Evening star., 1935-09-11
FUNDS ARE DENIED.
FOR ROAD BUILDING.
Montgomery to Get $55,000
for Maintenance and Moth
ina for Construction.
BY JACK ALLEN,
,ta n CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, September IL
The Board of Montgomery County
Commissioners was informed by the
State Roads Commission, meeting
here Yesterday, that no State funds
will be forthcoming for road con-
struction in Montgomery during the
new fiscal year beginning October l.
In addition, the highway body ad-
vised the board that less than one
half of the county's revenue from the
gasoline tax would be applied to road
maintenance and the remainder would
be ear-marked to retirement of por-
ton of the deficit of approximately
$250,000 now existing in Montgomery'S
road account.
Suggests Reimbursement.
DR.. H. e. Tabler, chairman Of the
highway group. so notified the board
in a letter, and further suggested that
the county reimburse the commission
in the amount of the deficit. The
board took no action on the SuggeS-
ton, however.
The communication from Dr. Tabler
was met with denunciation by Com
missioner Paul Coughlan of the pro-
cedure followed by the State in carry
ing out road work which is not author
lied by the county and charging
Montgomery for the improvement.
Coughlan, pointing to list of re-
cent jobs completed by the State, said
several roads had been improved at
a cost of approximately $4,000 each,
although the roads run through vir-
tually unpopulated areas. He branded
the work as a needless waste of funds.
S55,0O0 for Maintenance.
A financial statement accompanying
Or. Tabler's letter disclosed that only
S55.474l3 would be expended Tor
maintenance in Montgomery during
the road bodys new fiscal year, begin
ming next month, and the raminder
of Montgomery's estimated sll6,432.9 90
In receipts from the gas tax would be
applied to the deficit.
On this basis, it is figured that the
county will still owe the State Sl82,-
s5S.75 at the end of the new fiscal
year. unless steps are taken meanwhile
to retire the obligation in some other
manner. which is not expected.
The present deficit is S269, 1882,
which will be reduced to S243.8l7.54
by the end of September through the
States application of S25, SAL .38, which
DR.. Tabler estimates will be due the
county in the way of revenue and in
crements before october.
Asked 1O-Year Program.
Members of the county board con-
ferred with the State Roads Commits
sion some time ago and asked that
the latter group permit the county to
retire the deficit over a period OF 10
years, or about S24 900 year, and that
the remainder of the gas fund, about
1000. be used for maintenance work.
No answer was given the commits
sioners at the time, but yesterdays
letter is regarded as rejection OF the
proposal.
A committee from the Commercial
Milk Shippers to the District OF Co
lumbia and Montgomery County ap-
peared before the board and deplored
the "unwholesome competition now
existing" in the county.
Members of the board said that a
suitable system for scoring dairies on
their milk should be adopted when
the committee advocated such step.
Canon G. Freeland Peter of the
Washington Cathedral, who lives on
the Rockville pike, asked the commits
sionerS to reduce the taxes in the
county, declaring taxpayers should not
be burdened with a high rate during
depressed times. He urged that the
county borrow in order to reduce the
taxes, if necessary.
Road Work Endorsed.
A delegation, with Webster Beall as
spokesman, obtained the commission
ers' Endorsement of proposal to have
the State Roads Commission construct
miles of roadway to surface an un-
improved portion of the so-called Da-
mascuS- -Purdum- -LeWiSdale- HyattStown
road. The road is impossible in in
clement weather, they said. A petit
ton accompanying the request will be
forwarded to the highway commission.
Harry Miles, janitor at the court
house, who was dismissed by the new
administration, was reinstated at a
salary Of $50 a month effective next
Monday.
The board called off it's meeting for
next Tuesday due to the fact that
Frank H. Karn and Ira C. Whitacre,
president and clerk of the board, re-
spectively, will be in Chicago COM
pleting negotiations for disposal of
the county bonds recently sold to a
Chicago firm. The board, instead, will
meet on September 10.