Evening star., 1946-11-03
Democrats Rest Case
AGAINST Charter Board
As Referendum Nears

As Referendum Nears
As Montgomery Countyis Demo-
cratic organization announced last
night it had closed its case against
ablishment Of q Charter Board
to draft revised plan Of local gov
ernment, advocates Of the board
fired parting shots to emphasize
that the question of adopting q
charter cannot come before the
voters until 1948.
A referendum will be held In
Montgomery Tuesday to determine
whether a five-member Charter
Board is to be established to draft
proposed home rule" government.
The boards final recommendations
would come before the voters in
i948 for adoption.
Chairman Alfred D. Noyes of the
County Democratic Congress, de-
Clared last night:
tions to make to the record and no
charges to hurl. We have taken no
Monday night radio time and have
closed the county administration
case today. The record speaks for
itself"
Charterites Continue Fight.
The Charter Committee gave no
indication of ceasing fire. In another
of its series of daily statements
1t said:
THE present county political ad-
ministration tries to make 1t ap-
pear that it owns the whole county
because it interprets any criticism
of its own activities as an attempt
to smear the county
"This attitude was expressed FRI
day by leading county politician
and Juvenile Court judge when he
stated that the Charter Committee
for the past five years has spent
its money to give Montgomery
County a bad general repu-
tation.'"
The reference obviously was to
Judge Noyes of the Juvenile Court
who has been issuing most Of the
Organizations recent statements.
Hit Last Minute Insults"
1--WE believe the voters of Mont
gomery County are entitled to
greater respect than shown by the
Charter Committee program of a
barrage of last-minute charges and
insults" Judge Noyes' statement
said
The Charter Committee contended
the Democratic organizations pos
sessive attitude was exemplified
earlier this year when it quoted E.
Brooke Lee, head of the organiza-
ton, as telling reporter: THE
people only have such rights as the
Government gives them"
The Charter Committee opposes
this unsound approach to county
government" last nights statement
from charterites said.
In opposing a free vote Of the
people in 1948, the county political
administration has shown it op-
poses true home rule. and favors
the present system of enactjng vital
county laws in secrecy at Annapolis.
This system promotes legislation
for political reasons behind an iron
curtain in the State Legislature"
AZ Difficulties Recalled.
AS an example, the committee said
the former Charter Board Of 1943
sought information of legislation af-
fecting county affairs but full cop
les of bills were not available until
several months later when the pro-
ceedings were released in bound vol
umes."
The committee said two county
officials told the 1943 Charter Board
there was no legislation passed or
pending affecting county finances,
transfer of officials and other mat
ters
I'm point of fact, many bills had
been passed and were under con-
sideration affecting the county, in
cluding the transfer of the county
building inspector and the issuance
of building permits from the county
government to the appointed BIZ
county Park and Planning Commis-
sion; the transfer of the super
visor of school property to the
Governor-appointed School Board,
and shift of the Park and Plan
ming Commission taxing district
out of the hands of the county into
control of the bi-county planning
group. There were merely attempts
to take county government out of
the hands of the county electorate. "
The East Bethesda Citizens AS
sociation announced yesterday it
had refused to take action on the
Charter Board issue when the ques-
ton was brought before its Oc-