Evening star., 1934-12-23
Civic Leaders Push Pro-
posaI of Change Looking /
to Improvements.
HEIGHTS RESIDENTS
AGAINST UNITING TOWNS
Home and School Committee to
Consider Problem Further at
Meeting This Week.
a Stan CORRESPONDENT of The Star

by Stau correspondent OF The Star.
COLLEGE PARK, Md, December
22.-College Park may soon become
Prince Georges County's twentieth in
corporated town-or its first special
taxing area.
Local civic leaders disclosed today
that they are pushing plans to form
one or the other, despite the fact that
they have been forced to abandon the
idea Of including larger area in the
proposed municipality which would be
known as University City"
The University City proposal has
been discarded, for the present at
least, because residents of College
Heights do not look upon it favorably.
It contemplated the amalgamation of
several communities, the principal
units being College Park, College
Heights and University Park.
Geographical Difficulty.
As College Heights lies in the CEN
ter Of the territory 1t would be i'm
possible to include the other two 10
calities-College Park and University
Park-in one incorporation. The atti-
tude Of the people of the latter COM
munity regarding incorporation is still
undetermined, according to DR.. T. B.
Symons, director of the extension
service Of the University of Maryland.
1t was at a conference of the rep
resentatives of the three towns in his
office yesterday that College Heights
residents announced their definite de-
cision not to become part of uni
versity City" Many persons have
moved into that community to get
out Of incorporated towns, they said.
Plans for the incorporation of Col
lege Park are to be discussed further
this week by committee of the Col
lege Park Home and School Associa-
tion. composed Of DR.. Symons, DR.. H.
j. Patterson, director of the Univer-
sity of Maryland's Experiment Sta
tion. and DR.. H. B. Mcdonnell, a
member Of the university faculty.
Should the association decide in
favor of incorporation or the forma-
ton Of q special taxing area, the Leg
islature would be asked to pass an
enabling act authorizing q referen-
dunn to permit citizens Of the COM
munity involved to register their
sentiments.
Data compiled by w. Paul Walker,
another member Of the university's
staff, show that, should College Park
incorporate. the area involved in the
"city limits" would have an assessed
value Of about $1,300,000 and rank
seventh in this respect among the
county's incorporated towns.
Advantages Are Detailed.
Advantages Of an incorporated town
over special taxing area are detailed
by Prof. Walker as follows:
/. Greater powers rest In the hands
Of local authorities in dealing with
and controlling conditions affecting
the life and property Of its citizens.
2. Greater prestige in bringing
about desirable legislation for the
benefit of its citizens.
3. Powers and activities are not
subject to approval of some other gov
erning body, such as the county COM
missioners, but are limited by such
laws as regulate the incorporated unit.
The following suggested advantages
Of special taxing area over an in
corporated town are listed by Prof.
Walker:
/. Better service and community in
terest on the part Of the members Of
the governing committee, and greater
interest and responsibility on the part
Of all citizens.
2. Possible to keep down the general
overhead cost and to prevent too
great and unnecessary expansion of
functions.