Evening star., 1935-11-04
SCH00LPR0CRAM
LEFT UNCERTAIN
Federation Leaders Say
, Montgomery Will Accept
Allotment.
" . Stan CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

~ . Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, November A.
Montgomery Countys $794,000 school
construction program was still mat
ter OF speculation today.
While leaders of the county civic
federation who conferred with the
county commissioners on the project
yesterday predicted favorable action.
there was no assurance from board
members that the P. w. A. allotment
for school construction in the county
would be accepted.
Tax Offset Is Hope.
The only official action of the
county heads after yesterdays confer
ence was to promise to accept the
allotment on the condition that State
Senator Stedman Prescott would spon-
sor legislation authorizing a general
readjustment of real property assess
ments in the hope of offsetting an in
crease In the tax rate through rise
in the valuations.
Viewing this maneuver as an at
tempt to pass the buck" to him, Sem
ator Prescott replied that the COM
missioners and not he must take the
direct responsibility for providing ade-
quate county schools.
Frank H. Karn, president of the
County Board called on Senator
Prescott in letter written after the
conference with the civic federation
heads yesterday to authorize the re-
assessment legislation.
Reply of Prescott.
In his reply Prescott said:
"I am in receipt of your letter
stating you have agreed to accept the
pending school loan and grant from
the Federal Government providing
you can receive my assurance to ap-
prove legislation giving you authority
to equalize assessments.
Naturally 1 was somewhat sur
prised for several reasons. First to
have your letter dealing with such an
important matter and one in which
the people are so vitally interested,
handed to me Sunday night with the
request that you receive reply by
noon on Tuesday. You have had
about seven months since making
your request to the Federal Govern
ment to consider this matter clearly
shows this mere after thought or an
attempt to manufacture an excuse for
not accepting the responsibility as
county commissioners, of either going
through with this program or reject
ing it.
'As a matter of fact am informed
that although the time expires to-
morrow for you to accept same no
formal action has been taken by you
and it was only at the instigation of
certain public spirited citizens that
you are now considering the subject.
View at Last Session.
"You will also recall that during the
last session of the Legislature you
wrote me asking the Legislature
authorizing these schools without
making it contingent upon any addi-
tional legislation. Your request was
complied with, and then about April
Of this year you requested this loan
and grant from the Federal Govern
ment. and now that the Government
with your request you place yourselves
in the rather absurd position OF saying
we are considering whether to accept
1t or not Surely men who occupy
the responsible position of county COM
missioners would not deal facetiously
with the Federal Government, and the
request of the loan Of nearly ST, 1,000,000
and an increase in the county'S bonded
Indebtedness after you had SO severely
criticized others for building schools
should certainly only been made after
most sober thought and mature de-
liberation.
What has occurred since your re-
Quest to the Federal Government to
make you change your mind, or was
It made as mere gesture with the
hope that 1t would be rejected?
Position Unchanged.
NV position now is the same as
Il always has been, stand firmly Tor
the equalization of all assessments. I
believe in fairness to all and parti-
Atty toward none. Quite naturally
the thought behind this request Is that
there would be an increase caused IN
the assessible basis of the county and
this would assist in carrying the loan.
Since taking Office the records dis
close you have reduced the assessments
of Jesse w. and Mollie Nicholson in
Chevy Chase from s17,850 to 4,485,
that Of Nettie I. Moore, unimproved
property in lower county, from $4,000
to $20,010, a 80 1-3 per cent reduc-
ton, and the Peoples Liquidating
Corp, a farm in the upper end of the
county, from S7,700 to $4,000.
These are taken from your various
reductions all over the county for the
purpose Of illustration. If you in
tend to continue these reductions, and
If they be justified, and were not
made to repay political friendships, it
is difficult to perceive why you expect
the increase. OF course. you mention
no inequalities that you intend to
correct, but you must have given this
matter sufficient thought to have
evolved a definite plan as to how it
Is to be effected and to have tenta-
lively framed the legislation you desire.
IF you will be kind enough to fur
nish me with copy of the same,
shall be glad to inform you whether or
= not I can support it and the reasons
therefore.
The people should know that any,
one who feels his assessment is too
high has a right to petition you for a
reduction and under the present law
you have a right to make it.
Views in Accord.
I'm order that there may be no mis-
understanding I would like to state
that the views of Commissioners Rob-
ert D. Hagner and Richard H. Lans-
dale and myself are in entire accord
on this subject.
In closing, let US hope that the
present high standing of our school
system, for which some Of us worked
SO hard in bringing it from near the
bottom to first place in the State Of