Evening star., 1942-06-23
FarnnBoy Labor
P| an Gets Trial
In Montgomery
$50 Leave Today
For County Camps
On Weeks Work

Approximately $50 high school
boys from the District and nearby
areas today were assured of at least
weeks work on Montgomery
County farms today as a result Of
the decision of the County Aeri-
cultural War Board to open four
labor camps" to house the youths.
The boys are scheduled to report
by 3 o'clock this afternoon at tie
Maryland State Employment Ofnce
in Silver Spring and will be taken
to the camps, located in four county
high schools, in school buses.
The Agricultural War Boards ac-
ton was taken amid bitter criti-
clsm OF the county commissioners,
who yesterday approved the appro-
priation of an amount not to eX-
ceed 5000 to defray expenses of the
program through June 80. The
question of an additional appro-
priation will be considered at their
regular meeting next Tuesday.
Works Starts Tomorrow.
Commissioners Robert w. Farmer,
Odorion w. Roby. Walter johnson
and Thomas E. Hampton voted for
the appropriation. with Commits
sioner John Oxley not voting. Both
the commissioners and the war
board met in executive session.
while We feel that we can hardly
prove the worth of the program IN
such short time" County Agent o.
w. Anderson declared, I'VE are going
to open the camps because We owe
the boys as we'll as the farmers an
obligation"
Most of the farms on which the
boys will work are already lined
up" Mr.. Anderson said. and the
youths will start work tomorrow.
Board members commented that
IF the Commissioners really wanted
this program to 60 through, they
would have appropriated sufficient
funds to carry it through the sum-
mer months"
Organizing Held Need.
1t also was pointed out that at
least a week should be devoted to
organizing the camps and "orien-
tating' the boys.
Mr.. Anderson had presented
budget to the Commissioners call
ing for an appropriation of s496O for
the four camps for a 1O-week period.
The estimated weekly expenses at
each camp totaled sl24.
The camps" will be set up at the
Poolesville. Gaithersburg. Damascus
and Sherwood High Schools. Direc-
tors of the camps will be Herbert
Price. Poolesville: Abel Norris.
Gaithersburg; Albert Warthon. Da-
mascus, and Owen Knight, Sher-
wood. Each director will receive s25
a week.
The remainder of the weekly ex-
penses at each school was estimated
as follows: An assistant director.
SIS: a cafeteria manager, S25:
cafeteria helper, $40; bus driver, sl4:
bus operation allowance. SIS, and
contingent allowance, $50.
Replies to Critics.
In reply to criticism mat approval
of the program meant that the COM
missioners would be subsidizing one
class of citizens, Mr. Anderson said:
You might just as we'll say that
the civilian defense appropriations
are subsidizing one group of citizens.
This farm program is tied up di-
rectly with the war effort and does
not affect only one class"
Joseph A. Cantrel, counsel to the
commissioners, agreed with Mr.. An
derson that the program was part CT
the Nations war effort and that an
appropriation would be legal
At last weeks meeting of the
commissioners Mr.. Cantrel recon-
mended against an appropriation of
public funds, taking the view that
the money would be used to the
benefit of one group-the farmers.