Evening star., 1938-08-23
WALTER JOHNSON
ENTERS POLITICS.
Former Big League Pitcher
Was Last to File in
Montgomery.
BY stafI Correspondent of The Star.

BY STAFF Correspondent of The Star,
ROCKVILLE, Md, Aug. 23.-The
closing hour for filing for county Of
fees at midnight last night brought
several Withdrawals and. changes in
the various tickets and the entry of
Walter johnson, former Washington
pitching star, now q farmer living
near Germantown, into Montgomery
County politics.
Meanwhile, radical governmental re-
forms were proposed in a platform
which the independent Democrats of
Montgomery County adopted at a rally
at Washington Grove last night.
The platform pledges a fight for a
second investigation of the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission,
which was given clean bill Of health
after a State Legislature probe in
1885, and for reduction in the water
rates and water meter reading fees
OF the commission, which serves both
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
10 seek bullulng.
In addition, the faction promised
to strive for erection of building in
Montgomery to house the commissions s
offices and also to work for reorgani-
zation of the Maryland National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission to
remove any doubt as to its constitu-
tionallty. A pledge to repeal the 1887
law extending the terms of the men,
bers of the two commissions also is
embodied in the platform
Abolition of the Liquor Control
Board, the Office of the supervisor of
county aid, the Office Of attorney to
the county treasurer and the county
treasurer's power to appoint a Ger
tain number of his clerks are among
the proposed reforms
The Control Boards duties would
be transferred to the Montgomery
County commissioners. while the work
OF the aid supervisor would be carried
on by the County Welfare Board to
reduce administrative expenses.
More Police Pledged.
Pledges were made to create a larger
police force with a pension system for
retirement of policemen and to pro-
vide for an assistant superintendent
OF schools appointed by the Board of
Education to Supplant the present
supervisor of school property named
by the county commissioners. an
assistant States attorney, a central
purchasing officer to make all county
purchases over $50 and a county at
torney who would serve all county
boards and commissions.
The faction would aim for extern
sion OF the civil service system to
cover all county positions, with eff
cient employees to be blanketed in
irrespective of political Affiliations:
reorganization of the building inspec-
tors force with additional inspectors
to aid with the increasing work of
that office and law creating a
court to handle all trials now held
by justices of the peace
Reassessment of all property in the
county, development of the current
school construction program and cleo
ton Of all official boards and officials
having power and authority to bor-
row money for the county are in
cluded. The faction pointed out in
connection with school building pro-
grams that 1t favors new system
under which competitive bids would
be submitted on sites for new school
construction.
Mr.. johnson was the last to enter
the lists, filing for county commits
sioner from the second commissioners
district against three other Repub-
lican candidates already entered from
that section. After declaring he would
not enter politics several months ago,
he changed his mind and announced
his candidacy 10 minutes before the
midnight deadline. He was the Hath
candidate.
Dawson Files Late.
Another eleventh-hour candidate
was Walter w. Dawson of Rockville,
member of a family long prominent in
Montgomery politics, who filed for the
State Senate subject to the Republican
primaries. He is former member of
the House of Delegates, former chair
man of the county G. o. P. State Cen
trail Committee and former counsel to
the Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Douglas
Blandford Of Rockville, who was in
dorsed for Delegate to the Legislature
by the independent Democrats, an
nounced his withdrawal because of
illness. He was replaced by Robert
Waters of Germantown, who had filed
previously for delegate to the State
Democratic convention.
With the deadline for filing passed
the lists disclosed one full organization
Democratic ticket, one independent
Democratic ticket with a candidate
for all places except judge, clerk of the
Circuit Court and one of three Judges
Of the Orphans Court: a Republican
ticket with all places filled and con-
tests in several positions; tax reduc-
ton" Democratic ticket with three
candidates, and three candidates un-
attached to any faction but running
in the Democratic primary.