Evening star., 1937-02-10
ROAD DEBTS BILL "
BEING PREPARED
Move to Free 3 Counties Of
Indebtedness Mapped
by Legislators.
BY JACK ALLEN,
Stan Correspondent OF The star.


ANNAPOLIS, Md. February 1o.-A
plan to force $3.50 settlement be-
tween the State Roads Commission
and three counties whose lateral road
maintenance accounts are lin the red"
was being formulated in legislative
halls today.
The arrangement would compel the
highway department to wipe out the
Indebtedness of the counties-Mont-
gomery, Calvert and Kent-on pay
ment by the counties of so per cent
Of their debts.
1t would likewise authorize and
direct" the counties TO issue bonds
in a sufficient amount to meet that
portion OF the obligation.
Senator Stedman Prescott of Mont
gomery said bill providing for such
a retirement Of the overdrafts-which
have been the subject Of bitter con-
troVersles for more than two years-is
being prepared for introduction in the
upper branch of the State Assembly.
| He pointed out the highway body
voluntarily accepted similar settle
ment of an overdraft in Allegany
County's lateral road account some
time ago.
Majority Seen Favoring Plan.
Working with Senator Prescott are
Senators James B. Latimer of Calvert
! County and Arthur H. Brice of Kent.
A majority of Senate members are
said to be lined up behind the plan.
An effort also is being made to en-.
list the cooperation and support Of
Gov. Harry w. Nice.
The actual indebtedness OF the
three counties at present is not known
here. Prescott said he had been striv-
ing for days to ascertain the true
| amount of the obliga tons, but has
been unable to secure the information
he desires from the State Roads Com.
mission.
Il have been able to obtain only
estimates as of various dates during
the fiscal year." he declared. "All ef.
forts to determine the current in.
debtedness have been unavailing. We
will get them, however, in time to in
clude them in our bill"
The situation Prescott and his COL
| leagues seek to remedy is an outgrowth
OF the new system under which the
State maintains lateral-or secondary
roads and charges the costs of the
work against the counties share Of
gasoline tax receipts.
State Upkeep Began in 1888.
Upkeep by the State began in 1888
after legislative enactment. Shortly
more than two years later a number
Of counties were declared to be "over-
drawn or in the red" in their lateral
road accounts. Maintenance was cur.
tailed sharply and for time was dis.
continued altogether in some counties,
Montgomery included
Bitter controversies sprung UP.
| County heads charged the Highway
Department had plunged them into
debt by carrying out work which the
counties did not authorize. Counter
charges few thick and fast, but noth-
ing materialized.
BY curtailing maintenance and ap.
plying major portion of gas tax
| proceeds to debt retirement, the State
/ uldIdscQ IO SdIlSIy CldunS against sew
eral counties. Other counties raised
funds to wipe out their debt and thus
continue upkeep of their secondary
road systems.
Now only Montgomery, Calvert and
Kent appear in the red with the
highway body.
In the case Of Montgomery, the
county and the State have never been
able to reach satisfactory agreement
regarding settlement of the debt. The
county has vigorously contested the
States claim and charges the debt
is the result of unauthorized work
done by the roads body.
Auditors employed by the county
now are at work on the State Roads
Commissions books and are said to
have found several errors in the coun-
tvs favor At last reports the over-
extraordinarily set at approximate
ly s250,000-was held to be in the
neighborhood of $780, 900.