Evening star., 1946-10-15
Charter Group
Backs Charges
Against County
Five More Accused
Of Getting Political
Rewards Listed

County Charter Committee support
charges Of practices of bad county
government" was met today when
the committee listed the names of
five more persons it said had bene-
fitted unduly from political consid-
erationH
The charter statement came i'm
mediately on the heels OF the de-
mand from Chairman Alfred D.
Noyes Of the Democratic County
Congress.
Certainly the charter leaders
should produce the names, places
and dates that support their charges
for the benefit of the voters" Mr..
Noyes said. Either the charges
are real or imaginary. Yesterday
they failed to mention IS OF their
16 charges and did not make con-
vincing or definite case concerning
the 18th"
Salaries and Contracts Mentioned.
The Charter Committee also had
charged payment of salaries and
fees and award Of contracts were
made in return for political in
fluence. Today's statement was di-
rected at alleged political rewards
for activities On a Democratic organ
ization-sponsored Citizens Com
mittee to Defeat Charter" which
beat the issue in the 1914 election.
"The political machine that has
had the county government in its
grasp for nearly Is years has long
paid out substantial amounts Of tax
moneys for political influence" the
committee said. Certain political
favorites receive salaries far
in excess Of the value Of their
services"
Listed as typical cases" were 10
v. Morgan. part-time and "inex-
perienced' Civil Service commits
sioner. who receives $4,000 annually.
Mr.. Morgan was identified as an ac-
tive worker for the 1914 Citizens
Committee.
Albert Brault, who was named
as executive secretary of the same
citizens committee, has been ere
warded with a $500 job as part
time public utility agent" the COM
mittee said. "Still another instance
is that A. A. Moxley, who receives
$3.50 a year as inspector of weights
and measures. This occupation
takes but a small fraction of his
working hours.
"A somewhat different illustra-
ton Of the same general type is a
county employe who attended law
school while he was supposed to
be working in Rockville"
Excessive Fee Charged.
The committed did not name the
law school student It did, how
ever, claim the $4,000 paid to Roger
]. Whiteford was an excessive fee"
for drafting legislation for the
General Assembly.
Montgomery County was already
paying its regular attorney who
could have drafted the bill. Or this
could have been done by DR.. Horace
E. Tack, who is paid by the State
to draft legislation desired by mem
bers of the Legislature" the COM
mittee said.
"A typical example Of contract
awarded for political services" the
statement continued, was the in
|surancee contract covering county
employees executed about year ago.
While the cost to the county in this
case may have been fair, 1t is sig
nif1cant that the insurance was
given to company represented by
King Mularkey who had rendered
political service to the machine
- (as) president of the Citizens
Committee to Defeat Charter"
The committee concluded lit would
be difficult to estimate the extent
Of the particular practice Of which
the foregoing are but a few exam
ples," but estimated the cost at
many thousands Of dollars"
At the same time Mr.. Noyes de-
Tended Charles Jamison, a road su-
pervisor, who is candidate for
county commissioner from the
GAINESVILLE district. The Charter
Committee had criticized a nameless
county employe on charges OF
running for an electoral ONCE, and
campaigning on county time.
"Mr. Jamison is a recently re-
turned Army sergeant" Mr.. Noyes
asserted, who served on Leyte and
Luzon. He has done an energetic,
capable and a conscientious job. To
say that his daytime work consists
largely Of campaigning is as nearly
untrue as 1t is possible for such a
charge to be.