Evening star., 1947-11-19
Brooke Johns
Backs Scent
.zoneFareP|an
Proposed Schedule
Explained at Meeting
Of County Heads

1ne capital transit 20. COday had
the support of Brooke Johns, presi-
dent of the Montgomery County
Board of Commissioners, in the
company's proposal to establish q
5-cent-per-zone fare on its Mary
land bus and street car lines.
Mr.. Johns yesterday told E. c.
Giddings, company vice president,
he hoped the proposed new fare
schedule pans out for you fipan-
cially." Mr.. Johns added, Lots OF
luck" The board took no official
action, however, after hearing Mr..
Giddings at its weekly meeting in
Rockville.
After the board meeting, County
Supervisor Trying G. McNayr said
the commissioners would not oppose
the proposed fare change nor would
they appeal it if granted by the
Public Service Commission.
The company's application for
permission to set up a straight s.
cent-per zone fare, and to eliminate
cut-rate zone tickets and weekly
passes on its Maryland lines, has
been flied with the Maryland Pub
lie Service Commission. A hearing
is scheduled in Baltimore Deem
Der 3.
Pay Increases Cited.
Mr.. Giddings explained that as q
result of the recent arbitration
award, granting pay increases to its
employees, the company was forced
to seek an adjustment" in its
Maryland rates.
He told the board the company
has been losing approximately
annually in its Maryland operations
and that even If the new rates are
approved, the losses will amount
to more than $150,000 a year.
There has been no change in
Maryland fares for several years,
although costs have increased
sharply" Mr.. Giddings declared,
adding that the Rockville line would
not be affected by the proposed new
rate
Albert E. Conradis, county public
utility agent, told reporters he had
not taken definite stand on the
proposal pending further study.
No Action Taken.
Prince Georges County Commits
sioners also took no action when
Mr.. Giddings, accompanied by Dean
j. Locke, chief engineer, appeared
at Upper Marlboro to explain the
DropoSed fare increases
In response to question by Will
liam. A. Carson, president of the
commissioners, Mr.. Giddings said
the company has no plans to re-
place the Beltsville shuttle trolley
lines with buses. The company has
recommended complete abandon
s1ent Of the line, he explained A
hearing on that proposal is slated
for December in Baltimore.
The board received letter from
the Couny League of Women Voters
expressing disappointment" over
the commissioners failure to include
representatives of organizations
concerned with future county serv-
ices on a committee appointed last
week to make a survey of county
facilities.
Committee Members.
Committee members include Mr..
Conradis, Gene Fry, John Nc
Donald, j. Wilson Dodd and Ralph
Boyd.
Mrs. Marian S. Hemingway, lea
que president, pointed out in the
letter that no one was named from
the Boards of Education and We'll
fare. Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
County Council of Parent Teacher
Associations or from the large COL
ored population in the county.
She urged that the committee be
enlarged and that funds be made
available for the survey.
Commissioner Wesley I. Sauter
said he and Commissioner Oliver
w. Youngblood, who submitted this
names of the five committee men,
bers to the full board, had consid-
cred larger committee but be-
lieved such a group would be "un-
wieldly."
Groups to Be Consulted.
He added the committee would
consult the organizations mentioned
by Mrs. Hemingway for information
in the survey and assured her that
the county would provide any funds
necessary for the work
In other business, the commits
sioners accepted the resignation Of
County Engineer Douglas Riggs, ef-
fective November /, and ordered
that bids be sought for the con-
struction of curbs and cutters along
Stratford road between Wilson lane
and York road, Bethesda. No bids
were obtained when the board first
advertised about month ago.
The board also voted to give all
county employees holiday Decem-
lei 26
Two zoning petitions were taken
under advisement at hearings be-
fore the commissioners in the
Bethesda County Building
One of the petitions, filed by Mrs.
Georgina Mathys, sought the re-
classification from residential A to
commercial D of land adjacent to
the Bethesda Bowling Alleys on
Old Georgetown road, Bethesda.
The other. fled by Abraham Nor
rison, sought the reclassification Of
land on Middlesex and Edgemoor
lanes from residential A and C to
Commercial D. 1t was strongly op-
posed by about 20 residents of the
area, who contended the section is
residential and that approval of the
petition would constitute spot"
zoning.
n