The Washington times., 1934-10-31
FUSION LEADER
FLAYS WASTE
IN COUNTY
BY LOUIS E. WHYTE

While FusionistS last night
were accusing the Democratic
administration in Montgomery
county of making extravagant
and unwise expenditures, a Demo
cratic spokesman revealed what
he said has become almost an
open split between Fusion heads
over leadership OF that party.
The Fusion accusations were
made at a rally at Bethesda hy
John E. Oxley, Fusion candidate
for State Senator, who declared
that the people of Montgomery
county have not been given their
moneys worth for the amount OF
money that is being expended.
Explains Shortage
Previously he had asserted
that there was a shortage IN the
county funds, and last night he
explained that what he meant
was not that any one member OF
the Democratic administration
had taken the money, but that
the administration had spent
about $6,000,000 for roads which
could have been constructed, II
economic methods had been used,
for less than $3,000,0o0.
He declared also that during
the past is years of Democratic
rule the county's expenditures
have been made from approx
m-tely $15,00O,000 of revenues
from taxes and $16,000,000 Of bond
issues. This, he said, shows that
nearly every year the county has
spent a million dollars in revenues
from taxes and a million from
bond issue money, placing the
county practically an additional
million dollars in debt each year.
At the same time, at a Demo
cratic rally in Silver Spring, Sted-
man Prescott, Democratic candi.
date for the State senate, criti'
cized the Fusion group for not
being able to agree among them
selves, using as a basis what he
characterized as a well-founded
rumor to the effect that an almost
open break has occurred among
Fusion leaders.
Three Accuse Three
According to Mr.. Prescott's un.
derstanding, three of the Fusion
party leaders - Edward Peter.
Vivian Simpson and Walter K.
Bachrach-are being accused by
three other leaders of that party
John Oxley, Charles C. Jones
and Will Aud-of seeking to take
over entire control of the party
and shove the others out.
Mr.. Prescott pointed to the sug-
gestion that the Oxley-Jones-
Aud faction, who are supposed to
have carried on fight in the
up-county section for the nomi
nation of DR.. Charles H. Conley
as the Democratic candidate for
governor, became resentful at
what they claimed was the lack
of activity in the lower part of
the county on the part of the
MISREPRESENTATION group in
behalf of DR.. Conley.
Breach Became Wider
From that time on, Mr.. Pres
colt said he understood, the
breach between the two factions
has become continually more
definite, with the Oxley-Jones-Aud
group charging the others with
seeking to take over entire con-
troll of the party. Mr.. Prescott
said:
"Bachrach is extremely in
tereSted in land development in
the county and hoped to place
his personal attorneys, Peter
and Simpson, in the position
rs attorneys for the county
commissioners, If the FuSiOnists
we're elected, so that the attOr-
neys could manipulate the func-
tiOns of the commissioners to
his advantage.
"If the sO-calIed Fusion
party cannot keep itself free
from disSensiOns of this sort now
it is a certainty that, If elected,
the leaders would use their pO-
litical offices for personal gain"
0nAn -Ua ...