Evening star., 1947-01-08
hontgolnerY1a Tax
Upon Personal
Goods Repealed
Commissioners Told
Levy Is Nuisance;
Pay. Padding Ended

day may throw away blanks call
ing for estimates Of the value of
their personal property as the re-
suit of repeal of the county levy
on such property by the coun-
ty commissioners yesterday. The
blanks recently were mailed to all
county taxpayers.
Household furnishings form the
bulk of personal PROPERTY and the
tax on them was described as a
nuisance" by the supervisor of tax
assessments, Wilton D. Allen. In
recommending abolition of the levy,
Mr.. Allen said more than half of
Maryland's counties already had
done so. The State does not i'm
pose such a tax.
The action came near the end of
a seven-hour session of the COM
mission.
The household furnishings tax
is difficult to collect, Mr.. Allen
said. He estimated the base value
of house furnishings declared in
the county at $4,000, 900. This should
return about $45,00o, he said, and
it has been possible to average an
"a per cent collection.
The tax also applied to farm
equipment and livestock, major
items in the property owned by the
hundreds of Montgomery dairy
farmers.
Two Employees Quitting.
Mr.. Allen informed the commits
sioners that two tax Office employees,
Upton Gladhill and r. Sterling
Maddox, had given notice that they
are resigning.
Appointment of successors is a
"dire need" Mr.. Allen said. He
asked the commissioners to send
their three preferences for each job
to the State Tax Commission as
soon as possible.
Moving along on its announced
economy program, the commission
ers voted to abolish payment of
minimum mileage allowances of $50
to $50 for use of privately owned cars
on official county business.
Health Department employees were
excepted from the ruling as are
those to whom such allowances are
paid under statutory provisions.
Requested by Supervisor.
The action was taken at the re-
quest of County Supervisor I. G.
McNayr who said a substantial saw
ing could be achieved. Mr.. McNayr
also said the alleged practice of
padding" salaries of county en-
ployes by minimum allowances for
mileage would be eliminated.
Mileage will now be allowed at
the rate of 6 cents a mile and
sworn vouchers, indorsed by respec-
tive department heads, must be
submitted by employees receiving
the payments.
The Commissioners authorized the
County Controller to pay salaries of
30 temporary policemen, appointed
during the war emergency, up to
March 1. The men will now be re-
placed by permanent appointees.
1t was agreed that any OF the 30
who can come up to County Civil
Service requirements might be- re-
as regular policemen.
Traffic Count Ordered.
The board directed Police Capt.
Earl Burdine to make traffic count
at the Wheaton triangle" to deter
mine the need for traffic lights there.
Board Counsel Barnard F. Welsh
was directed to study request OF
the Executive Committee OF the
Chevy Chase Women's Club for an
ordinance requiring the cutting OF
weeds on vacant lots in the sub
urban area.
Commissioner Oliver Youngblood
was directed to study the request OF
Mrs. John A. ellison, 300 block Fen
ton street, for sidewalk in that
A 7-year-old child
was fatally injured December % in
that block.
A request of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission to
buy 100000 worth of Government
bonds maturing in 1867, at a net
interest rate of 2.35 per cent was
indorsed. The purchase will be made
as an investment for the commits
sion's sinking fund.
A committee was named to study
drafting OF minimum specifications
for roads and streets in new sub
divisions outside Silver Spring and
Bethesda after several requests were
heard from outlying areas for
county supervision of roads and
streets. One was from property
owners in the Manor Club section
and another from a Darnestown