Evening star., 1940-11-12
County Federation
Urges Economy in
School Construction
Estimated Cost of
Richard Montgomery High
Criticized as Excessive

The Montgomery County Civic
Federation adopted legislative
program and urged a policy of eco
nomy in school construction at its
meeting in the Bethesda Elementary
School last night.
The economy recommendation
offered by D. M. Collins, chairman
of the School Committee, was di-
rected primarily at the proposed
Richard Montgomery High School
in Rockville to replace the old
building destroyed by fire last spring.
Reports of estimates on the con-
ST. uction cost ranged as high as
100000, which Mr.. Collins declared
was excessive particularly in rela-
ton to the county building program
for the next two years.
His resolution urging the Board of
Education TO exercise the "StricteSt
economy in meeting requirements
for the Rockville school. in view of
the high county bonded indebted
ness, the rising building costs and
the needs of the national defense
program, was adopted with an
amendment providing that the pro-
posed structure be no more elaborate
than present buildings in Bethesda
or Silver Spring.
Would Change Expense Allowances.
The legislative program adopted
included the following six points:
To seek repeal of the special law
relating to expense allowances for
members Of the Board of Educa-
ton: to amend the State motor
vehicle code to authorize parking
CATS without lights on certain
streets; to indorse the uniform
motor vehicle code and seek its
adoption by the Legislature: to ap-
point a supervisor of school prop
erty: to seek remedial legislation
on the income tax law and to estab-
lish park districts.
Six other points were placed on a
special docket pending release OF
the Brookings Institution survey of
lIlc SCuIllN SONC1 III AL
cluded abolition of the county liquor
control board, provision for coun-
ty controller and a county purchas-
ing department, a revised civil serv-
ice system, election of School Board
members and a new police civil
service law.
The federation went on record in
favor of establishment of connect
ing parkway between the George
Washington Memorial parkway and
the Rock Greek parkway, using the
Little Falls Branch and Willett
Branch and the general route ap-
proved by the Observation-Disclosures
Capital Park and Planning Com
/ mission and the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
Asks Reassessment Booklets.
An emergency resolution offered
by Stephen James, for the Execu-
tive Advisory Committee, recon-
mended that the entire list of prop
| critics in the county be published in
| booklet form with the new values
set in the recent general reassess-
ment. Under the law providing for
the reassessment, not more than
$500 may be spent for publication
of assessment lists.
Two measures referred by the
Interfederation Conference through
the federation delegate, Washington
I. Cleveland, were approved by the
federation. One provided for re-
establishment of the District testing
laboratory for construction ma
terials, and the other favored widen
ing of Massachusetts, avenue be-
tween the new Rock Greek Bridge
and Wisconsin avenue from ~ to 60
feet instead of from 40 to AZ feet,
as called for in present plans, ac-
cording to Mr.. Cleveland.