The Washington herald., 1912-03-08
CHEVY CHASE HITS
CUMMINGS PLAN
Citizens Hold Meeting to Fight
Delegates Substitute for
Charter They Ask.

Denouncing Delegate Cummings, OF
Montgomery County. whom they de-
clared to be working against their best
interests. the citizens OF Chevy Chase
last night voted almost without a dis
senting voice to oppose his proposition
for special tax levy and carry their
fight for a charter to the State Iegisla-
ture. The meeting last night was held
in Library Hall, Chevy Chase, and was
attended by 1J0 citizens OF the town.
Chevy Chase has long been fighting for
a charter-that Is, the majority OF the
property ty-holders have been hghting for
It, and they assert they were promised
10y Delegate A. g. Cummings that II they
framed bill It would be supported by
him. Several prominent citizens of the
town denounced the delegate last night,
alleging he had broken his word when
the bill came up for consideration last
/ Tuesday, moving that II be stricken out
and the special tax levy substituted.
| Oppose Tax Levy.S
The indignant citizens absolutely refuse
to consider the tax levy and insist upon
having their town Incorporated. A mu-
nicipality. they declare. is the only solu-
ton OF the problems that confront Them
in the way OF adequate lights. a compe-
tent policing OF their property. and sani-
tation. They deny that benefits would
accrue under the proposed system faith
cred by the delegate.
A vote Will be taken upon the charter
tomorrow. All residents OF the town,
male or female, over twenty-one years
| OF age, will be given an opportunity 10
/ cast a ballot either in favor of incorporas
ton or against II. When the ballots have
been counted, a delegation OF 100 citizens
Will charter a special car and lay their
grievances before the legislature at An
napolis. The more conservative element
hit upon this idea as their only, chance
OF having the bill voted upon at this ses-
sion Of the legislature.
The citizens, almost as a unit, deny
that they will be benefited by the special
tax levy measure. and made II plain
last night that they would fight until the
eleventh hour for incorporation. They
| also denounced the boundaries drawn in
Delegate Cummings measure, alleging
that It Is partial TO the Chevy Chase
Club, which is left on the outside.
Compromise Urged.
Some of the speakers opposed the in
corporation OF the town. declaring that
the tax levy was an Improvement, II
not as desirable as incorporation. and
that IL they opposed It, they would lose
both because the legislature Is about TO
adjourn. The citizens who favored the
measure declare that IL the vote is strong
for charter. they will be able to have
II introduced by sheer force OF numbers.
Those who favored the Incorporation
and announced themselves as against
the measure introduced by Delegate
Cummings were: DR.. Ryan Devereux,
Thomas E Robertson. the Rev. DIR.
Childs, DR.. J. w. Morgan, John w. Bis
selle, DR.. Arthur II. Glennan. and Har-
ry Giovanolli. The speakers who ad-
vised the acceptance of the tax levy
were Michael A. Mess, r. Z. L. YeIlott,
and E. ]. Murphy.
The new municipality. IL IL is real
lied. will be conducted on the old Eng
lish village administration system, all
questions being decided by convention
vote. This is incorporated in the bill
drawn by the committee of fifteen. the |
members OF said cOmmitte representing |
all sections of the territory involved. |
The members Of this committee are as |
follows:
Judge Fred Van Dyne, W. T. S Curtis. |
V. f. Hodges, Charles d. Parker. a. a. |
HOehling, jr., George W. Dalzell, W. c. |
Clephsne. Thomas Z. Robertson. Charles |
l. Frailey. II. p. Galley. ;. n. Chase, L. |
P. Barnard, f. E. Stevens, J. w. Latl- |
mer, and William Law.
Mr.. CummInss' Lettes.
Delegate Cummings resents the attitude
of his constituents in regard to the tax
levy, and in a public letter 1ays them
for their belligerency. The letter from
Delegate Cummings reads, in part, as
follows:
''House OF Delegates,
Annapolis. March :. 1872.
Editor The Washington Herald.
Dear Sir: ! see by the press OF Wash
ington that my action in the legislature
by substituting the special taxing area
for the charter at Chevy Chase has
caused the citizens OF that place much
annoyance.
II would like to say at the outset that =
this, in my judgment, is a tempest in a
teapot and that the few 'carpetbaggers'
or 'squatters' in our community, who are
at all times making trouble, either IN
their church or I'm village affairs. do not
represent the best interests or the proper
views OF that community.
After a careful consideration of the
special taxation area as II operates in
Baltimore County. said county being the
richest in the State Of Maryland. / find
that it is an excellent plan and its opera II
ton in Montgomery county two yeans ,
ago was defeated by = certain little
clique Of gentlemen who play the role
of dog in the manger'
Il was born and raised in this COM
mUnity. and have seen 1t develop from
the very outset and really think that I
am in a position to know its needs. As
TO the statement that these alleged in
fuentiaT citizens will defeat me for fu-
ture Office l can just say that they
made their supreme effort in the eiec-
ton of last fall and I invite their an
tagonism and deem it one of the ad- g.,
vantages that 1 have in. political af-
fairs.
Il am quite sure that the broad-mind-
ed people of Chevy Chase, especially
those who have the best interests of
County at heart. will Join
with me on the progressive legislation
that am endeavoring to give them.
tSigned) "A. J. CUMMINGs."~
SCHIFF MAY GET IMMUNITY. ,