Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-08
BILLS
| GIVEN SUPPORT
Lee Announces Delegation
Will Back School, Court
house and Other Measures.

ditiOn to a number of minor amend
ments to existing county statutes, Is to
be sponsored by the Montgomery
County delegation to the Maryland
General Assembly, which convenes
again tonight at Annapolis, it was an
nounced today by Maj. E. Brooke Lee
of Silver Spring, Speaker of the House
OF Delegates and Democratic leader o.
Montgomery County.
Lee stated that among the most i'm
portant legislation affecting Montgom-
cry County would be the legislative de-
ciSion as to the amount of the bond
issue funds to be made available for
the construction Of the new courthouse
at Rockville. He explained that $780,
900 had been made available for the
courthouse construction by the 1927
session of the Legislature. but that the
courthouse building committee and The
architect had recommended an addi-
tional $150.000 as necessary to provide
sufficient office space for the present
public business of the county ard the
probable increase Of the next several
years. The members OF the House of
Delegates have also recommended that
the square west OF the courthouse be
purchased by the county and added to
the public square at Rockville, which
latter purchase would allow the elirni-
nation of the narrow bottleneck on
the main business street Of Rockville
approaching the Frederick road ami
the bad right-angle turn for all Western
and Western Maryland traffic.
Sees School Bond o. X.
The speaker also called attention to
hot It+Ri har RI
expressed himself as Directing to voting
the additional $15O.000 for building the
enlarged courthouse on the present
courthouse square, that the Senator
had indicated that he favored the pur-
chase of the larger site and had not
expressed any objection to building the
adequate courthouse recommended by
the building committee and architect
upon the enlarged site. Lee also pre-
dicted the early passage Of a county
bond issue to refinance the 100000
worth of new school construction which
has been built during 1928 and the 1928
road construction program which have
been temporarily financed by the coun-
ty commissioners. No difficulty Is an
ticipated in connection with the legis-
lation, he said, because Senator Jones
and all four members of the House Of
Delegates had joined in a written state
ment to the county commissioners that
the 1928 school and road construction
would be financed by permanent bond
issues by the present session OF the
State Assembly. He pointed out that
the members of the Assembly from Bal
timore City or the other counties never
interfere with local legislation support
ed by the Senator and members OF the
House of Delegates from the respective
counties.
Maj. Lee also feels that new school
bond issue will be passed later in the
session, allowing the construction OF adj
ditional large units for the Chevy Chase
Elementary School and substantial
addition for the Chevy Chase-Bethesda
High School, and believes that this bond
issue will also include an appropr1a-
ton for the purchase of new elementary
school sites in the Alta Vista and
Chevy Chase Lake neighborhoods and
will also provide for the purchase OF a
high school site east of Georgia avenue
and west of the Colesville road for the
Silver Spring Woodside section.
The Speaker stated that he thought
the Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission z cent tax
for the purchase of park lands would
be reallocated so as to allow q por-
ton Of this fund for the improvement
and maintenance of the parks which
are to be located in the four main
valleys of the county. which are the
Valleys Of Rock Creek, Sligo Creek.
Cabin John Run and the Northwest
Greek.
Sections Are Zoned.
In this connection he stated that I'M
der the law creating the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission suburban Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties had been Zoned
and that the park plans for suburban
Montgomery County were nearing COM
pletion and the master highway and
permanent city plan for both counties
was we'll under way. All of this i'm
portant work had been accomplished to
the apparent satisfaction Of the citi-
zenS and taxpayers. since practically no
objection to the functions performed by
the planning commission had been ex-
pressed by the people affected, he de-
clared.
The county leader expressed the be-
lief that the suburban district law
enacted by the 1927 Legislature was
also working we'll and that no major
were contemplated to this
legislation. He pointed out that under
the suburban district law, police stations
and county buildings, with all local
offices, have been built at Bethesda and
Silver Spring, and that full municipal
were now available to the
suburban sections of Montgomery
County within the suburban district
under the administration of the board
Of county commissioners
He expects the legislation authorizing
the appointment of an assistant build
ing inspector to be approved by both
houses, due to the increased work In
this office, which Is regarded as self
He stated that a number
Of bills making minor improvements in
various local statutes were expected to
pass, but in the main no sweeping
would be attempted, and
that no public improve
nents would be approved by the county's
representatives in the House Of Dele
gates that would increase the present
general county'S tax rate.
Berry E. Clark. clerk to the Board
Of County Commissioners has advised
The Montgomery County members of
The State Legislature that the county
could issue 81 $50 900 in new bonds for
needed public Improvements without
raising the county's tax rate. Mai Lee
hopes that when the new courthouse
and the cost of the enlarged site Is
financed and the 1928 school and road
which the county commits
Sioners temporarily financed Is taken
care Of through permanent bond issue
funds and provisions have been made
for the Chevy Chase elementary school
and the Chevy Chase Bethesda High
School and the school additions and
the new school sites provided for, the
purchase of which are recommended by
the several hundred thousand dollars
worth Of bonds for the construction of
additional roads not included in the
road construction program adopted by
the Board Of County Commissioners
on May 81, 1927.
Senator Jones and the delegates 10
he House have agreed to support a
permanent bond issue to complete ali
he construction listed In the road pro-
gram approved by the county commits
iionerS last May 81.