Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
MONTGOMERY BILL
GETS QUICK ACTION
Emergency School Measure
Presented by Lee and
Sent to Committee.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
staff CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

stan Correspondent of The Star.
STATEHOUSE, ANNAPOLIS. Md.
January 25.--Authority to pay for the
unprecedented construction of schools
including the purchase of sites. ir
Montgomery County during 1928, is
sought of the Maryland General AS
sambly In a bill presented to the House
Of Delegates yesterday by Speaker e
Brooke Lee of Silver Spring. 1t was
promptly referred to the Montgomery
County delegation for consideration and
reported, and it was predicted today
that it would be reported out by the
delegation early next week and passed
AS the measure is an emergency one
1t will have the right of way. All
members of the Montgomery County
delegation in the lower house and SEN
ator Eugene Jones, representing Mont
comery County in the Senate, have
pledged support. Under the system OF
local lf-government applied to coun-
ties in the Legislature, vote OF the
delegation carries with 1t vote OF the
House in which the local legislation Is
being considered. The first attempt to
challenge this unwritten law was made
in the House this week, when the IN
surgent bloc sought to investigate the
alleged misuse of the proceeds OF the
bond issue for the construction OF
new courthouse and Jail at Rockville.
The projects detailed in the measure
as introduced have all been completed
and the land purchased. More than
half of it was provided by the $3.50, 600
bond issue authorized by the 1877
legislature. but the demands on the
school system became so heavy, due 10
the rapid increase in the population
of the county and the inslstence on
better school facilities, that the county
commissioners and the school board,
under authority to create an emergency
debt. went ahead with the conStruc-
ton, and now are seeking autnorlty 10
float an additional bond issue 10 pay
the bill.
Increase of Enrolment.
The preamble of the measure as in
PRODUCED invites the attention OF the
LEGISLATURE to the fact that during 1877
and 1928 "the influx of new citizens
in Montgomery County was followed
bv a greatly increased enrolment OF
school children in the public schools,
and adds that facilities then available
for the proper education OF the chill
dren and for housing them in safe ana
sanitary, modern schoolhouseS was IN
ADEQUATE. It also points out that the
S550.0OO bond issue authorized by the
1927 Legislature was inadequate:
It is explained that the county COM
missioners and the Board of Education
of the county, under authority granted
by the 1927 Legislature to temporarily
finance emergency construction neces-
sary for the protection of the health,
morals. safety and welfare OF the coun-
ty. and under the general authorize
ton of the board of county commits
sioners to borrow money for the tenn
Dorary needs of the county government,
between tax levy periods, and acting
upon the written assurance to the
boards by the four members OF the
House of Delegates and the State SEN
ator that these members Of the General
Assembly would support a re1nanclng
of the school construction program.
have authorized the construction and
equipment of the necessary buildings.
The measure provides for the issue
of bonds in the amount of $475,0O0,
in 500 denominations, the bonds to
bear per cent interest and to be
free of State, county and municipal
taxes. They are to be sold to the high
est bidder. The proceeds are to be
used for reimbursing the county COM
missioners and the school board for the
money advanced for the building prof.
ects.
Construction, addition and repair of
the elementary school at Bethesda,
$l7,487.
Construction of high school known
as the Bethesda Chevy Chase High
School. $123,657.75.
Construction and addition to the Ia
koma-Silver Spring High School, $685.
255.47.
Construction and addition to the
East Silver Spring Elementary School,
$14,161.36.
Construction and addition to the Ia
koma Park Elementary School, $780,
1861
Construction and addition to Glen
Echo-Cabin John Junior High School
and Elementary High School, 13.286.20.
Construction and addition to the
Poolesville High and Elementary School,
$9,791.02.
Construction and addition to the
Damascus High School, $3,263.59.
Construction of Germantown High
School, $1,739.05.
Construction and addition to the
Chevy Chase Elementary School, So
425.68.
Construction and addition to Lay
louisville Elementary School, $1,572.65.
Construction of Woodfield Elementary
School, S2,47457.
Construction of Somerset Elemen-
tary School, $43,792.10.
Construction and addition to Dick
erson Elementary School, $2,155.92.
S45,60O for Rockville.
Construction and addition to Rock
vile High School, $45, 60o.O7.
Fees paid for daily inspection and
supervision of the construction work,
$2,231.81.
Electrical wiring and equipment con-
tracted for and installed in the above
schoolhouses, $3,347.76.
For completion of work authorized in
school bond issue of 1924, $ll,928.O2.
For completion of work authorized in
school bond issue of 1927, $6,905.12.
For the purchase of furniture and
equipment for the schoolhouses de-
tailed above, $l7,290.36.
For the purchase of buses for the
transportation of students, $500.
For the purchase of the school site
at Somerset, $40085.
For the purchase of an addition to
the school site at Gaithersburg, $500
If there is any residue after these
specific authorizations are taken care
of, the bill provides authority for the
Montgomery County Board of Education
to expend it for the betterment of the
school system of the county It also
authorizes the county commissioners
to make the tax levy necessary to pay
the interest on the bonds and to retire
them at maturity. AS it is an emergency
measure it will require a three-fifths
vote of the membership of both houses
to pass it.
This measure is to be followed next
week by the introduction of the road
refunding bill, providing bond issue
for reimbursing the county commits
81 ,:g. nv