Evening star., 1944-09-01
Charter Group Head
Says Political Bosses
Are Fighting Plan
Gardner Asserts Business
Bosis Is Needed for
Montgomery Government

>"sSUs
Allen H. Gardner, president of
the Montgomery Charter Commit
tee, replied to charges by Judge
Albert E. Brault, spokesman for the
Citizens Committee to Defeat
Charter. against the proposed char
ter form of government to be voted
on in the county November Z.
In plain language" he said, "the
charter is designed to put more
business and less politics in our
county government, and the pro-
fessional politicians don't like 1t.
THE political bosses of Mont
gomery County,. Mr.. Gardner said,
becoming more than a little wor-
ried over the strong public support
for the charter, - have decided
to renew their unsuccessful opposi-
ton of two years ago. This time
they have decided to masquerade
as a so-called Citizens Committee.
This thin disguise will not fool any
one familiar with the facts and the
persons involved"
He declared that Judge Brault,
executive secretary and treasurer of
the Citizens Committee, is him
self an of1lceholding beneficiary of
Montgomery County's political ma
chine and was one of the five de-
feated candidates for the Charter
Board nominated by that machine
in 1912"
always Spoils Jobs"
Mr.. Gardner said the announce
ment that the anticharter group
includes Democrats and Republicans
was typical of well oiled" political
machines and that "the are always
spoils Jobs, legal advertising and
the like to divide with certain of
the opposition who will cooperate. "
The report of the Brookings Insti-
tuition survey OF the county kovern-
ment concluded that Montgomery
County had "outgrown" its form Of
government. he said, and recon-
mended the adoption Of a charter.
He called this the consensus Of
opinion"
Attacking opposition charges that
the charter was 'untried," Mr..
Gardner said on the contrary it was
based on the experience of the past.
Among its advantages, he continued,
are legislative home rule, a county
manager, a merit system, financial
controls and county council elect
ed on a nonpartisan ticket.
Under legislative home rule" he
declared, local laws will be passed
In Rockville by county council in
stead of at Annapolis by a State
Legislature which has too little time
to give to local laws" Pointing out
that under the present system it is
possible to pass laws with secrecy,
he gave as an example the Mary
land = National Capital Park and
Planning Commissions Jurisdiction
over building inspection and the en-
forcement Of fire prevention regu-
lations by the building inspectors,
made law at the 1943 session of the
Legislature, a change he said few
citizens knew of until much later.
Uphoids Nonpartisan Ballot.
The opposition makes a special
point Of the fact that the county
council, under the charter, would be
elected on nonpartisan ballot and
that this destroys the two-party
system" Mr.. Gardner said. The
Charter Committee does not chal-
lenge the advantages of the two
party system in State and national
elections, but insists that there is
little. If any, relationship between
State and national issues on the
one hand and purely local issues on
the other"
The necessity for preferring
charges In order to remove depart-
ment heads under the charter, he
said, thwarts professional poll
ticlans who want the power to dis
charge such officials without cause
II they fail to go along with the
intrigues of machine politics"
Attacking the opposition group's
circulars to members of the armed
forces urging them to vote against
the charter and inclosing a form on
which to apply for a ballot, he said ::
The Charter Committee is work.
ing to bring about a more respon-
sive county government in which
all the citizens, the soldiers them
selves, will have greater chance to
participate. We believe the oppo-
sltion's effort to mislead those in
the armed forces will be resented
and we trust their friends and rela-
tlves will see to it that they are
O1voy, fho ~ kx,,&1.