Evening star., 1942-09-18
Board Choices
Foes sofCharter,,
Gardner Asserts
Committee Head
In Montgomery Won't t
Accept Nomination

Three of the candidates nomi-
mated by the Board of Montgomery
County Commissioners for a pro-
posed charter board would, if
elected, deliberately sabotage" the
charter movement, it was charged
today by President Allen H. Gardner
OF the County Charter Committee,
who declined to accept the commits
sioners' Endorsement.
; The nomination of the three men
who already have tried to kill the
charter movement with their mis-
leading statements" he said, leaves
the public with no recourse other
than to take the matter into their
own hands" by nominating addi-
tional persons. His own name was
placed in nomination without his
advance knowledge, he said.
The County Commissioners yes
terday announced the nomination
OF five men to the proposed charter
board. They are j. Bond Smith
and Joseph A. Cantrel, publicity CO.
chairmen of the United Democratic
Organizations of the county, who
have bitterly assailed the charter
movement in an effort to defeat it;
Roger j. Whiteford, attorney, who
spoke against a proposed charter
form OF government before the con-
gress of the United Democratic Or
ganizations; o. w. Anderson, county
agricultural agent, who has made
no public commitments on the issue,
and Mr.. Gardner.
Committee Heads Statement.
Mr.. Gardner's statement declared:
The commissioners nomination
OF candidates for the charter board
Is an act of hypocrisy true to the
best traditions of professional poll
ticians. Three of the nominees, Mr..
Cantrel, Mr.. Smith and Mr.. White
ford, already have tried to kill the
charter movement with misleading
statements. The first two are office
holders and the third has from time
to time received compensation from
the county for legal services and
may not, therefore, be entirely dis
interested. No amount of profess
sinai ability on their part will COM
pensate for what will be, If they ac-
lcept the nomination, demonstrated
insincerity. If they are elected as
three members of the Charter Board
of five, the public will doubtless
witness the open, deliberate sabo-
tage of the charter movement.
Their nomination of me is. of
course, trick to confuse the voters
and perhaps to discredit me. I feel
very strongly that. as the head of
the Montgomery County Charter
Committee, should not be a candi-
date for the Charter Board. There
fore, ! am refusing the nomination
and ! am so notifying the commits
sioners who never consulted me in
using my name.
People Told to Act.
"The Maryland constitution wisely
provides that the voters may by petit
tion make nominations to the
charter board. Since in general
these nominations have been made
to render the charter board i'm
potent, there is nothing left for the
people to do but take the matter
into their own hands. The Charter
Committee will. therefore, at an
early date secure the signatures of
1000 voters to a petition nominat-
ing additional persons who have
ability and who have demonstrated
their faith that the county govern
ment can be improved through the
charter procedure.
The names of the nominees will
60 on the ballots in the general
election November 8 If the petitions
for a referendum on the question
OF naming a charter board are found
to be in order. The petitions, con-
tanning nearly 5000 names, were
filed Tuesday.