Evening star., 1944-11-05
Charter Opponents
Accused Of Listinq
Supporters as Foes
Gardner Says Names
Of Three Residents Used
Without Authorization

without Authorization
The charter controversy in Mont
gomery County was further en-
livened last night when the County
Charter Committee charged that
the Citizens Committee to Defeat
Charter has used the names of
prominent county residents without
authorization.
At the same time. Ray Tucker,
Washington columnist, and Charles
P. Taft, director of the Ofice of
Wartime Economic Affairs, State
Department, in radio talks, urged
county voters to approve the pro-
posed charter.
Allen H. Gardner, president Of
the Charter Committee, quoted
three county residents as denying
statements by the anticharter
group that they opposed the pro-
posed charter.
He said the three persons, all of
whom told him they favor adoption
Of the proposed new setup, are Mrs.
Carolyn H. Votaw, Takoma Park;
Mrs. George E. Hamilton, ST., Be-
thesda, and Mrs. Morrison M.
Clark, Chevy Chase.
Claims Statement Received.
Mrs. Jessie w. Nicholson, a men,
ber of the Committee to Defeat
Charter. claimed, however. that she
received a statement from Mrs.
Votaw Thursday expressing oppo-
sition to the charter. Mrs. Nicholson
said she even read the statement
back to Mrs. Votaw over the phone
to check its accuracy.
Mrs. Nicholson said the use of
Mrs. Clark's name had been au-
thorized by the latter's mother, Mrs.
Howard Griffith, Silver Spring.
Judge Albert E. Brault, executive
secretary of the Citizens Commit
tee, admitted, however, that Mrs.
Hamilton's name had appeared in
error recently in committee ad-
vertisement in one of the county's
newspapers.
In his address over Station
WWDC, Mr.. Tucker declared the
proposed charter would gives county
employees real sense of security"
by placing them under civil service.
Most public officials in Mont
gomery County" he said, "are
worthy public servants, except when
the machine bosses harass and high
pressure them =. But they
cannot be expected to enjoy a real
sense OF security if they know that
they and their families are subject
at all times to the whim of political
bosses who seek only personal power
and aggrandizement"
Charter System Flexible.
He also asserted that adoption of
the charter would provide flexible
and responsible system .of demo-
cratic government, instead Of the
present frozen and unyielding rule
by few, self-perpetuating political
bosses"
Mr.. Taft, who spoke over Sta
ton VOL, emphasized that county
government under the proposed
charter would be more business
like and more efficient"
Judge Brault, in a statement last
night, charged that the proposed
charter. if approved. would result
in an increase Of public spending,
with the citizens and taxpayer de-
prived of his present ability to stop
or check such increases, or to ap-
prove the proposals for which he Is
willing to be taxed"
He also reiterated his contention
that charter supporters "have not,
voiced constructive opinions as to
definite ways in which our present
county government could be i'm
proved"
Noting that charter proponents
have advanced home rule as the
principal advantage of the charter,
Judge Brault declared:
Session after session of the State
Legislature has enacted for Mont
gomery County the laws that the
State Senator and the members of
the House Of Delegates, which we
elect directly here in the county,
have supported. That is as effec-
tive home rule as can be accom-
plished through the charter or any
other plan"