Evening star., 1934-05-06
CONTESTSLOOM
IN NEARBY VOTES
.Takoma Park, RiverdaIe
and Capitol Heights Await
Heavy Ballot.

Election contests in Takoma Park,
Riverdale and Capitol Heights held
the spotlight today as residents of IA
towns in Prince Georges and Mont
gomery Counties prepared to 60 to the
polls tomorrow.
Major town political battles of such
intensity that they eclipse all previous
municipal campaigns in the history OF
the three communities have been rag
ing in Riverdale. Capitol Heights and
Takoma Park for the past few weeks
and are to be settled at the polls to-
morrow.
Rivalries also have enlivened the
campaign at Hyattsville, Mount Rain
ier and Cheverly, in Prince Georges,
and at Garrett Park and Glen Echo,
in Montgomery, but in each of these
towns councilmanic contests only are
involved in tomorrow's balloting.
Mayors do not come up for election
in those three Prince Georges COM
munities this year. while the incum-
bent mayors in the Two Montgomery
towns are unopposed.
Many Campaigns Listless.
Perfunctory elections are in pros
pect at Bladensburg, Cottage City,
Seat Pleasant. Gaithersburg, Rock
vile and Somerset Although full
states of town officials are to be
chosen in the three towns, each has
only one ticket in the field.
Aggressive campaigning by the
ticket headed by Mayor Frederick l..
Lewton and the ticket led by Dr. E..
Clyde Shade and supported by the
Young Mems Democratic Club of Ia
koma Park has marked the contest at
Takoma, where a mayor and three
councilmen will be elected to serve two
years, beginning June /.
DR.. Shade is opposing Mayor Lew
ton and his ticket includes Albert w.
Harmed, Calvin W. Hassell and
Charles N Thomson. Councilmen
burne, incumbents, and Harold w
Orcutt are members of the Lewton
slate.
Stands for Home Rule.
Mayor Lewton in his platform
stands unQualifiedly for home rule
and the management of the powers
and rights of the town for its citi-
zens, without interference from out
side political organizations" and for
friendly cooperation with duly con-
stituted authorities in both Mont
gomery and Prince Georges Counties.
He and his supporters are opposed to
ANY attempt to surrender or impair
the towns charter and to legislation
having for its purpose the sale of in
toxicating liquor within the corpora
tion limits"
Candidates associated with Mayor
Lewton have declared they intend to
demand fulfllment of the Mont
gomery County authorities promise Of
1882 to purchase suitable high school
site within the town limits and to
erect by 1886 a school equal in size
and equipment to any other insti-
tuition proposed for the suburban
area of the county.
They will they say, defend the
rights and best interests of all citi-
ZenS of the town where proposed wild
ening, grading or paving of streets is
to be undertaken by agencies of the
State or county. In their platform
they also favor keeping the town free
of debt and, during the present eco
nomic situation, from borrowing of
funds to pave streets, except when
authorized by the taxpayers.
Playground Pledge Included.
Distribution of playground facili-
ties to accommodate the children of the
town and more equitable distribution
of the cost Of supporting and main
tanning the Takoma Park Volunteer
Fire Department also are included in
their platform.
DR.. Shade has pointed out that he
feels all appointive municipal offices
should be filled by local residents and
that there should be the closest CO.
partment, with the greatest possible
financial assistance in the purchase
of effective fire-fghting apparatus
and the development of its building
as a community center. He favors
permanent street improvements, pro-
visions for public Fairgrounds in the
various sections of the town and the
encouragement of the dangerous
practice of playing in public streets.
The development of Spring Park
and the adjacent tier of lots owned
by the town for the benefit of the
residents of that section is strongly
advocated by him. DR.. Shade also
has said that every possible co-opera-
ton should be extended to the au-
thorities of Prince Georges and
Montgomery Counties to provide bet
ter police protection and better
schools through the generous allot-
ment of funds from these counties
within Takoma Park" He feels that
the town funds, extracted through
taxation. should be expended in the
furtherance of the public welfares.
Riverdale Registration High
The largest registration IN the
towns history reflects the interest
Riverdale voters are taking in their
election. During three registration
days, 169 new names were placed on
the books. bringing the total number
of registered voters above the 800
mark, the highest on record here.
A feature of the contest at River
dale has been the aggressive cam
paigning by the Progressive party"
Its leaders established headquarters in
a centrally located store and arranged
an attractive window display consist
ing Of their platform. the names of
their candidates and instructions for
voters.
This original enterprise, which has
added zest to the campaign, was spon-
sored by the Progressive Campaign
Committee consisting Of Joseph T..
Harrington, B. F. Handy. Harry K.
Clare and H. D. Smith, in co-opera-
ton with the party's candidates.
The candidates, who are seeking
to oust the present administration,
are William A. Rutherford for mayor,
Montford L. Ellis, c. r. Embrey and
L. j. Poelma for the council, and j..
Albert Becker for treasurer
Incumbents seeking reelection, who
have been campaigning more quietly,
are Mayor w. A. Carson. Councilmen