Evening star., 1934-03-11
Methods Lauded
in Lecture Course
at Cornell.
GREATEST GAIN IN
WELFARE SYSTEM
School, Road, Billboard
and Farm Campaigns
Are Recalled.
By a Stan Correspondent of The Star.

10.-After IA years of fruitful work,
the Prince Georges County Com
munity Council, under President w.
B. Posey, county agricultural agent,
has progressed well into another year
with hopes Of valuable accomplish
ments adding to its long list of
achievements
The council, made up of various
| civic and community organizations OF
| the county, has been a moving force
in the progress of the county along
many lines since its organization
here, May 2, 1919.
| Dr. C. P Close of College Park, who
was elected president December 6.
| 1921, was reelected each year until
he asked to be relieved at the last
election.
In reviewing the history Of the
council, DR.. Close said recently:
Pioneers Recalled.
To Mrs H. ]. Patterson, mother of
the council, is due the credit for out
lining a plan to amalgamate all civic,
fraternal and other local organizations
/ into one big county group, the Prince
/ Georges County Community Council.
so far as memory and records
serve us, the pioneers who did the
/ first organization work of the council
were Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. B. F. Wade,
Mrs. J. w. Aman, Mrs. Marie Hol-
mead, Mrs. T. R. Buchanan and
| George w. Waters. jr. Others who
were invited to help complete the
/ organization were Joseph H. Bland
/ ford, DR.. Frank B. Bomberger,
/ Charles w. Clagett, Robert j. Nelson,
Mrs. Charles o. Appleman and Mrs.
Claude Gilbert. Mr. Waters and Mrs.
/ Edgar Brown and Mrs Guy S. Meloy,
also loyal pioneers. since have died.
George w. Waters, jr., was the
first president. in 1919. T. P. Little
page was president in 1920 and 1921.
J. H. Blandford was the first secre-
! tary and served through 1921 when
I Gui H. Clagett was elected. Mr..
Clagett resigned at the May meeting
in 1922 and H. A. Marsden was elected
and served until November, 1927.
when our present secretary, Miss
Ethel M. Regan, was elected.
Promoted Agriculture.
Early in 1920 three outstanding
lines of work were the promotion of
agriculture. better county roads and
the development of the county school
system, including the improvement Of
rural. schools. There was a joint
committee on agriculture and home
economics which reported on the pro-
grams of work Of the county agent
and home agent. Soon these agents
began to make their reports direct to
the council and this has continued
to the present time.
Improvement in the rural schools
was one of our most earnest projects.
Former County Supt. Burroughs and
| his successor, Mr.. Orem, and their as
sistants have reported to the council
each year, and with one exception We
| Endorsed their plans and put them
into practice in our local schools and
appealed to the county commissioners
/ for financial aid for increasing
( teachers salaries. providing new
equipment. building new school
/ houses, etc.
| Aided Red Cross Work.
During the war the county Red
Cross employed trained social serv-
ice worker and school nurse. Funds
were running low in 1920 and the
committee on social service work ap-
/ pealed to the county commissioners
for assistance. Some money was
raised by popular subscription, and IN
| 1921 the county commissioners took
/ over the entire expense of these two
! officers. At that time the county had
/ only a part-time county health Off
Ger. We worked for full-time health
officer and he was appointed later.
In May. 1923. public health COM
mittee, with DR.. A. F. Woods as chair
man, was appointed to work with DR..
Knox of State Board of Health to
! increase the public health service
In May, 1922, the council indorsed
a community chest for the county.
and a committee, with DR.. H. J. Pat
| terson as chairman, was appointed to
submit plans for organizing it. This
was done, and the community chest
was launched in 1923 and continued
in 1924.
Garbage Disposal System.
1.-THE disposal Of garbage worried
the council for several years. and
finally, through the leadership of
Oliver Metzerott, the law was
amended. effective June /. 1888, Civ
ing the Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission full power to con-
troll garbage disposal.
"BillboardS bothered us for several
years, particularly those near the
Memorial Cross at Bladensburg. BY
cooperating with outdoor advertising
companies, the State Roads Commits
sion and the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, We were able to have the
Bladensburg signboards removed in
February, 1929. Our Billboard Com
mittee, with Oliver Metzerott. chair
man, was instrumental in having the
old billboard law amended and ef-
fective beginning on June /. 1929.
BY August 20, following. 21.25o
illegal signs had been removed from
the State highways.
Honored by Cornell
"In February, 1929, Prof. E. D.
Sanderson, head of the department OF
Rural Social Service OF Cornell
University, wrote your president for
information concerning the activities
of the council, and asked for copies
of programs and reports of meetings.
These were sent him. together with a
long letter telling about our many
lines of work and accomplishments.
He was SO impressed with the data
that he used it in a lecture course
given to his students.
THE greatest accomplishment of
all was the sponsoring of the Prince
Georges County Welfare Association,
which was organized on November %,
1882. This association co-ordinated
the welfare work of 81 relief groups
throughout the county, and Is stin
functioning, although the county relief
board with Government funds have
taken over most Of the relief work,
temporarily. at least. The welfare as
sociation will continue its organization