Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-26
COURTHOUSE BILLS
! PASSED BY HOUSE
Seven Montgomery County
! Measures Win in Final
Legislative Rush.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY,
STAR Corresnondent of Tho Star


ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 26.-Re-
sponsibility for the enlarged courthouse
project at Rockville, as demanded by
crowded the House of Delegates last
week, and which is sought by county
Democratic organization leaders, was
shifted last night to Senator Eugene
Jones of Kensington, who represents the
county in the upper house Of the Legis-
lature. The Senator, in formal ulti-
matum delivered two weeks ago to DR..
George L. Edmonds of Rockville, chair
man of the Montgomery delegation in
the lower house, had demanded that
all measures be delivered to him by
Yesterday or he would place the respon-
Sibility for failure of passage on the
shoulders of the delegates.
Seven Bills Passed.
The ultimatum was complied with
when the house yesterday passed seven
Montgomery County bills, among them
being the two bills for the courthouse.
One of these provides for a bond issue
of Sl50,000, the proceeds to be added to
an issue of $l50,000 authorized by the
last session of the Legislature for the
new courthouse, to provide building
bigger and better than originally con-
templated. The other measure author
ICES an issue of sits, 1000, the proceeds of
which are to be used for the purchase
of the square west of the courthouse,
which project has been stubbornly re-
sisted by the State Senator, principally
because the bank of which he is di-
rector has a site on this square which
he believes should not be given up.
The delegates are following these
pieces of legislation with great deal
of interest in the hope that the Senator
will change his stand. Senator Jones
announced at the hearing last week of
the proponents of the courthouse prof.
ect that he would hold another hearing
this week of the opponents Of the meas
ure, some of whom had expressed to
him, he said, desire to be heard on
the measure. If the Senator insists on
his stand in the matter, the Democratic
organization leaders admit that there is
nothing they can do, and the matter
will undoubtedly become one of the
campaign issues at the next election for
representatives in the House and Sem
ate. At any rate, the House delegation
believes that it has washed itself of the
responsibility by delivering the bills
within the deadline set in the ultimatum.
Opposition Not Believed Strong.
County leaders here said today that
they did not believe that the opposition
could show as much force as did the
proponents at the public hearing, and
clearly indicate their belief that practi-
cally all of it will be from the anti
Democratic organization leaders of the
county, who are in close touch with
Senator Jones. Other than this, the
organization leaders say, they do not
see from what source the opposition can
o%fo <,fry
and farmers body in the county has
taken a firm stand in the support of the
two measures. They point out further
that what opposition is shown will GER
tainly be from individuals.
All Of the bond issues, except one in
PRODUCED today under the unanimous
consent privilege, have now been trans
ferred to the jurisdiction of the Senate
and Senator Jones, so that the House
files, as to Montgomery County, are
clear except for the bond issue just re-
ferred to and two other bills. The
Montgomery delegation has assumed an
attitude of watchful waiting for the
bills to be reported back to the House
either as passed or rejected.
Metropolitan District Active.
The House also passed yesterday the
bill amending the Montgomery County
metropolitan district act so as to give
the county commissioners power to
make rules and regulations for the in
stallation of electric wiring systems in
all buildings in the district and provid-
ing for the employment of an assistant
building inspector.
The bill raising the pay of the Mont
gomery County police also was approved
by the House. It raises the maximum
pay of privates from 81 500 to 81 $50,
providing for increases at $50 year
after the second year of service until
the maximum is reached.
Another bill passed provides for the
appointment of a road engineer for
Montgomery County at a salary to be
fixed by the county commissioners, and
also for the appointment of an assist
ant. The road engineer Is to displace
the road superintendent and the term
is changed from four to two years. He
will have full authority over all road
work and of county public buildings.
Takoma Park Bill Wins.
The House also passed the bill giving
the police justice of Takoma Park con-
current jurisdiction within the town
with the police justices of Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties. 1t wipes
out the fee system and fixes his salary
at Sl,zUu per annum, out oI WHICH, Hc
must pay the expenses OF his ONCE.
The fines and forfeitures collected by
him are to be distributed to the two
counties, while Montgomery County
will pay half of his salary and the
town the other half.
The bill of Speaker E. Brooke Lee
of Silver Spring, providing for the
opening of a new road extending Con-
necticut avenue from Kensipgton to
the Brookeville Pike Georgia avenue)
at Aspen Hill, also was adopted, togeth-
er with another bill of the speakers
giving authority to the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission TO
license plumbers within the sanitary
district of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties.