Evening star., 1947-04-01

patrol and found one automot
mediately. An estimated &c, ,00(
without new tags. If the owne
1s47 tags attached by tomorrow
away and impounded.
Police on the lookout for Wash
ington's estimated 10000 motorists
with dead 1946 automobile license
tags apparently found none driving
their cars the first few hours after
the 8 am. tag deadline. No arrests
for driving with dead tags were re-
ported by II o'clock.
Inspector Arthur E. Miller, head
Of the Traffic Division, however, said
several patrolmen reported ticketing
parked automobiles with dead
license tags. On the ticket, charging
improper tags, the owners will have
to pay 81, Inspector Miller said.
A $40 fine can be impOed if the
car owners violate the 18-hour park
ing law and persons found moving
improperly tagged vehicles face i'm
pounding of their cars-a $25 item.
Police are not planning to start
impounding parked cars with dead
tags until tomorrow morning. In
spector Miller emphasized that
police are not cracking down" on
motorists. Police merely will en-
force the law, he said
Hundreds of motorists began lin
ing up outside Municipal Center at
the crack of dawn today In hopes
of obtaining their 1947 automobile
tags before police got around to i'm
lowed county employees for perform
ances of public duties.
Budget estimates must be sub
mitted by the departments to the
County Manager by May /, and he
in turn must send them to the coun-
Gil by May 25.
Budget Due by July 1.
The budget must be adopted by
July /, the beginning of the new
fiscal year. June 10-15 is set as the
period for public hearings.
The County Manager will be re-
sponsible for creation of central
purchasing Office, but there is no
provision for a county purchasing
agent.
An independent audit of county
funds and regular inspection OF
county books are provided.
The entire charter may be re-
pealed and return to the present
county commissioner form of gov
ernment effected If the qualified
voters in the county so choose. A
provision setting UP the machinery
for such action gives 6-man ma
jority of the County Council the
right to submit the question to the
voters in a referendum. Twenty per
cent of the qualified voters, signing
petition, also may secure a refer
endum to consider the repeal.
The charter may be amended as
provided in Section S, Article XI-A
of the Maryland Constitution, the
article which originally authorized
charter forms of government.
The County Council is empowered
to enact laws necessary for the nom
ination and election of its members.
Would Become Law in 80 Days.
The charter would become law
80 days after it's adoption, and an
election of the council would be
held IS days after that. The county
commissioners would hold Office un-
til the expiration of their terms and
would be given such duties as de-
termined by the council.
1t is provided in the charter that
all county laws "inconsistent" with
provisions in the charter be either
repealed or amended.
Present county offices abolished
outright in the charter include those
of county treasurer, attorney to the
commissioners. clerk to the commits
sioners, police commissioner. super
visor of county aid, and chief of
police.
All other employees now working
for the county have the right to
continue in their present positions
and at their present salaries subject
to any new regulations promulgated
by the County Personnel Board.
Norman B. Ames, chairman of the
Charter Board, in presenting the
proposed charter. asked that county
residents make a careful study of
it "in' an honest endeavor to make
the final instrument as perfect as
possible"
Suggestions Asked.
He expressed the hope that COM
ments, criticisms. and suggestions
would be forthcoming.
Baltimore City alone has taken
advantage of Article XI-A, which
was made law in 1915, to establish
a council-manager form of govern
ment.
II Montgomery decides to accept
the charter. 1t win be Maryland's S
first county to adopt this type OF
government which several years ago
was reported as the best form by the
National Municipal League.
Demand for a charter in Mont
gomery was not heard until 1889.
when survey by the Brookings In
stitution recommended that the
county consider such form of gov
ernment. The proposed charter Of
1914 was defeated in general elec-
tion vote.