Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-06
OUTLINES PROGRAM.
FOR MONTGOMERY.
Mai. {. Brooke Lee Tells Ia
koma Citizens of LegiSIa-
tive Proposals.

the tentative legisla tive program OF
the Montgomery County delegation TO
the Maryland Legislature was out
lined I'm detail last night by MAJ. r..
Brooke Lee. speaker of the House or
Delegates Of the MARYLAND Assembly.
The meeting was held in the Presby-
terrain Community Hall. under the aus
pieces of the Takoma Park Com
munity League. President r. r.
Gould opened the meeting and intro
duced Mayor Ben G.. Davis, who in
n short address presented Mai Lee,
the guest and speaker of the evening
According to the plans as outlined.
II is proposed TO issue county bonds to
build as many miles of improved road
as the county's taxable basis can
finance without too great an increase
in the county tax rate. These roads,
Maj. Lee said would be built by the
State Roads Commission on state
specifications, unless voted for by the
county commissioners and all sections
of roads so authorized, to he located
by the board of county commissioners
in the various sections of the county.
Would Double Police Force.
In speaking of the school situation.
the plan calls for an issue of county
bonds for and the authorization, To-
eating. construction or enlargement
of as many as possible of the school
houses in different parts of the county
recommended by the County Board Of
Education to meet the most urgently
needed schedule of school construc-
ton. The total amount of these bonds
are to be within the most urgently
needed schedule of construction rec
commended by the board of education.
Maj. Lee, IN referring to the police
force in the county, stated that at the
present time but II men were on duty,
while the proposed increase would
give the county "a men for duty. It
is also intended to establish a police
station at BethaDda and on the Oh
ney>Baltimore State road, in addition
to the one at Rockville.
Long term county bonds" con-
unued the speaker, would be issued
for the construction of a. fireproof
room for the office of the clerk of the
Circuit Court TO be located on the east
side of the present courthouse at
Rockville and also to provide a. fire.
proof building for the land records
of Montgomery County and the rec
ords of the Orphans Court, this addi-
ton to be SO located that 1t can be
the east wing of a permanent plan
for the enlargement of the court
west wing and front section to the
courthouse. This would be further
augmented with q similar issue of
bonds in 1929 to build a similar fire.
proof wing on the west side of the
existing courthouse to house the tax
records of the county"
May Build New Jail.
IF the finances of the county will
allow it, said the speaker, without
too great an increase in the county
tax rate and after the school, road
and courthouse bonds have been pro-
vided for, and the increased police
and fire protection financed, it is
planned to either build a new Jail, or
provide funds to make the present
institution more sanitary and more
livable.''
One of the propositions in which
the citizens were mostly interested
was that relating to the county COM
missioners. In this connection Mai
Lee said that the tentative program
as outlined at the present time, pro-
vided:
"One county commissioners dis
trict for the Bethesda election dis
tr1ct and one county commissioner
district for the Wheaton and Coles
county commissioners to be given
increased responsibility, jurisdiction
and taxing powers in the sections of
Bethesda ana Wheaton districts not
now in Incorporated towns or taxing
areas, or so logically adjacent to
existing towns or taxing areas that
the solution of their problems most
logically should be grouped with
those of existing adjacent towns OF
taxing areas. These two commits
sioners' districts to have full time
service in local government with a
local office of the board of county
commissioners in each district.
Would Authorize Streets.
In the Bethesda and Wheaton dis
tricts, the county commissioners to be
authorized to build streets, so per cent
as benefit tax and so per cent from
increased taxation on these districts
and to repair streets from direct tax
alton on these districts, and to build
sidewalks and cutters entirely from
benefit taxes.
ITO group the remaining 10 cleo
ton districts of Montgomery County
into five county commissioners dis
tricts, the commissioner from each
district to receive the present salary
for that office.
Government administration of anC
nomination and election to the board
of county commissioners to remain
county wide
In discussing the proposed parking
planning and coming commission
Maj. Lee SAID the idea was to create
Maryland parking and planning
commission Tor Montgomery County
and Prince Georges County, or for
Montgomery County alone. along the
general plan already approved by al
the civic groups that have to date
acted on this matter This plan, he
said, includes coming powers for the
commission.
The Sanitary Commission came in
for considerable discussion, and in
reply TO an inquiry the Speaker stated
that in his opinion that the protest
filed with Gov. Richie, urging that
the books of the Washington Subur
ban Sanitary Commission be audited
by the regular State auditor would re
ceive favorable consideration at the
present session of the Legislature. In
this event the books of the commits
sion would be audited in the same
manner as other commissions of the
State.
Would Give Governor Power
MAJ. Lee continued lnal II, was
proposed TO eliminate the State Board
OF Health from their present appoint
ing power and TO have the Governor
of the State appoint this commission
subject to the confirmation by the
Board of County Commissioners in
which the appointee resides. The
question of petty politics" was re
ferred to by one of those present, but
Maj. Lee expressed himself in favor
of the better method of appointment
by the governor.
The tentative program would be t