Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-24
ATTACKS RENEWED
ON SANITARY BODY
Takoma Park League Ap-
peaIs to Gov. Richie for
Changes in Law.

That the members of the Wash
ington Suburban Commission should
be accountable to the voters of the
State of Maryland and not TO the
governor: that the books of the COM
mission should be officially audited
by the state auditor and not by
private concerns; that the affairs OF
the commission should be published
in the interest of the taxpayers and
that other changes should be made
in the present existing law Great
ing the commission. are some of the
recommendation made today to Gov.
Albert Ritchie of Maryland by the
Community League of Takoma Park,
Md.
The Washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission was organized sew;
erai years ago to administer and eX-
tend the water and sewer systems in
the suburban areas lying on two
sides of the District of Columbia.
One of the commissioners Is APP
pointed by the governor, one is
selected by the board of commits
sioners of Montgomery County ana
one by the corresponding board of
Prince Georges County. The latter
two must be nominated first by the
State Board of Health. Since this
board is named by the governor all
of these commissioners, 1t was
stressed, must be such men as are
approved by the governor. These
commissioners are responsible to
nobody except the governor of the
State, and the only way their acts
can be influenced is by an appeal to
the governor.
To Tackle Legislature.
A petition has been prepared and
will be presented to the next session
of the Maryland Legislature request
ing that the law regulating the pow
ers and duties of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission be
changed to provide substantially as
follows:
THAT the sanitary district be con-
Stituted a definite political unit and
that the executive thereof be made ac-
countable to the voters, either by di-
rect election or indirectly chosen by a
body elected by the voters of said dis
trict.
$50 as to provide for periodic Off
cial audit of the books of said eXecu-
tive.
so as to provide that no project re-
curing an increase Of the bonded in
debtedness of the district shall be I'M
dertaken without adequate publicity
and giving opportunity to taxpayers
to be heard.
80 as to provide that copies of the
detailed report of receipts and expen-
ditures of said executive, rendered
semi-annually, shall be filed with town
or section officials and made available
for examination by all parties inter.
ested."
Powers Almost Unlimited.
The attention of the Maryland Leg
islature will be called to the fact that
the commission has wide powers and
almost unlimited. authority in locat
ing and planning new projects. To
provide funds for this work they
have authority to issue bonds on the
taxable property of the entire SAM
tary district. 1t may collect money
as a front-foot assessment on all
plated areas, it may levy a percentage
tax against assessed valuation of
property, it collects fees for use of
water meters and consumption of
water used. The league claims that
mo matter whether these charges
are reasonable or unreasonable, the
taxpayer is entirely helpless-the
commission is in no sense account
able to him"
The Inauguration Of a new project
under the organic law required the
commission to hold a. hearing OF the
property owners most concerned. but
this provision, 1t is claimed by the
commission, was repealed because
very little interest was shown when
such hearings were advertised, but.
on the other hand, the members of
the Community League claim that
the proposal to repeal this provision
was never brought to the attention
of the sanitary district.