Evening star., 1940-03-29
Mass Meeting Votes
Against $4,000
Parkway Project
Montgomery Toxpoyers
Discuss Means of
County Economy

About 300 Montgomery County
residents, at an open meeting spon-
sored by the County Taxpayers AS
sociation in the Rockville Court
house, last night voted to go on rec
ord against expenditure of $4,000
for construction of parkway from
North Chevy Chase to Kensington.
Many opinions on how to effect
economy in county government
were expressed in scheduled talks
and from the floor during a three
hour session at which Washington
I. Cleveland, chairman of an Emer-
gency Arrangements Committee,
presided. All four Democratic COM
missioners were present.
How the proposed economics, which
Mr.. Cleveland said would be placed
formally before the Board of Com
missioners soon. can be effected even
should the board members wish to do
so, was problem Board President
Thomas E. Hampton said the park
way bonds had been sold Tuesday
They run for 20 years and are re-
callable serially during that period,
and cannot be used for any other
purpose, but would draw interest
whether the money were spent or
kept in the bank on deposit.
Mrs. Jane Howell. secretary of
the association. said today that
Curtis Ireland. president, was send
ing kilograms to about so civic,
businessmen's and women's groups
in an effort to rally support of the
associations opposition to the ex-
penditure. Mrs. Howell said the
messages asked the groups to ex-
press their sentiment to the Board
OF Commissioners.
William A. Rogers, president, and
Alfred D. Noyes, member of the
Kensington Chamber of Commerce,
defended the bond issue, declaring
1t was necessary for development of
the area and would eliminate the
present narrow road and bridge over
Rock Creek.
Mr.. Cleveland, who also is presi-
dent of the Greater Kensington
Civic League, explained that the OBJ
lection was not to the road, but to
financing it with bonds rather than
from gasoline tax receipts. The mo-
ton was offered by Mrs. Robert F.
Grlggs of Chevy Chase, who sug-
gested the money be used for retir-
ing outstanding obligations; Sec
onded by James A. Cosgrove, Chevy
Chase Gardens, and carried by q
large majority.
Mr.. Cleveland recommended to
the commissioners that the budget
for 1912 be distributed far enough
in advance to permit discussion by
groups throughout the county.
Mr.. Hampton said the County
Board always had granted a hearing
to any county group which sought
one, and would continue that policy
The board this year had held a hear
ing on the budget for the first time
IN the county's history, he said, but
because of the general reassessment
which delayed setting the taxable
base until last week, and the change
in the law requiring the levy to be
signed by April l instead of July
as in the past, only a week was
available for the hearing. The
board had been unable to comply
with Mr. Cleveland's request to hold
the hearing last night, on advice
from County Accountant Alexander
K. Hancock that after Tuesday it
would be impossible to make any
changes in the budget and prepare
1t for signing by Saturday, he said.
Called on by a spectator in the
audience, Commissioner John E.
Oxley, minority Democrat on the
board. promised he would continue
his efforts to bring economical ad-
ministration in the county, and de-
clared that he resented implications
by any one that his actions in board
meetings had political motive.
Other speakers were A. L. Rata,
Huntington Terrace; John S. Lar
combe, Washington Grove; Carson
w. Pope, Gaithersburg; G. E. Par
sons. Chevy Chase; Harold Haines,
Silver Spring, and Henry Saunders,
Bethesda. ..-.