Evening star., 1947-04-16
Board Studies
FhieCode Plea
In Montgomery
Bethesda Requests
Creation Of Office
Of County MorshuI

The Montgomery County Board of
Commissioners today was studying
request of the Bethesda Fire De-
partment to create the office of fire
marshal and adopt uniform
county wide fire code.
q. Wady Imirie. chairman Of q
special committee appointed by the
ire department. explained In let
ter to the commissioners yesterday
that the county building code Of 1927
d at present the nearest thing" to
. IRE code.
1T seemed adequate then" he as
serted, "but the time has long passed
for such code to meet our present
growth and demands. Buildings and
homes have been built without Re.
gard to proper safety measures"
Inspections Cited.
He added that inspections by the
iire department nave revealed exit
doors in public and private schools
locked and "crash-door hardware
not in working order"
The exit door, he further charged.
In at least one local theater" was
found during an inspection to be
locked.
Many stores and office buildings.
ne continued, have only one means
OF exit wherein the code (of 1927
requires two" Trash has also been
found In the Easements of various
public buildings, he added.
He recommended that a fire code
be drawn up which would be SINH
lar to that in effect in the District.
sedgewich Quits Post.
Byron Sedgewick, appointed pub
lie relations officer to the commis-
sioners two months ago, announced
MS resignation yesterday.
He gave as his reason for quitting
the post, which pays $2,400 a wear.
the necessity for devoting his time
to personal business.
The commissioners voted to allow
pablum and canned milk once more
on the official diet at the Animal
Shelter on the East-West highway.
Both items were banned by the
commissioners several months ago
In an economy move.
Salary of Paul Taggart, who the
board said Is a part-time zoninr
ofhcer, was discontinued. The COM
missioners reported Mr.. Taggart was
being paid $3.50 year both by the
commissioners and the Park and
Planning Commission. y
A petition from the Bradley School
Parent- Teacher Association urged
the commissioners to meet the full
school budget even If 1t means the
tax rate Is increased"
Mr.. Johns asked for opinions, Of
those present at the meeting on
daylight saving time. The discus
sion was called of after rural dwell
ers noted their opposition while the
suburban residents spoke in favor Of
such move.
A delegation from the County
Council Of Cooperative Nursery
Schools asked the commissioners to
assign some legal place for nursery
schools" In the county education set
up.
Nursery Schools Seek Rights.
The delegation included represen-
tatives OF the Glenbrook Nursery
School on Old Georgetown road Ia
Bethesda.
Last week the commissioners had
granted the school permission to op-
crate temporarily after the Bethesda
fire department had ordered 1t
closed for alleged lack Of safety pre-
cautions.
James G. Christopher, attorney for
the school, told the commissioners
yesterday that cooperative nursery
schools, in his opinion, are exempt
by law from licensing requirements.
Brook Johns, chairman of the
board, said that under the circum-
stances the board would have to
grant the school indefinite permis-
sion to operate, pending clarification
of the legal point raised by Mr..
Chr3sfnntor