Evening star., 1934-10-24
FUSION SPEAKERS
FLAY DEMOCRATS.
Montgomery County Loser
by S3,134,125 in Is
Years, Is Charge.
BY JACK ALLEN,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT of The Star

24-Charges of maladministration
bossism, waste and extravaganza in
the purchase of public building sites
and the general handling of Mont
gomery County funds were hurled at
the Democratic organization by Fusion
party candidates during a rally here
last night
The audience Of 300 people was told
there is shortage of S3,134, l25 be-
tween the money spent on public i'm
provement since the organization came
into power in 1915 and the amount
of construction bonds issued by the
county during that l5-year period.
An attack against the commission
ers for negotiating an "unneeded loan"
of S250O00 that cost the taxpayers
approximately $500 in interest
charges was renewed, while the Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Commis-
sion was severely criticized for reject
ing S650,0O0 loan and grant from
the z. w. A. last Fall and arranging
for private loans in its stead
The accusation regarding the Short
age in public Improvements was made
by John E. Oxley of Rockville, State
Senate candidate, who asserted that
the county has sold S9,684,175 III
school and road bonds and certiti-
Gates of Indebtedness during the or
ganization's reign. but has given the
taxpayers only S6,550,050 in public
improvements.
School Property Data.
OXley's charge is based. he said, on
information regarding the valuation
of school property, supplied by Supt.
Of Schools Edwin w. Broome; the
total mileage of county constructed
roads, furnished by County Engineer
Harry B. Shaw, and the fixing of a
fair figure" on the average road con-
struction costs by a disinterested
Frederick firm.
The speaker declared that the
county has built 2289 miles of con-
crete roads. 114.46 miles of macadam
roads, 48.15 miles of gravel roads and
6048 miles of stone base roads during
the IS years. On the basis of impair
tial figures supplied by a Frederick
firm, the entire road program has cost
the county approximately S2,407 600.
In addition the organization has
built, according to its own figures.
school structures valued at S3,453 ,050:
a court house costing 100000 and
two suburban buildings costing
100000, he declared This would place
the total cost of public improvements
carried out by the organization at
s6,550,O5O, Oxley stated.
The senatorial nominee asserted
that the county bonds and certificates
of Indebtedness total l6,7l5,362. With
the county's population placed at
$4,000, this places a public debt of
$3.50 on every county resident or
$3.50 per family on an average of
five people to family.
Sanitary Probe Favored.
During his discussion of the fusion
party's platform OXley said that the
new faction strongly favors a legisla-
tive investigation of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission. He
questioned the legality of the 81 an
nual meter reading charge imposed by
the commissioners against the con-
sumers and said that the cost of
water is approximately twice as much
in Montgomery County as in Wash
ington
Joseph A. Cantrel House Of Dele
gates nominee, aSSailed the county
administration financial record and
declared that the rule of the organi-
zation has been one of waste and
extravaganza" He presented figures
purporting to show that many
branches of the county government
are operated at far greater cost than
similar departments are maintained
in the adjoining counties OF Prince
Georges and Frederick.
He asserted that the cost of operat-
ing branches of the Montgomery gov
ernment range from three to nine
times as much as that required to
carry on the same departments in
the two neighboring communities
while he said that Montgomery has
several departments that ARE not
even regarded as necessary" in those
jurisdictions.
An ESPECIALLY bltlCi dltdSh was III
rected by Cantrel against the cost Of
operating the liquor dispensary sys-
TEN. He pointed out that Wicomico
County spends only $4,000 a year for
its dispensary system, Worcester
County $4,000 per annum and the
entire State of Ohio 100000, while
Montgomery spends 5000, 900, or more
than s4 per capita.
Purchase Of Sites Hit.
The speaker roundly scored the
county officials for purchase Of q
number of public building si>es anc
declared they had been bought from