and programs which would provide an incentive and new fields
of interest for these students who elect to neglect their education
and which would serve to encourage them to remain in school; AND
IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ABOVE TO GIVE SERIOUS AT-
TENTION TO THE IMPORTANT AND CRUCIAL EFFECT OF
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN THE SOLUTION OF THE
PROBLEM; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor
appoint a study committee of at least three persons, in addition to
which shall include, as an ex-officio member, the State Superintendent
of Schools, to study, report and recommend, positive courses of
action which they feel require legislation, in order to alleviate the
problem of drop-outs, including their recommendations towards in-
creasing the mandatory school age, with such report being made to
the Governor, General Assembly and people of Maryland before the
convening of the 1967 Legislature; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the Honorable
J. Millard Tawes, Governor, J. Jerome Framptom, Jr., President of
the State Board of Education, James A. Sensenbaugh, Superintend-
ent of Schools, and the various superintendents of schools in each of
the counties and Baltimore City.

Approved May 6, 1966.

No. 24

(Senate Joint Resolution 31)

Senate Joint Resolution requesting the Governor to appoint a legis-
lative committee to study possible legislation to control air
pollution.

Whereas, A large portion of the State of Maryland is located in
the megalopolis which stretches from Richmond, Virginia, to Boston,
Massachusetts; and