Evening star., 1946-10-30
Countercharges
0fUntruthM Made
In Charter Fight
Supporters Hit Lee
On Plan; Noyes Denies
Misrepresentation

The Montgomery County charter
dispute today developed into a
series of countercharges with each
side accusing the other Of issuing
false statements.
The Charter Committee charged
that e. Brooke Lee, county political
leader, uttered bald, fiat untruth"
when he said q master development
plan had been adopted for the
county. -
At the same time, Alfred D. Noyes,
chairman of the County Democratic
Congress, denied charges by charter
supporters that the Democrats are
misrepresenting the issue, and ac-
cused charterites of attempting to
confuse the political atmosphere.
In its statement, the Charter Com
nittee contended there is no "over-
all blueprint" for orderly growth Of
the county.
Plan Never Adopted.
= "A master plan was prepared IS
years ago by the technical staff Of
the Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, but 1t
never has been adopted the COM
mittee declared.
IF Mr.. Lee knows of the adop-
ton Of such a plan 1t is his duty
to let the voters know about 1t, too.
The committee challenges him to
cite the number of the resolution
adopting a master plan and the
date on which it was adopted"
The committee also claimed there
has been no denial Of its charges
of poor planning, such as the com
fusion" over the proposed freeway.
the obstruction" Of the northern
parkway in the Silver Spring area
and the obstruction" to widening
Of Old Georgetown road.
Repeating its charge that finan-
cial mismanagement has brought
the county Ito the brink of finan-
cial disrepute," the committee
cited survey by Moody's Investors
Service.
Bond Survey Quoted.
In its regular bond survey for
September, 1916, the committee said.
Moody says this about Montgomery
County bonds:
Since we last discussed these
units in May, 1916, considerable
change has taken place in Mont
gomery County's credit. q
Debt is rising sharply and as q
result the A rating. while unchanged
at present, is of the most marginal
character and probably could not be
substantiated in the event of any
further credit deterioration. In view
of the prevailing circumstances,
present prices for Montgomery
County bonds hold little attraction
for general investment"
The committee quoted the in
vestors' service as describing the
county's practice of refunding ma
turing bonds as particularly un-
fortunate policy in a credit which
feels it needs additional capital i'm
provements.
Noyes Issues Warning.
Mr.. Noyes, in his statement,
warned that If q charter board is
elected Tuesday, it will draft
charter similar to that rejected by
the voters in 1914.
He said the Democratic organiza.
tion, in centSring its fire on pro-
visions of the 1914 proposed charter,
is trying to clear the issue"
James J. Hayden, a candidate
for the Charter Board" Mr.. Noyes
declared, said 10 days ago that the
1914 chatter was a magnificent piece
Of work, that he was personally
satisfied with it and that objec-
tions to it were in his opinion thor
oughly foolish, farfetched argu-
ments.'"
The other four candidates for the
Charter Board were selected by the
members of the original board which
helped write the 1914 charter, Mr..
Moves said.
Voters have no reason to expect"
he added, that they will get any
better or any different charter from
the new Charter Board"