Evening star., 1909-07-16
BLAIR LEE REPLIES
Answers Public Statement
of Harry 7. NeWcomb.
STATE SENATOR EXPLAINS
Tells Why He Opposes Election OF
County Treasurer.
MEMBERSHIP OF SCHOOL BOARD
Declares No Act Has Been Cited
to Show Control by Politics or
Personal Interests.
MEMBERSHIP OF SCHOOL BOAR.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md. July 16 1909
81 Because it would necessitate the crea-
! ton of a separate Office with clerical as
: sistants, a separate set of books and IN
cidental features involving new expense
probably not less than $1,000 a year.
! State Senator Blair Lee is opposed 10
I the election Ct the county treasurer os
direct vote of the people. He thus de-
: clares himself in a reply to the recent
open letter of Mr.. Harry I. NeWcomo'
with whom he is contestng for the dem
: ocratic nomination for the state senate
soon to be made in this county. He also
takes issue with Mr.. Newcombs con-
tention that the offices OF county treas
urer and clerk to the board OF county
commissioners should not be held by the
same person, and in that connection
says:
Mr.. Hilton is not holding two county
! offices as stated by you. He is perform
ing duties. for one salary, that you pro
pose to divide into two distinct ofnces
! with separate salaries and assistants anu
! at an increase in county expense. Inc
clerk to the county commissioners mas
long acted as treasurer. for he received
! and held the county funds and paid them
out on orders of the commissioners Inc
duty recently added to his office is that
| of collecting taxes, for which his sal
ary has been increased from $1,000 to
81, 200, which increase. with all other
costs of collections, amount to S2,OUo a
year, as against about $1,000 year pre-
viously paid to collectors of taxes in
! commissions. A net saving results to
the county of about $1,000 year from
this change.
Checks on the Treasurer.
There was no adequate check upon the
old clerk when holding funds virtually
as treasurer and hts bond was only s2o,-
600, as against $4,000 now. A further
check upon his conduct is now supplied
! through the examination. every three
months, of an auditor, appointed by the
court who has power to inquire into the
statements and vouchers submitted by
the treasurer. The auditors report Is
also published promptly for public In
formation and criticism. These checks ex-
ist in addition 10 the examinations by
! the bonding companies, which would nave
to make good any losses, and yet you
say there is no check at all Under the
present system, the taxes are not only
collected at great saving but mucn
more promptly, and the county, having
it's cash in hand, is less likely to borrow
and pay interest Another change is pro-
vided in handling the county money;
which is required by law to be deposited
! in approved banks that offer the largest
interest TO the county on its deposits.
This item in three years has announced
to 81, 129
| is OBVIOUS lldl ullUtl dLl SiiS
stances the county commissioners must
choose their own clerk, Mr.. Lee de-
clared. otherwise they cannot be held
responsible for the conduct OF their OIL
flee Thus it is clear that If treasurer
is to be elected a new and separate office
must be created with clerical assistants,
, separate set of books and incidental
features involving new expense, probably
not less than $1,000 year. The only
reason you suggest for making this new
Office is to provide a check on the county
| "a, oil asrin g
now no check at all The several checks
shown to exist as above seem adequate
! and indicate that there is no danger of
loss to the county funds under the pres
ent system and no occasion tor creating
the new office you suggest.
Members Of School Board.
In reply to Mr.. Newcomb's charge that
Senator Lee had enacted a law increasing
the number of members of the county
public school board from three to six
for political reasons, Mr.. Lee writes:
The administration of the school sys-
I tenn should be conducted entirely for the
! good of the schools, and the action of
! the board should be free from political
or factional bias. With this object in
view, the school board was reorganized
during my term by increasing the mem
! bership from three to six. AS the men,
! bers receive a nominal salary of 500
I each, this change involved additional ex-
pense of only $500 year, while it gave
z D6lleF inspection anu DclleI representa-
! tion to the various sections of the county.
! The number of our school commission
ers is now the same as in Baltimore,
I Frederick, Washington, Carroll and Dor
I chester counties. Beyond expressing the
! wish at the outset to each of the COM
: missioners that he should put the in
terests of the school children first of all,
have never attempted in any manner
! to influence the action Of the school
! board.
In making your criticisms you do not
name any single act of the board where
| politics or faction or personal interests
have controlled their action, but, on the
! contrary, you have resorted to innuendo. |
Makes Demand for Proof. |
In the interest of the school system
and the children who depend upon it for |
education, deem it my duty to demand
of YOU to publicly specify any and all
cases where you can show that such |
improper motives have controlled the |
official action of the school board. I do |
not intend to say that the school board |
has not made some mistakes. If they |
have not made some errors they are |
more than human. They are we'll known
citizens of Montgomery county, of high |
character, and able to meet any
specific charges you may make against |
them.
In his letter to Senator Lee, Mr.. New |
comb stated that in Mr.. Lees campaign |
for the senatorial nomination four years |
ago lie urged lHdl tue principe OF TOtd-
ton in Office be enforced in his favor, and |
publicly pledged h1nself not 10 become a !
candidate for second term. In reply to
this, Senator Lee states there is no dem
ocratic principle, state or national, which |
requires that legislative officers be re-
stricted to one term of service You
cite events In our county, since the civil |
war, to establish a rule for the county
that involves no principle. AS to part of |
what you say you are mistaken in your
facts. Senator Peter had the nomination
from the democratic party for three sue
cessive terms. and was elected the first
and last times, being defeated once at
the election by the republican candidate.
Factional Strife in County.
THE other cases you mention simply
show the ups and downs of factional |
strife in this county. You state that |
Senators Peter. Wootton. Bouic and Jones |
were faithful. efficient, wise and worthy |
democrats. They all asked the party for |
a and thew certainly did /