Evening star., 1928-09-11
MONTGOMERY BODY
FIGHTS B|lLBOARDS
Federation Debates Report
Favoring New Technical
High School in County.

That the Montgomery County Civi,
Federal ton will enter the fight to elimi
nate billboards along the highways o
Montgomery County was assured las
NIGHT when a resolution was introduced
by Mai. E. Brooke Lee of Silver Spring
requesting the board of county COM
m.ssioners to draft an ordinance regu.
II ING the erection of billboarcs, The
ordinance, 1t was pointed out by MAI
Lee. could not prohibit the erection ol
billboards, but could be drafted so ss
to fix a tax and other restrictions on
billboarCs which would make their erec-
tion in Mon gomery County virtually
prohibitive. 49,.
Sentiment in the federation, it was
revealed last night. is strongly against
bilIboards along county highways be-
/ carse they are destroying the beauty
and ma ural scenery OF the. county
! That action should be taken at an
! ecrjv date Is even more imperative
! Mai, Lee said because of tine large
number of boards placed in the county
along the main highways during the
past year:
! Meet in WOOdside.
This meeting of the federation last
! nignt was heiu at the Woodslde School.
the delegates the guests OF the Linden
| Citizcns' Association. with Col. A. B
Barber of Bradley Hills. president, pre-
| siding. It was the first meeting since
! adjournment last May.
! A spirited debate, developed at the
! meeting over the report OF the commit
| tee on schools which recommended the
: construction of NV business ano
! technical high school in the county
, The resolution originally considered bv
rho committee vas that such scHoo!
be constructed at kensington. Tn
committee. however. reported the need
for such a school, but stated that the
board of education for the county
should locate It, The committee re-
port and recommendation was adopted
but only after a debate in which George
H. Lamar of Rockville declared, ne was
opposed to the construction OF any
additional high schools In the county
and pointed out he did not see necessity
of such a high school at kenslngton
He declared the money for such nigh
school should be spent on eniarging ana
improving the present high schools IN
;he county instead of building another
such building
Capt. E. r. King of Cabin John
Park, chairman of the schools commit
tee. strongly defended the report and
declared the recommendation OF the
schools committee was made after a
thorough investigation of school facili-
ties.
Secs Future Need.
He said there was no question
that the day would come when Mont
red from the Business and Ttchn'ca.
high schools of washington, and when
that time came Montgomery County
should have such a school OF its own.
He stated the only reason the commit
tee had not specifically stated the
school should be located at kensington
was because the members thought this
question should be left to the Board OF
Education. which Is better qualified to
pass on school locations
Mai. Lee. author of the original res
olution. stated the report was satisfac-
tory. After considerable discussion the
report was adopted.
During the course OF the debate on
the proposed new high school Maj. Lee,
who is Democratic leader in the county.
discussed the question of taxes In
Montgomery County in answer to
statement of Mr.. Lamar that taxes
were now too high and the tax rate
HIGHER than in the District of Columbia.
Mai. Lee stated that as far as the
county In general is concerned the coun-
w tax rate is Sl.30 on the 500 assessed
value plus the State rate of Is cents.
He pointed out that this S1.55 rate ap-
plies to the entire county, except In
corporated towns. special taxing areas
and special taxing districts. Lee fur
| ther contended that since the amount
| Of taxes paid on the 500 worth OF
| property owned was calculated by null
| tiplyina the assessed value of the prop
erty by the tax rate. it is totally. unfair
| to compare tax rates and not to COM
pare the ratio of assessed value of the
actual value.
Tax Relatively Small.
Lee pointed out that homes and husi-
ness properties in the District of Colum-
bia were assessed at nearly twice as
high a ratio when compared to presen,
| market value as Is the general ratio .o1
assessment in Montgomery County, and
consequently the taxes paid in Mont
| eomery County ON any $10O worth ol
property is very nearly SO per cent less
than the taxes paid in the District OF
Columbia
Lee further pointed out that the av.
erage assessment of the District OF Co
lumbia is 80 per cent of the present
sales value of the property and tnat the
average assessment on farm or nome
or business property in Montgomery
County is As per cent of the present
| sales value. That is, on a property witt
a present sales value of $4,000 in the
| District of Columbia the assessment
would be So 5000, and that tax rate beine
10 per hundred the tax payer Woulc
pay Sl36 per year In the highest-taxet
suburban section of Montgomery Coun'
ty, with a total rate of $2.20 per hun
dred. Lee pointed out that the assess
ment would be $4,000, which would re-
uuire an annual tax payment by th'
owner of S99 In the general count!
the property owner would only pa.
$6975 per year. IS compared to $l3'
in the District of Columbia.
Lee stated that the ratio Of assess
ment prevailing In Montgomery Count.
was uniform throughout the county
and was also equivalent to the ratio o
assessment prevailing In the adjacen
Maryland counties of Prince Georges
Frederick and Howard. '-'
Harry M. Martin Speaks.
Lee also stated that the only talr wa
to compare the District of Columbi
tax rate with the Montgomery Count
rate would be to raise the Montgomer
County rate of assessment to the pres
ent high level maintained in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Harry M. Martin of Kensingtol
, stated that while Montgomery Count
had enjoyed adequate school and roa
improvements in recent years tn
citizens and taxpayers should no