Evening star., 1941-03-16
BY BEN H. PEARSE.

Dy 1A<AN IfAANSGs
Radical changes in Montgomery
Countys governmental setup, in
cluding county manager plan and
a county civil service system, are
included in the Brookings Institu-
tion Survey, released yesterday
High on the list of innovations
proposed was one to provide for
non-partisan elections, with nomi-
nations for elective Office by petition
instead of the traditional party
machinery.
The result of nearly two and q
half years Of study, the 700-page re-
port recommended sweeping changes
in administrative" procedure and
abolition of a dozen or more boards,
departments and individual posts,
including the Montgomery County
, Liquor Control Board.
Population Growth Cited.
Covering the county's govern
mental machinery from the Board
of County Commissioners to the
smallest county Office, the report,
prepared by a staff headed by DR..
Lewis Merriam. chief of the institu-
tion's political economy division
pointed to the growing population
as the reason the changes are need
ed and to increasing wealth as
means of installing a modern gov
ernmental setup designed to provide
necessary public services.
In addition to outlining score
or more major changes, the report
makes suggestions for bringing them
about within provisions of the
Home Rule Charter of the Maryland
Constitution.
However, no charter was drafted
by the institution staff, that task
being left for a committee to be
named for the purpose to work with
existing government agencies and
civic and community groups through
out the county.
On the subject of county finances,
the report states that the figures
for the county debt of more than
$4,000, 900 show neither the green
light of safety nor the red light
of danger" but rather the amber
light of caution"
County's Income Source Stable.
Capacity to pay debts and inter-
est, the report observes, depends not
only on assessed valuation of real
property, but on the wealth and
particularly the income of the resi-
dents, which in Montgomery County
is relatively high.
The county's main source of in
come is Government employment,
or performing services for those
who are employed in the Govern
ment, a source which has shown
greater stability over a period of
years than most others, the report
says.
DR.. Merriam explained many rec
concentrations might be too radical
to permit being put into effect at
once, or even in the immediate fu-
ture. The report, he explained, was
intended as comprehensive survey
OF the county,s affairs as they af-
fected the taxpayers, and as an out
line OF model" governmental
setup toward which county residents
might work.
One important change suggested
was for a county controller, who
would perform not only the func-
tions of the existing county ac-
countant, but would pre-audit all
expenditures and approve them in
accordance with county Ordinances
establishing procedure.
Health Needs Discussed.
The chapter on the County Healt,
Department was compiled bv the
United States Public Health Service
at the request of the institution
which had no one on it's staff quail
neo Tor the specialized job, the re-
port explained. The recommended
tons were for additional services
and personnel which would approxi-
mately double the present budget
appropriation of about $50, 900 a year.
Most of the proposed additions
were contained in a report issued
several months ago by DR.. v. L.
Elllcott, county health officer, now
being discussed by various county
organizations.
No attempt was made to evaluate
the technical staff of the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission
as apparently none was necessary,
the report stated. The internal af-
fairs are probebly efficiently man
aged, but the commission neyerthe-
less is not popular agency, the
report declares.
Efforts to gain the support of the
residents served by the commission
were recommended and the sugges-
tion was made that financial reports
should contain more detailed infor-
nation to acquaint householders
with the financial operations of the
agency. The report commented that
the policy of levying sewage and
water charges on individual users
tended to place greater burden
on small home owners than on large
land owners, some of them holding
property for speculative purposes.
Legal Adviser Proposed.
A county legal adviser was pro-
posed, who with one assistant would
carry out the duties of the present
counsel to the County Board, the
attorney to the county treasurer,
counsel to. the Board of Election
Supervisors, the Liquor Control
Board, Board of Education and
Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, all of
whom serve the county on a part
time basis.
The Liquor Control Board would
be abolished under the proposed
system and it's functions transferred
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