Evening star., 1927-03-31
FIGHT.tEGAL|z|NG
OF WATER CHARGES
Opponents Heard on LegisIa-
tiop Affecting Montgomery
and Prince Georges.

s% ---------------------
by a STAFF Correspondent of The star
:. ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 81 Pro
posed changes in the organic act OF
the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission were attacked yesterday
ct hearing on the House bill carry
ing the amendments before the dele
cations of Prince Georges and Mont
gDniery Counties. Senator Lansdale
g. Sasscer of Upper Marlboro presld-
ed at the hearing. The opponents OF
the measure were represented by {. l..
A1leo OF Hyattsville. Prince Georges
County, and Wilson Townsend, Ken
sington. Montgomery County.
:. The trend of the objection was gen.
orally to any amendment of the old
law at all, but was particularly level
ed at the amendment which would le-
galize all of the charges assessed by
the commission up to December 81
last, including the famous order OF
June 10, 1925, increasing charges. and
which was the subject of a success
full attack in the courts. The oppo-
nents also attacked the amendment
which would give the commission au-
thority TO float bond issue for estab-
fishing a refuse and trash collection
and disposal system in the sanitary
district. r. Marion Duckett. chair
man OF the commission, who was
present. said that the commission did
not object to the elimination of that
provision, and ii was decided to do
this when both Senator Lansdale of
Prince Georges and Senator Eugen,
Jones, Kensington. announced that IL
would not get by the Senate anyway.
as they were opposed to it. Senator
Jones said that he did not think the
area was ready at this time for such
a system.
Problem OF Deficit.
The opponents. when questioned by
Speaker e. Brooke Lee as to how the
deficit and payments on judgments
would be paid, in the event the pre-
vious charges were not legalized. re-
piled that it should be made a county
wide tax benefit This. it was ex
planned, would amount to 30-cent in
crease on the tax rate for one year.
This deficit and the judgments, should
the law provide that the previous
charges should not be legalized. would
amount, it was estimated, to $210, 200.
Mr.. Alleo argued particularly for
bringing the commission closer to the
people. He explained that the men,
bers Of the commission should be ap-.
pointed by the county commissioners,
and IL the latter made bad appoint
ments they could be reached at the
following elections. They opposed APP
pointment by the governor.
They objected to the amendment
raising percentage from IL to IA per
cent of the assessable property within
which amount bond issues must be
kept. The present limit, they held.
was great burden. They wanted to
know how the present deficit of the
commission was created
Senator Sasscer said that the in
crease was for the purpose of carry
ing the drainage project from Mont
gomery County to tidewater, instead
Of having 1t stop in the thickly pop
ulated areas covered by Brentwood
and Mount Rainier. But the speakers
still opposed this, when Speaker Lee
interrupted To ask what they would
do with the sewage all the time
they were waiting for funds to come
in to pay the deficit, and Mr.. Al1eo re-
piled tfS4 they had had this condition
for eiehtyears and there was no rea-
son why Ahey could not exist. with it
for further period.
Bond Issue Authority.
They also wantSd the county COM
missioners TO have authority to ap-
prove bond ISSUES; reverting to the
matter of getting the commission
closer under the hands of the people,
pointing out that the county commits
sioners sponsored them by making
the county property liable. The whole
thing, they contended, should be
turned over to elective officers.
They objected to change in the
method of making assessment
charges, and said it would visit a
costly mistake on the people that will
develop a howl that will be heard far
and wide over the District,
Both Senators agreed that it was
the purpose of the new law to keep
assessments from being raised in the
sanitary area, and they pointed out
that If the bill did not provide for it
they would make secure that this
protection was given in the final
measure.
The delegation was warned by the
opponents that If the provision legal
tzing all charges made UP to Decem-
ber 81 last was enacted they would
continually push litigation in the
courts. The opponents also contended
that the entirety of both counties
within the sanitary district ~should
pay the general tax to provide for the
dehcits, and that sanitary system
must be taken as benefit to the
county as whole
After much argument ii was agreed
that II the order of June 10, 1925, was
not legalized, the people would have
transferring money from one hand
into the other. Senator Sasscer said
that he was not in favor of this. but
was Wiling TO let what had gone over
the dam stay there, and to start anew
with prohibition against the com.
mission making any increases in as.
assessments and frontfoot charges aft.
er they had been once laid
No Further Increase.
Delegate Burton L. Ford of College
Park, said that the only pledge made
by the delegation during the cam
paign. where the sanitary question
was made an important issue. was that
they would see that front foot benefit
charges were not raised any more.
Both opponents of the measure com.
planned that they would continually
have to come to Annapolis. as there
was no assurance that the law would
not be changed at future Legislatures.
but II was pointed out TO them that it
was an impossibiIity to guarantee
against this. as a Legislature could
not be prohibited from repeating or re.
enacting what another Legislature
had done.
Mr.. Duckett said that the bill is de
signed. as amended. to put A uniform
rate on the whole sanitary district
and 10 make future front-foot benefit
charges uniform. II was decided at
the hearing to amend the bill so as to
require the county treasurers not 10
collect general taxes unless the sani-
tary commission taxes were paid
Objection also WAS made TO the re.
quirement which would force people
having property abutting on the sani-
tarv commissions water and sewer
nI"s to connect with it in the interest
o.