Evening star., 1940-06-11
Lee Of Montgomery
Federation Awarded
Stars Annual CUP
Tax Studies Are Cited;
KiIe and Other
Officers Reelected

The Montgomery County Civic
Federation last night reelected
President o. Merton Kile and the
entire slate of incumbent officers
and awarded The Evening Star Cup
for outstanding public service in
county civic affairs to Frederick P.
Lee, former president and chair
man of the Committee on Public
Finance and Budget
Mr.. Kile was reelected by accla-
nation as were Joseph B. Matre,
vice president; w. Scott Macsiu.
recording secretary: F. o. Smith,
corresponding secretary, and Will
liam B. Horne. treasurer. Four new
Executive Committee members
named were Raymond B. Leavitt,
Westmoreland Hills: Dr. F. L. Lew
ton. Takoma Park; Theodore G.
Parkman- Hillandale, and G. Rust
Candy. Montgomery County Farm
Bureau.
All nominations were submitted
by the Nominating Committee, none
coming from the floor. The noml-
nation of Mr.. Lee for The Evening
Star Cup award, presented annually
for outstanding civic service. was
made by the Executive Committee
and also was accepted by acclama-
ton. The award was made for his
work on various reports on fiscal
affairs of the county during the
last year, including an extensive
study of the countys financial con-
dition as result of the general
reassessment completed last jan
uary. The cup will be presented at
the annual federation banquet at
the Manor Club, near Norbeck
Thursday night.
State Tax Action Asked.
The federation at its last busi-
ness meeting before the summer
recess adopted a report by the
Committee on Legislation and Legal
Action, submitted by Richard B.
Barker, urging Gov. O'Conor to ap-
point a commission to study the
State tax structure with view to
enacting revised income tax law
at the 1941 session of the Legisla-
ture, which would remove inequall-
ties and simplify it's administration.
In his annual presidential report,
Mr.. Kile stressed the Importance
of the federation as stronghold
of democratic principles.
so long as citizens can and do
get together in organized, repre-
sentative groups throughout the
Nation, to speak their views freely
and to follow up with action" he
declared, that Nation is not likely
to lose it's democratic form Of gov
ernment
But there never was a time.
certainly never within the lives of
those present, when the democratic
principle of government was in
greater danger. What is happening
in Europe cannot fail to have its
effect here. 1t Is more important
than ever that we nurture and de-
velop and try to multiply organiza-
tions of the type of the Montgomery
County Civic Federation"
Praises Lees Work.
Mr.. Kile reviewed the accom-
plishments of the federation in
striving for enforcement of zoning
laws and in focusing attention on
county finances during the first
general reaSsessment in more than
decade. He praised the work of
Mr.. Lee, stating that his "series of
brilliant analyses and reports on
county tax matters, as we'll as the
monthly month follow-up on the
progress of the reassessment and
the final recommendations of the
committee and the federation to the
Board of County Commissioners
stand as a record of an important
job well done"
Reporting on an investigation of
the county welfare agencies, Ray
mond B. Leavitt, chairman of the
Social Welfare Committee, told the
delegates that there was little
likelihood of decrease in the ex-
penses of county welfare work" !"
and that there was more probable
ity of an increase than a decrease" :"
The committee suggested certain
economies, including the consolida-
ton of the work of the supervisor
Of county aid with the ONCE Of the
County welfare Board.