Evening star., 1942-02-10
Charter Form
Petition Backed
ByFederdtion
Effort Luunched to
Have Montgomery
Vote on Government

IIuVS NiOhtSOiiSiy
Vote on Government
Montgomery County CMd) Civic
Federation leaders today pushed
plans for the submission to county
voters of a petition for the establish
ment of a charter form of govern
ment, following approval by the or
ganization last night of a resolu-
ton calling for circulation of such
a petition.
After more than an hour of lively
debate, which was marked by the
reading of a letter from ]. Bond
Smith, general counsel Of the Mary
land-National Park and Planning
Commission, to Joseph B. Matre,
president of the federation, sharply
criticizing the resolution, the Fed
Grafton Endorsed the measure by q
vote of 80 to Is.
Allen H. Gardner, chairman Of a
special committee that studied the
Brookings report on the county gov
ernment and sponsor of the measure,
said after the meeting, held at the
Bethesda Elementary School, that
his group had made plans for circu-
lation of the petition but declined
to reveal details.
Text of Resolution.
The resolution, as passed, read as
follows: Resolved, that the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation
favors the circulation of a petition
among the registered voters of the
county so that the voters may, in
accordance with the Maryland con-
stitution, decide at the next general
election whether they wish to elect
a competent charter board to draft,
after investigation and public hear
ings, for the approval or disapproval
of the people, such Improvements in
the county government as will pro-
mote economy, efficiently, democ-
racy and the general good Of the
whole country"
In supporting the measure, James
A. Cosgrove declared that it is
merely a declaration of policy by
the federation and that nothing in
it mentions or has anything to do
with the Brookings report.
THE resolution" he asserted,
asks only whether the voters want
a charter board to inquire into the
present county government. The
Brookings Institution report has abb
solutely nothing to do with the res
olution, and there's no need to draw
red herrings across the trail in Or
der to obstruct its consideration by
this group"
Stephen James declared that mo
form of government is so perfect
that we can't examine it to see
whether 1t can be improved" The
resolution, he maintained, would
permit such an investigation.
Particulars Held Lacking.
Carey E. Quinn charged that the
resolution fails to contain bill
of particulars" The word char
ter" he added, has no particular
meaning nor does the resolution say
what kind of a charter Is desired.
Mr.. Smith, who Is chairman of a
special committee appointed re-
Gently by the county commissioners
to consider the Brookings recon-
mendations, called on the fedora
ton to approve or disapprove the va
rious items in the Brookings report
before acting on the resolution.
The former chairman Of the Fed
eration's Legislative and Legal Ac-
tion Committee claimed that the
Brookings report, on which he said
the resolution is based, shows a
trend toward totalitarianism by eX-
panding the duties of proposed
county administrator, as suggested
in the report.
ANY circulation of charter petit
tions, certainly without vote on
the report" he continued, seems
to my committee /" clear at
tempt to evade and shirk the re-
sponsibility which the Federation it
self has assumed of giving
this committee and the citizens and
taxpayers of the county the benefit
of the extended consideration which
the Federation on the record has
given to the subject over the past
decade"
Termed Dangerous"
Others who spoke against the
resolution included Samuel E. Stone
braker, who described the measure
as dangerous" and Hugh Framp-
ton, who said that charter form OF
government would not include in
corporated towns and special tax
ing areas in the county.
The Federation also approved
resolution offered by the Civic
League of Brookmont and Vicinity,
Inc, supporting the pending con-
gressional resolution which would
change the name of Conduit road in
Maryland to Macarthur boulevard.
Another resolution by Dwight H.
Collins, chairman of the Schools
Committee, urging Gov. O'Conor to
formulate a program to protect pub
lie, private and parochial school
children in the county in case of air
raids and to make funds available
for this purpose also received the
Federation's approval.
George E. Bond unanimously was
elected corresponding secretary Of
the organization to replace Court
land Townsend, who has moved
away.
Albert E. Brault, executive direc-
tor of the County Civilian Defense
Council, spoke briefly on the civilian