Evening star., 1947-01-29
Bill 70 Ask County
Bond Authorization 10
Enlarge Court House

Maryland General Assembly to au-
thorize issuance of bonds by the
Prince Georges County commission
ers for funds to enlarge the County
Courthouse at Upper Marlboro and
the County Service Building Hyatts-
vile.
Preliminary plans and recommen-
dations were revealed yesterday at
| the commissioner meeting at
Upper Marlboro. The county heads
had made their intentions known to
the Prince Georges delegation in
the Legislature, when they conferred
last month on pending bills.
One estimate received from archi-
tects indicates the two additions
could be constructed for a total cost
of about $650,000. The Courthouse
addition would require an estimated
$475, 900 of this, the commissioners
disclosed.
Office Shifts Involved.
According to initial plans submit
ted by r. Webster Ross and John M
Walton, Hyattsville architects, the
major changes to the County Court
house would make county Offices
more accessible to the public and
would extend the present center sec
tion of the building back to the
parking lot.
Their recommendations include
shifting of the Board of Education
| Offices to the basement floor with
entrances on level with the park
ing lot. Another change would move
the present trial magistrate court to
the first floor. Additional space
also would be provided for nearly all
county offices.
A meeting was set for 2 pm. Feb
Suary 6 at Upper Marlboro among
representatives Of the Prince
Georges County Bar Association,
William A.. Carson, chairman of the
board of commissioners; Waldo
Burnside, their counsel; Brice Bowie,
clerk of the court; architects and
others interested in the proposed
changes.
| Marbury Heads Bar Delegation.
A delegation from the Bar ASso-
citation, led by Associate Judge
Charles C. Marbury of the Circuit
Court, appeared yesterday, seeking
an increase in the size of the court
library as well as other court Offices.
The increase i'm the County Serv-
ice Building would provide addi-
tional space for the Health Depart
ment, County Engineers Office, po-
lice, Jail and other units.
The commissioners also have
under consideration a plan offering
retirement benefits for all county
employees who reach the age Of 60.
If approved the plan would be-
come effective July l.
Linden Briscoe, clerk, told the
commissioners yesterday the county
would have to pay between $30, 900
and $4,000 for the first year to
cover previous service of employees.
Starting in July the county also
would have to bear half Of the
COSTS, with employees paying the
other half. Participation in the
program would not be compulsory,
/ NIL lCCOC CAP4cSAAASas
Provides for Disability.
Amounts paid in would be based
on salary and length OF service, Mr.
Briscoe said. A disability clause also
would be included in the program,
as we'll as provision for retirement
at age 60, he revealed.
There are now 180 employees Of
the county, according to Mr.. Briscoe
In other business, the commits
sioners agreed to pay 81 ,840 to the
town of Colmar Manor for delin-
quent street assessments originally
due IN 1887. The authorization
ended long battle between the
Mayor and Town Council of the
community and the County Board
of Education, concerning assess
ments involved in the paving of
Lawrence street, near the Colmar
Manor Elementary School.
County Policeman Emmett F. G..
Gray of the Hyattsville station was
commended in letter from the
First Methodist Church, Hyattsville,
for his work in connection with the
handling OF boys caught stealing
from the church.
Meanwhile, the commissioners also
approved a request yesterday by
Charles L. Wood, town commissioner
of Upper Marlboro to move the iron
fence in front of the courthouse
Is feet to permit widening of the
sidewalk. Such a project would be
lin line with recommendations of
the Upper Marlboro Liens Club, he
said. The town will pay all costs
Iof the work.. he told the commits
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