Evening star., 1935-08-12
RICHARDS CUSTER
IN CECIL IS v0|DED
Court Finds Road Officials
Removal Political, Re-
instates Him.
BY the Associated Press.


ELKTON, Md. August 12.-The
Cecil County Circuit Court today
voided the State Roads Commission
order dismissing Democratic Joseph
T. Richards as county roads super
visor for Cecil County.
A mandatory ruling of the court,
filed here, enjoined the commission
to reinstate Richards to the post and
enjoined William M. Cameron, Re-
publican, appointed by the commits
sion to succeed Richards, from as
Stunning the duties of the Office.
The opinion followed legal battle
institut7d by the Cecil County COM
misisone. contesting the removal of
Richards by the State Roads Com
mission, a Republican body. The
hearing occupied several days of court
here.
Case Was Test Action.
The case was regarded as a test
action to determine the right of the
roads commission to dismiss Demo-
cratic roads officials of the State and
replace them with Republicans.
One of the witnesses for the roads
commission was DR.. Homer E. Tabler,
its chairman.
The opinion, filed by Judges j. Owen
Knott and Thomas J. Keating, made
this comment on Tabler's testimony:
I'm view of the chairman's (Dr.
Tabler) own frank ard honest ad-
mission, it is inescaoatle that to
considerable degree the State Roads
Commission was influenced in its de-
cision in removing Richards and re-
placing him wit Cameron by politi-
cal and partisan consideration.
Richards Held Competent.
Regarding Richards record as
roads engineer, the opinion also
stated:
when all of the testimony is taken
E. whole, there can be no escaping
the conclusion that Richards was a
competent and conscientious public
official.
1T is thereupon, this 9th day of
August, 1885, by the county commits
sioners for Cecil County, in equity,
adjudged, ordered and decreed that
the order and resolution of the State
RAIDS Commission adopted on the
5th day of June, 1885, to become eff
fective June Is, 1895, dismissing the
said Joseph T. Richards as super
visor of roads for Cecil County
County roads engineer) and re-
placing him by William M. Cameron,
be and the same is hereby declared
null and void
Reinstatement Ordered.
"And it is further adjudged, ordered
aid decreed that the said Homer e.
Tabler, c. N. Wilkinson mad Frank F.
Luthardt, constituting the State Roads
Commissi' Of Maryland, be and they
are hereby directed by mandatory in
junction to forthwith reinstate the
same Joseph T. Richards to the po-
sition of supervisor of county roads
for Cecil County.
"And it is further adjudged, ordered
and decreed that the said william M.
Cameron be and here is hereby en-
joined from assuming the duties of
the position of supervisor of county
roads for Cecil County pursuant to
the aforesaid order of the State Roads
Commission.
And, it is further adjudged, ordered
and decreed that the defendant pay
the costs"
Road Deterioration Denied.
The Roads Commission, in its de-
fense, contended that Richards was
dismissed for reasons of economy and
efficiency. It charged that he had
allowed roads machinery entrusted to
MIN to deteriorate and that the cost
OF maintenance of roads under his
regime was too high.
Attorneys for the county commits
sioners introduced witnesses who testi-
fed that the condition of the roads
under Richards supervision was bet
ter than before he took Office and
that the roads machinery was in good
shape.
The Roads Commission also offered
a number of witnesses who testified
that the roads were allowed to de-
teriorate under the Richards regime.