Evening star., 1942-11-05
Defeated Candidate
Hints Court Battle
Over Chalier Board
Montgomery Winners
Ready to 0reonize
To Work on Plan

" ~ - ~ t~sss
As members of the newly -created
Montgomery County Charter Board
waited only for today's onicial
count Of Tuesdays election ballots
to make the setup' legal, one Of the
losing candidates indicated the
issue may be carried to the Court
OF Appeals.
Unofncial returns show the refer
endum carried and that the five
candidates who were nominated by
petition and sponsored by the
County Charter Committee were
elected.
The i've defeated candidates bit
terly opposed a study of proposed
changes In the form of government
and were sponsored by the County
Congress Of United Democratic Or
ganizations.
J. Bond Smith, one of the losing
candidates, indicated court test
might be made Of the charter
question, and at the same time
reiterated prediction claims that
the State constitution places limita-
tions on q charter which will make
the plan unworkable. =
New Board to Organize.
Citing the unofhcial vote of 1926
to 6,032 by which the referendum
was carried, Mr.. Smith said 1900
fewer voters actually voted for this
experiment than signed the charter
petition. The reaction against the
charter is thus indicated in the re-
turns. We await with confidence
the ultimate verdict two years
hence, within which time it may be
possible to obtain q judicial deter
mination of the question by the
Court Of Appeals of Maryland"
The winning candidates to the
board are Tarlton Brooke, Thomas
M. Anderson, Frederic P. Lee, Mrs.
Alice w.. Hostetler and Stephen
James. They will organize within
the near future.
Mr.. Lee said no organization
meeting has been held but believed
one should be held Immediately be-
cause of the large amount of work
to be done and the relatively short
time in which to perform it. He
referred to a State constitutional
provision requiring the Charter
Board to complete its new plan Of
government within six months after
the election.
Public Hearings Favored.
Mr.. Lee said he felt it is impera-
tive the board should conduct pub
lie hearings and obtain the opin-
ions OF residents before drafting a
charter. The report of the Brook
ings Institution on the government
of Montgomery County and its rec
concentrations will not be accepted
as a basic plan. The reports value,
he asserted. lies in its factual analy-
sis of conditions and because it was
| directed solely to Montgomery
County.
Meanwhile, Chairman Allen H
Gardner Of the County Charter
Committee, said the organization s
constitution provides for an annual
meeting of directors November II.
A meeting probably will be held be-
fore that time, he said, to determine
whether the committee shall con-
tinue to operate. ,.~
He is definitely opposed, however.
to the charter committee. as such,
presenting a new plan Of Govern
ment to the charter board. The
board Is an oncial body and he said
he wanted to avoid any semblance
Of pressure by the Charter Com
mittee.
More Difficult Steps Seen.
The citizens success in the first
and relatively easy step toward q
Montgomery County charter places
on them a large responsibility in
the more difficult steps to come"
Mr.. Gardner said.
1T is important, therefore, that
the citizens give immediate thought
to those governmental changes
which they think are needed. The
high character OF the board members
and the county electorate give
promise Of a splendid charter, but
even an ideal charter which its sup
porters can generally approve prob
ably will require harder work to
secure its adoption than any which
the citizens have given to date"