Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-03-12
Mr.. Martin Makes Reply.

cloud issues of great interest and impOr-
lance to the entire county.
1t is doubtless true that there are honest
differences of opinion about the policy of
increasing the number of high schools in
the county. and also as to the place, in
the lower section of the county. where
high school should be located, provided one
was to be legally formed 1t would be no
discredit either to the citizens of Kensing-
ton or Chevy Chase, as preliminary to the
establishment of such school, to press by
fair arguments such points of advantage
which each community might hold out.
If this were the question at issue, then
the article would hardly measure up to the
standards which Chevy Chase Parent"
should set, in impuening the motives of all
who differ with his view. rejecting upon
the public spirit of the Kensington citizens
because 80 largely composed of Office peo-
pile" and Directing to the right of one of
the gentlemen to speak because, although
one of the trustees of the Kensngton school
under appointment on the nomination of
DIR. Deveraux. he happened also to be one
of the officials of the Washington city
schools
But, as the writer of the article well
knows, the burning question is not one of
rivalry between the two places or the two
districts in which they are severally located
The real question is one in which every
citizen of the entire county is interested
and in which the body of the citizenship of
both Bethesda and Wheaton district are a
unit.
1t is: Shall the officials who have taken
an oath to obey the law. Hagrantly violate
the law, and trust to few soft-headed
satellites to becloud the undisputed facts
by appeals to so-called sectional prejudice
What are the undisputed factsY
|. In two short years. from August 1,
1912, to August l. 1914, the Indebtedness
of the County School Board was increased
$500. notwithstanding increased levies
2. The Board naturally sought relief from
the last Legislature. and coupled the re-
quest for bond issue with the suggestion
that, in the absence of assurances for re-
lief, the common schools would be closed
in February but the high schools would
continue to run because the high-schoOl
teachers were employed by the year.
8. The Legislature Of 1914 met these
conditions thus
|. In addition to the restrictions in the
High School Law of 1910, requiring the
consent of the State Board of Education
before any new high school could be formed.
and requiring public advertisement before
levy for its support, provided that no
moneys levied for the support of the COM
mon schools should be used for the support
of high schools, and moneys levied for one
high school should not be used for another
2. The School Board was given power
to compel sufficient levy to support the
common, but not the high schools.
3. 1t was made criminal offense to
violate the county law.
4. A bond issue was authorized with
which to pay off the school debt. with a
specific requirement that the money raised
on bonds should be used for no other pur-
pose whatsoever.
Beginning in 1918, when the School Board
was in these financial straits. Mr.. Eugene
f. Stevens, of Chevy Chase, wrote parents
of children in the lower section of the
county attending the County High School
at Rockville, requesting them to withdraw
their support from the legally constituted
High School. thus endangering the State
fund for that school based on a minimum
of 80 pupils. and send them to Chevy
Chase
No authority was then, or has ever been,
obtained from the State Board for the estab-
lishment Of high school at Chevy Chase,
and no estimate was made for 1t to the
County Commissioners last June and no
advertisement or levy was made for the
support of such high school
Some weeks ago itdeveloped that a high
school was being actually conducted there
in violation of law, and it was found that
il was the plan of the majority of the
Board to further violate the law by sup
porting it out of $1,000 remaining in the
treasury of the Board August I. 1914, from
moneys borrowed and by which amount the
bond issue should have been reduced
Commissioner Cooke called on Hon Thorn
as Dawson. attorney for the Board for a
written opinion. Mr.. Dawson, in his opin-
ion, admitted that the approval of the
State Board was essential to high school
at Chevy Chase. but indicated DISPOSE
ton to defer to the wishes of the County
Board
Mr.. Cooke, being unwilling to participate
in the violation Of law. submitted the cor
respondence to the County Commiss toner's
The attorney for that Board, Mr.. John A.
Garrett. gave written opinion in which
he reviewed the statutes and came to the
conclusion that the So, 200 in the hands of
the School Board August /. 1914. should be
applied toward the reduction Of the bond
issue and could not be used for the support
Of the high school, and further that no
funds levied were applicable to such use
and the bond issue W as so reduced.
These opinions and this correspondence
were published in the county papers.
In response to an invitation to appear
before a committee Of the State Board, in
company with another gentleman. went
to Baltimore and presented the facts, in
Guiding these legal opinions. My principal
representations we're embodied in the form
Of letter. addressed to the committee.
To be open and above board. gave
copies Of this letter to all Of the county
papers.
The echo is the communication from
Chevy Chase Parent" entitled for publ
cation in the Sentinel, THE Cunning Hand