Evening star., 1941-06-17
Protest Slash
In Montgomery
Health Fund
Spokesman for 81
Civic Organizations
Ask s7S,O10
By staff Correspondent of The Star.

By staff Correspondent OF The star.
ROCKVILLE. Md, June IL
Representatives of 81 civic organ
izations in Montgomery County Md.
last night asked the county commits
sioners to restore nearly $4,000 cut
from the estimated health depart
ment budget for 1912, at public
hearing on the proposed total budget
of s3,399 451.
The county health department
originally submitted figure OF
S78.010 as its estimated 1912 eX-
penditure. County Auditor AleXan-
der K. Hancock pruned this figure by
SAL $50 to $36030.
Appearing in opposition to the
reduction were Montgomery County
Taxpayers Association members,
Adolf Raffa. A. M. Moran and Will
liam J. Duiker. along with Mrs.
Milford Zimmerman of the League
of Women Voters; Mrs. William
Dali of the tuberculosis Association,
, Herbert Eaton Of the Civic Fedora
tion and Stephen James. represent
ing all 50 groups opposed to health
department economies.
$4,000 Hardly Adequate"
Mr.. James told the commissioners
he felt the $4,000 request of the
department was hardly adequate
and asked renewed consideration
of the budget request. (At the close
of the current year it is estimated
the health department will have ex-
pended S26,800) He said there were
$500 cases of syphilis in the county,
adding that these sources of infec-
ton could only be cleaned out by
spending the necessary money.
The school estimate had been
pruned to S979.752 from the original
request Of S1O17.752 by School Supt.
Edwin w. Broome. Next to the
largest single item in the county
budget plan Mr.. Broome's estimate
amounted to Sl19,996 more than the
S897,756 expended for education in
the county this year.
Coupled with Auditor Hancock's
school figure is request for s317,550
for the school construction account.
The requested construction fund
would be used to pay for the first
half of the proposed tWo-year school
construction program.
Sees No Defense Aid.
Asked by Mr.. Raffa if Federal
funds were available for aid to
school programs in counties and
municipalities because of the ma
tional defense program, Mr.. Broome
said his department had investi-
gated-t4rat possibility and found
there was no chance of Montgomery
County receiving such assistance.
Favoring uniform budget economy
was Capt C. E. Parsons, chairman I
of the Finance Committee of the (.
Civic Federation, who declared the .
rise in the county testi- /
mated at per cent for the next .
year, warranted no increase in
school expenditures.
The commissioners must approve .
a budget before July l, and will .
meet to pass a final draft during .
the last week of the month. The .
tentative budget now stands s531,- /
35l OF more than the budget for the |
current year.
Bonds and Interest Largest.
Largest items on the budget, |
which receives demands from more
than so departments and sources, |
in the form submitted to the COM
last week by the auditor,
are: Bonds and interest, S1,140 497; |
charity and medical relief, s57535:
police department, s19l $40; Welfare
Board, S72,153; contingent fund,
s25,437 item sliced from $4,000
reques0; engineering
S25.375; inSolvencies, |
s25 900, and treasurer and assistants,
s24 400.
Mr.. Hancock's figures estimated /.
county revenue for 1912 would /.
be S2,513.3O3, and anticipated
grand total in budget receipts of
So ,399, ,45167. He told the commits
sionerS he had taken into consid-
Grafton the policies of the board in
the capital outlay for
schools and the Poolesville-Whites
Ferry road out of revenues. He
said he had also considered the
commissioners desires to reduce by
approximately 100000 each year
the net outstanding debt of the
county.
Board Chairman Thomas E.
thanked the gathering
of more than $50 persons who at
tended the hearing, second in the
history of Montgomery County, for
their cooperation and criticisms.
For the next two weeks the
county executives will consider the
heads estimates, the
adjustments of the county ac-
countant and the suggestions of
the citizenry before adopting final