Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-03-06
Opposed To Further Bonding OF
The County.

Mr.. Editor The letter of Mr.. A. j
Cummings, in the issue Of the "Monteom-
cry Press" Of February 20, contains some
statements which reflect on the integrity
Of the Kensington School Association. and
other associations of like character in other
parts Of the county.
The bill providing for $4,000 bond
issue to build school at Chevy Chase was
not prepared by the Chevy Chase School
Association. The association appointed a
committee to draft the bill. the committee
consisting Of Andrew J. Cummings, State
delegate; B, Ashly Leavell, Democratic dis
trict committeeman DR.. Ryan Devereaux.
County School Commissioner. and two other
members. This committee met in Mr..
Cummings house and drew up the bill.
which was not submitted to the school
board for its approval.
While the bill. as drawn, does not spe-
officially call for a high school, Mr.. Cum
mings knows that it was so intended.
The evidence on this is as follows:
Under date of October IL, 1918, Mr..
Eugene E. Stevens. chairman Of the COM
mittee of the Chevy Chase School Associa
ton, having the matter in charge. wrote
to Mr. Fisk, Of our own town, saying I'VE
have now established at the Chevy Chase
county school two high-school classes: a
fifth teacher, with college training, has
been transferred to the school. and four of
the present faculty of five will handle the
high-school work at present" Mr.. Stevens
then adds: ITO clinch the securing of
a fine. well-equipped building affording
high-schoo instruction for our end of
the county, we need to have by the
time we 60 before the legislature in Janu-
airy the minimum number of bona fide
enrolled high-school students. IS. to entitle
US to classification as high school" and
he adds that this would secure to Chevy
Chase "the minimum State aid for high
school instruction. $500 per annum." To
secure the high school. he asks Mr.. Fisk
May we not have all the nine or ten high
school students in Bethesda district and
Kensington. understood to have been at
tending the Rockville High School 7"
On postal card sent out within few
days designated for the discussion Of the
bill, the male and female residents of
Chevy Chase are asked to petition the
senator and four delegates from Mont
gomery county to use their best efforts to
provide "a suitable permanent building
and equipment for combined elementary
and high school to be located within the
area between the Rockville pike and Con-
necticut avenue and Chevy Chase Lake
and Bradley Lane"
3 ask you, is this not specific enough
that high school was intended And was
not every effort made to foster 1t upon the
county without considering either the
necessity of it or the best location for a
high school to accommodate the greatest
number of scholars at least expenseH
In addition to this evidence, however,
Mr.. Frank Hewitt, of WOOdside, declared
that high school was intended for Chevy
Chase; and at the last meeting held at
Annapolis before the senator and dele
gates the declaration was publicly made
that Dr. Devereaux had declared that the
$4,000 bond issue was for the sole pur-
pose of constructing high school at Chevy
Chase, and this statement DR.. Devereaux
did not deny, though it was made in his
presence
Let it be said. Mr.. Editor, that no one is
opposing or has opposed the best kind of
elementary school and education for Chevy
Chase and its children. But the county
taxpayers. largely as a whole and even in
Chevy Chase itself. with a present school
Indebtedness of $7l.500. are opposed to
the bonding of the county any further are
opposed to locating school where it is not
for the best accommodation of the Greatest
number Of scholars; are opposed to large
expenditures in one part of the
county to the utter neglect OF absolutely
necessary building equipments and educa-
tional facilities in other parts of the coun-
ty; are opposed to secret or private hear
ings called by Mr.. Cummings before the
delegates to consider matters relating to a
public bond issue.
There is just one other question, Mr..
Editor. When Mr.. Cummings wrote his
letter to the Press, did he intend to de-
ceive his constituents or has he been de-
ceived with reference to the intents and
Of his friendsH He says the bill
does not call for high school. his
friends. as well as his political enemies,
say that ii was fully understood that a
bond issue Of $4,000 was for a high
school. In charity. therefore. let us assume
that Mr.. Cummings has been deceived
that his friends" have taken undue ad-
vantage Of the blissful and euieless in
nocence Of Andrew jackson Cummings.
delegate from Montgomery county.
JAMES B. NORMAN.
KensingtOn. Md.