Evening star., 1946-11-01
|DemocratsSay
Charter Group
Charge $4,000
In Funds Is Used
Against Montgomery

In Funds Is Used
Against Montgomery
Montgomery County's Democratic
today said it spends
campaign funds to make the COM
a better place to live while
the Charter Committee spends
money to smear" the county's repu-
tation.
Alfred D. Noyes, chairman of the
Democratic County Congress, issued
q statement which he claimed ex-
plains "the basic difference" be-
tween money spent by the Demo-
cratic organization and the charter
group. The latter seeks to have
revised plan of local government
prepared if voters approve appoint
ment of charter board in Tuesdays
election.
At the same time James r. Miller,
temporary chairman of the county
Veterans Better overnmen
Group, denied a Charter Committee
charge that his organization is
Democratic Party inspired 'front.'"
Nomination to Be Made.
He said nominations for perma-
nent officers will be made at
meeting at 8 pm. November IA in
the Bethesda Elementary School.
AL county veterans have been in.
vited to attend, he added.
'The Democrats spend their money
to make things as much better for
Montgomery County as they are able
to achieve" Mr.. Noyes' statement
said. The Charter Committee for
the past five years has spent its
money to give Montgomery County
as bad general reputation as an
intensive f1ve-year campaign of mis-
representation of local affairs can
accomplish"
The Democratic leader said the
Charter Committee has filed sworn
statements admitting expenses Of
SIG, ,609.44 up to July of this year and
predicted the sum probably will ex.
ceed $25 900 by Tuesday.
Campaign Expenses Public.
This is lot of money to spend
trying to make place as good to
live in as Montgomery County look
bad" said Mr.. Noyes. He said the
manner in which his party's CAM
paign funds were spent are avail.
able for inspection.
These reports are on file in the
courthouse at Rockville and are pub
lie records" he said. The report that
the charter people object to today
has been on file in the courthouse
in Rockville since December 1914.
If any of the expenditures listed in
that report had been contrary to law
the charter leaders should have
made an issue of such expenditures
before ."
He labeled as false ''the Charter
Committee charges of improper ex-
penditures, an charges that salar-
les were raised in return for polit-
ical contributions"
Charterites Continue Drive.
ls Meanwhile, charter adherents
tcontinued their daily barrage Of
ipublicity to keep the issue before
| the public. In today's assault, they
accused the county organization OF
riding the coattails of the Demo-
cratic Party to serve its own local
purposes. The county machine is
neither Democratic nor Republican.
It's only real interest is in local po-
litical spoils.''
THE machine has tried to imply
that charter opposes the present
county administration for political
party reasons. Proof that this is not
true is to be found in the fact that
out of more than 10000 signers Of
petitions in favor Of charter, 64.5 per
cent were Democrats and 35.5 per
cent were Republicans. This ap-
proximates the proportion of regis
tered Democrats and Republicans
in the county.
"The candidates for the Charter
Board, furthermore, are divided in
party affiliation. Three are Demo-
Gratis and two are Republicans.
Both Parties Represented.
In his statement, Mr.. Miller said
the Steering Committee of the vet
erans' group comprises 13 veterans
of both political parties from all
sections of the county.
Declaring that members Of the
Organization resent" the Charter
Committees charge, Mr.. Miller
declared:
I'VE associated ourselves in Sep
tember as permanent organization
in order to participate as group
in local affairs, with the hope of
arousing interest in county govern
ment among the younger men,"
800 Signatures Obtained.
He said his group has obtained
the signatures of more than 800
veterans to petitions opposing a
charter form of government for the
county.
ANY committee which would at
tack nonpartisan vetearns' group"
Mr.. Miller asserted, land accuse it
of dishonest motives, merely because
its views do not coincide with theirs,
has lost all sense of perspective and
has forfeited all claim to the conf
dence of civic-minded citizens Of
Montgomery County"
Danaher TO Speak
"a m