Evening star., 1947-04-06
|Lofsirand Defends
Montgomery Unit 5
legislative Record

Anders n. Lofstrand, jr. chair
man Of the Montgomery County
delegation to the Maryland House
of Delegates. yesterday defended the
Republican delegations record at
Annapolis against attacks which
have been made by members Of the
Democratic Party.
8 Lacy Shaw, chairman of the
Montgomery State Central Commit
tee, had criticized the delegation
for sponsoring oppressive county
laws" and large bond issues.
.Mr. Shaw,s charges against the
Republican State Senator Roy
Tasco Davis and the all-Republi-
can delegation" Mr.. Lofstrand said,
were merely an attempt by him to
whitewash the now defunct Demo-
cratic regime for its many failures
in recent years
He added that the Democratic
State Central Committee "and the
Lee organization" opposed some leg
islatiye efforts of the delegation
because ''the few political office
holder favorites" were affected.
Mr.. Lofstrand's statement de-
clared in part:
"The $1,000, 900 bond issue which
represents the largest bond author
Iization ever enacted in Montgomery
County, was the direct result OF the
failures of the Democratic organiza-
ton to heed the words OF Alexan-
der K. Hancock. controller for
Montgomery County. who recon-
nended In his annual financial re-
port for the years 1942-43-44:
THAT the commissioners take
steps to pay off as many OF the
maturing bonds as possible so that
the county may be kept in good
financial condition in order that the
capital outlay which will probably
be found advisable at the termina-
ton of the war may be financed
economically
"The passage of time has indicated
that this warning was appropriate,
IMr. Lofstrand said. "It is now
pointed out that there already Is
considerable demand for postwar
capital outlay, and for new and ex-
panded governmental services, and
there is the distant probability that
county revenues will not increase
rapidly enough to meet these de-
mands without an increase IN the
general county tax rate.
"Of this bond issue, S5,000,00O is
for the school program and t
amount OF bond issue will be
financed by the s350,000 that the
county will receive from the State
through the adoption of the recon-
mendations of the Sherbow Report
During the years when construc-
ton was impossible, no reserve was
laid aside for county road construc-
ton, consequently an expanded road
program ,iS necessary.
In view of the fact that only
1854 ,117.77 has been spent for new
road construction since 1910, 1t Is
felt that the 81 SOC, 900 authorized by
the county delegation for expendi-
lures in the next two years is con-
servative rather than excessive.
"The present assessed valuation OF
the school buildings in Montgomery
County is approximately $500, 900
The budget for the repairs and
maintenance of the buildings for the
past year was $4,000.
"It is obvious that school buildings
and equipment having such an as
sessed valuation could not be pro-
perly maintained at such a budget
figure and it is apparent to every
one who goes into any of the school
buildings that this budget item tor
maintenance was inadequate and
that major repairs and improve
ments must be made at this time to
prevent complete deterioration OF
existing school facilities.
1.-The Public Health Department
and other agencies in Montgomery
County are in need of improvements
and the additional $500 900 includes
a new county health building.