Evening star., 1944-01-12
{. P. Taft Lauds
Charter Draft
AS Adequate
Hits Objections
Of Its Opponents
In Montgomery
By MRS. J. REED BRADLEY.

The Montgomery County charter
which will go before the voters in
the November election is a work.
manlike job and adequately covers
the county governmental field,
Charles P. Taft, one of those who
helped draw up the Cincinnati city
charter, told members of the County
Charter Committee at their second
annual meeting last night at the
Chevy Chase Womans' Club.
Attacking some of the objections
OF local opponents of the proposed
new form of government, Mr.. Taft,
who is member of the War Relief
Control Board, made the following
points:
l. The nonpartisan election fea-
ture Of the charter does not destroy.
local party activity. Actually in
Cincinnati it was found that both
the Republican and Democratic
parties became stronger and more
effective in State and national elec-
tions.
Employees Not Discharged.
2 Employees are not discharged
wholesale under a charter. After 10
years OF charter government in Gin
cinnati more than so per cent of the
employees were found to have been
with the city government before
adoption of the charter. In most
cases, Mr.. Taft said, they merely
cease being political vote-getters and
settle down to doing their work eff
GENTLY.
3. Touching on the objections Of
his fellow townsman, Alfred Bett-
man, who last year advised the
Maryland National Park and Plan
ming Commission that it would be
impossible to coordinate the work
OF the commission with charter gov
ernment in Montgomery County, Mr..
Tart said: Il am reminded of some
ones description of Lord Balfour.
He Is the most courteous and
gracious of adamantines.'
4. The "end" is not achieved
once charter is voted in. Mr.. Taft
reminded the group, referring to
continuing attacks on the Cincin-
natl charter during the last 20
years. He said there were times
when it looked as if the charter
was ION its last legs" Though the
charter group has not always been
in the majority in Cincinnati. it's
aims for better government have
been so strongly instilled in the
people that even the opposing
party wants to elect a good city
manager and keep him in Office,
Mr.. Taft said
Wishes Plan "Godspeed."
Mr.. Taft predicted that the char
ter would be adopted in Montgom-
cry County in the November elec-
tion and wished it "Godspeed."
Preceding Mr.. Taft's talk the
committee adopted a resolution
urging adoption of the charter and
thanking members of the charter
board. The resolution was present.
ed by Mrs. Walter E Perry. Mem
bers of the board present at the
meeting were Frederic P. Lee,
Tarleton Brooke, Judge Thomas
Anderson, Stephen James and Mrs.
Miner Hostetler.
Elected directors for six-year
terms were George Rust Candy,
Colesville; Everett R. Jones, Damas-
Gus; o. M. Kile, Mohican Hills; the
Rev. j. Virgil Lilly. Rockville: Adlai
S. Magee, Bethesda, and Mrs. Guy
B. Stephenson, Norbeck. The names
were presented by Mrs. Dean Din
woodie, Chevy Chase. The new
board will meet within a few weeks
to elect officers.
Allen Gardner, president, who said
he wished to take more subor-
dinate role in the future, was COM
mended for his work
The new charter will be available
in pamphlet form soon, it was an
nounced. An Interpretation of the
charter in laymans language, drawn
up by members of the board, will be
iQcluled in the DamDhlet