Evening star., 1947-09-22
Bauer Decision /
,1oQuit Race
Stirs Greenbe|t
Move Follows Charge.
Against GobbeI on
SoloY Payments

The sudden withdrawal of Mayor
George r. Bauer as a candidate for
reelection In tomorrow's runod
vote stirred new interest in Green
belt politics during the week end
and increased the possibility of
heavy balloting for town council
men.
Mayor Bauer declared in a state
ment' that he withdrew so that
charges he was making against
Town Manager James T. Gobbel
would not be attributed "to any
effort on my part to make political
capital out Of the sad situation that
exists today in Greenbelt."
The Mayor was one of nine top
candidates in the council election
last Tuesday. Only one of the orig
inal 10 aspirants, Thomas j. Can
ming, received the required plural
ity. Mr.. Bauer's withdrawal leaves
seven in the running for the four
vacancies to be filled by balloting
tomorrow between am. and pm.
Investigation Sought.
The tiff between Mayor Bauer
and Mr.. Gobbel broke into the open
last Friday at called meeting of
the council, when the Mayor sought
an immediate investigation of
charges that the town manager had
ordered some excessive salary pay
ments. Mr.. Gobbel said he would
welcome proper investigation and
asserted that mo one will have any
doubt that I have acted in a per-
fectly proper manner"
The Bauer proposal was blocked
when other councilmen favored in
vestigation by the incoming council.
Asked for comment on the Bauer
withdrawal statement, Mr.. Gobbel
said today:
my personal reaction is that he
Is taking this method of continuing
the smear"
Name Still on Ballots.
1t was pointed out at the Green
belt town ofices that MIR. Bauer's
name remains on the official ballots,
which have been printed, and that
there is no procedure for withdrawal
att this time. After declaring that
he was no longer a candidate, the
Mayer. said that he respectfully
requests that my friends do not vote
for me in Tuesdays run-off elec-
tion..".
In his sworn statement, Mayor
Bauer challenged Mr.. Gobbels
claim that he was entitled to addi-
tional salary which had not been
received and that he had never
received pay exceeding the amount
authorized by the council. He ac-
cused the town manager of order
ing payments made in a greater
amount than approved by the coun-
Gil to the public health officer"
Accuses MIR. Gobbel.
Il also accuse Mr.. Gcbbel of !
ordering payments to the solicitor |
on the 1946 basis instead Of the re-
duced 1947 budget recommendations
made by Mr.. Gobbel and approved
by the council for the sum of $500"
Mr.. Gobbel has described the &C
cusations as move to "blacken my
reputation" and called them a "po-
litical issue"
Mrs. Mabel L. Handler, town
treasurer, said in a sworn state
ment yesterday that the 1947 budget
set Mr.. Gobbel's salary at $6,521
and that the town manager had
stated publicly that he was taking
q $1,70o reduction from his 1916
salary. She said that despite this
the manager had ordered her to
continue paying previous salaries
to the town solicitor, director of
public health and himself, when she
made up the first payroll this year.
Candidates remaining in the
election tomorrow are Mrs. Eliza
beth Harrington, Councilman Allen
D. Morrison, Frank j. Lastner,
David Granahsn, George M. Esh-
baugh, Albert Schaffer and Benja-