Evening star., 1941-04-10
Kensington Unit
Hits Passage Of
Maryland Bills
Asks Montgomery
Group to OverruIe
Program Approval

Program Approval
The Greater Kensington Civic
League last night called upon the
Montgomery County Civic Fedora
ton to oVerrule the action of its
Executive Committee in approving
the major legislative program of the
county's delegation TO the recent
session of the Legislature.
The resolution adopted by the
league criticized the delegates for
eight bills passed at the session, in
Guiding those dealing with the
Liquor Control Board the county
attorney, the county controller and
the s120000 bond issue for voting
machines.
The league action was directed
toward letter by Carey E. Quinn,
a member of the Civic Federations
Executive and Advisory Commit
tee and chairman of the Legislation
and Legal Action Committee. writ
ten to Delegate James w. Gill,
chairman of the county delegation
in the Legislature.
Excellent Job" Cited,
The Executive Advisory Commit
tee at a meeting March %, Mr..
Quinn wrote to Mr.. Gill, commended
the county delegation for an "ex-
cellent job in the major items Of
the program. The meeting was held
before the jai alai bill was intro
duced and that bill was not under
consideration when the committee
took its action.
The civic league resolution set
forth that the action of the fedora
tlon Executive and Advisory Com
mlttee was not representative of the
federation's member organizations
and criticized features of several
bills introduced by delegation.
The league opposed features of
the bill extending the monopoly of
the Liquor Control Board because
of provisions authorizing an in
crease in the number of dispenSarles
and the amount of bonds which
could be issued to conduct the
liquor boards monopoly.
Another measure which drew the
diSapproval of the league was that
combining several part-time posts as
attorney to various officials and
boards into the job of county attor-
ney. The disapproval was the result
of failure to abolish the post of
counsel to the Liquor Control Board
and transfer those duties to the new
county attorney.
Controller Bill Criticized.
! The league criticized the bill Great.
ing the Office of county controller
because it did not make the new
official independent of the county
commissioners. Under the new bill,
an action of the controller could be
overruled by the commissioners on
advice of the county attorney.
/ Both the controller and county
attorney bills were the result OF
recommendations by the Brookings
Institution survey of the county gov
'ernment.
The bill TO authorize issuance Of
$4,000 in bonds to purchase voting
machines was opposed by the league
because 1t would increase the coun-
! tvs bonded Indebtedness at a time
when the county delegation an
nounced in favor of a pay-aS-you
go policy. The machines we're rented
Tor the general election last wear.
/ The resolution opposed the bill re-
quiring that, except for gasoline and
oil, all purchases amounting to more
than $500 in any quarter should be
| purchased by the county purchasing
agent by sealed bids, on the ground
that the $500 amount would not in
clude the normal flow of county pur-
chaSeS.
Bills Poorly Drafted"
The league also criticized the bill
which designates the politically
appointed supervisor of school
property to procure insurance and
bonds for school properties and
school employees.
The league indorsed the idea i'm
piled in the bill calling for a public
hearing on the county budget, but
did not approve it as written, claim
ing 1t does not provide adequate
time between the date of the hear
ing and the date provided by law for
formal adoption of the budget.
The resolution asked that the
delegation be criticized for its ac-
ton on these bills on the ground
they have passed poorly drafted"
bills which have not ''intelligently
and sympathetically considered and
fairly interpreted in the right direc-
ton the public viewpoint as we un-
derstand public thinking in the
county"
Members of the league Resolution
Committee are CORTLAND K. Town
send, F. E. Chase. Felix Spurney and
Washington 1. Cleveland, league
president.
Fight Jai A,ai Bill.
The group adopted a resolution
opposing the jai alai bill and asking
veto by Gov. O'Conor.
DR.. M. v. Ziegler of the United
States Health Service, who prepared
the health report for the Brookings
institutions survey. discussed his
findings and recommendations. He
emphasized the necessity for in
creasing the county health depart
ment budget from 81 cents per
capita to Sl25 to meet health prob
lens in the county.
We recommend you get a whole
health department instead of half a
department" he said.
Major health needs pointed out
by DR.. Ziegler were more adequate
inspection of restaurants and eating
} places, improvement in water supply
and sanitary conditions, lowering of
the death rate from diphtheria and
communicable diseases and a better
tuberculosis control program
DR.. V. l.. Ellicott. county health
officer, explained his department
had to "cut corners" often in the
health. program because his budget
Is insufficient to meet properly all
the county health problems.