Evening star., 1938-09-07
SANITARY BOARD
IS HIT BY PUGH
Failure to Purify Streams
Laid to Commission by
Candidate.
BY JACK ALLEN.

States Attorney James H. Pugh,
who last v EEK assailed the rates and
fees Of the Washington Suburban San
itary Commission, attacked the sani-
tary body from another angle at the
Independent Democrats rally last
night in the Silver Spring Armory.
Mr.. Pugh, . candidate for the State
Senate, scored the commission for
failure to purify the Anacostia River,
Rock Creek. Little Falls Branch and
Seneca Greek, and said the deplor-
able conditions" are menacing the
health of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties and the Nations
Capital. ....
He pledged on behalf of himself
and other candidates on the Inde-
pendent ticket that remedial legisla-
ton will be enacted Immediately if
they are nominated and elected in
Montgomery's elections this fall.
The commission" Mr.. Pugh de-
clared, has been under fire for five
years. Its failure to do away with
stream pollution Is one reason there
has been SO much criticism Of the
commission"
The speaker added that the sani-
tary agency's members in an effort
to defend themselves have thought
that they are being attacked for
political purposes"
If that is true" he asked, why
have the I1aak Walton League and
several other organizations interested
in sports and civic matters complained
about the acts of commission and
omission Of the commission"
Water Rate Cut Asked.
Mr.. Pugh said the platform of the
Independent Democrats calls for leg
islative investigation of the commits
sion, for q reduction in water rates
and elimination of meter reading fees
and for the removal of the commits
sion's ofdces from Washington to
Montgomery County.
The big issue in this campaign" I"
he concluded, is whether the Is, 900
Democrats of Montgomery County are
going to select their own candidates
for ONCE or let q few professional pol
iticians select them for them. In the
Independent ticket they have the op-
portunity to choose for themselves"
He said that particular situation ap-
plies not only to the county race, but
the gubernatorial contest as well, de-
claring that Attorney General Herbert
r. OConor, Endorsed BY the Inde-
pendents, also is lighting State wide
political machine supporting Mayor
Howard w. Jackson Of Baltimore.
De Lashmutt Also Heard.
Former Judge Donald A. De Lash
mutt, chairman Of the Independent
Democrats; William Wilder Evans, can
didate for States attorney; Lauman T.
Faulconer, candidate for the House
Of Delegates: DR.. Edwin Dudley, jr.,
candidate for county commissioner
from Wheaton district, and Mrs. Bes-
sic H. Query, who aspires to a place
on the Orphans Court bench, also
spoke.
Mr. De Lashmutt urged the 'nomina.
ton Of William F. Prettyman, an un-
Inflated candidate who bears the in
dorsement OF the Independents in the
contest for the Circuit Court judge
ship.
He said that State Senator Stedman
Prescott, supported by the United
Democratic Organization for the same
position, had done nothing for the
past four years but use his ONCE as
State Senator to place himself upon
the bench"
Mr.. Evans declared that since the
organization came into power it has
done nothing but attempt to perpetuate
itself in that power. 1T has created
lots Of useless Jobs to give it more
patronage" he added.