Evening star., 1942-10-29
Lee and Bond Disagree
On Limit on Council
In Charter Setup
Board Candidates Offer
Views on Claim 1t Could
Work Only Month q Year

Frederic P. Lee and j. Bono
Smith, opposing candidates for g
proposed charter board to draft a
new form of government for Mont
gomery County, today were at odds
as to whether activities of county
council under a charter system
would be limited to one month o1
each year.
At the time Mr.. Smith was
speaking on one radio station last
night, Mrs. Frank r. Garfield
chairman of a special government
committee of the County League
of Women Voters, organized along
non-partisan lines, spoke on an
other telling why the league IA
vored election of a charter board
to study changes in government
which would be acted on next year.
Mr.. Lee denied in a statement
earlier that the proposed local gov
erning body a county council
would be limited to one month a
year for its actions.
Such limitation by the Maryland
constitution on county council
would apply only to its legislative
actions and not to its regulatory
powers over zoning, health, traffic
civilian defense and other functions
now performed by the Board OF
County Commissioners throughout
the year, he said.
Assails Argument.
Mr.. Lee replied to a statement
made earlier this week by Alfred
Bettman, well-known zoning anc
planning authority of Cincinnati
who indicated that the county woulc
have no governing agency for II
months out of each year, under the
proposed new system.
The question of whether a charter
board shall be established to draft {
proposed new plan of government tt
be finally acted on by voters in 1914
will be decided at the polls Tuesday
in a referendum held in connection
with the general election.
Mr.. Lee, who is an attorney, haI
this to say of the proposed new gov.
ernmental setup:
THE organization spokesmen have
now taken refuge in the argumen
that under any form of charter
Montgomery County could not adop
health, traffic, blackout, police, zon'
ing or other regulations except dur
ing one month year and that there
fore the county could not function
during the other II months a year
The Maryland constitution does no
bring about any such result.
The position of the county or
ganization is obviously desperately
in need of bolstering when thei
main reliance is on such an argu
ment.
Criticizes Opponents.
I'm effect they say that despit
the careful consideration of tn
Maryland Senate and House O
Delegates, their legal consultant
and the Statewide discussion a
the time, the Legislature submitte
to the citizens for adoption a con
stitutional amendment that is S
defective that an adequate charte
cannot be framed under it. Thi
is not the fact.
Criticizing the county organiza
ton for opposing the charter move
ment, Mr.. Lee said it has made n
effort to defend "the attempt t
develop financial program base
on raising revenues from jai ala
gambling"
The reference was to legislatio
passed by the Legislature in 1914
but vetoed after the county delega
lstion Withdrew its support.
Mr.. Smith said: ut is not surprisin
that continued public scrutiny {
this charter experiment disclose
more and more defects. All sue
! half baked, visionary schemes I
substitute theory for practice a,
defective.
"Mr. Lee and his pro-chartt
associates should not allow the
chagrin and disappointments ove
this obvious barrier to effecti,
county government under chart,
to drive them to unsoupd legal cor
tentions."
Leagues Stand Explained.
Mrs. Garfield explained why tt
League of Women Voters 'is givir
full support" to the charter move
ment.
After outlining the positions
the 10 candidates for the charts
! board in Tuesdays election, she d,
clared: I'VE believe that it is Who'll
J illogical and undesirable to place
. public responsibility, such as Il
dra ftins of q cha rter In tha hands