The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-03-25
Around Town With
The Editor

and counter-c charges concerning the
mix-up of the meeting of the Mayor
and Council last Thursday, at which
daylight saving and the plumbers
code were approved, that l have
taken the trouble to try and get to
the bottom of it. / talked to Mr.. Ker-
ney, the City Clerk, and here is what
he tells me.
The Mayors Office never announc-
ed that there was to be meeting on
Thursday, until 100 on Thursday
afternoon, when Mr.. Kerney called
the Herald-Mail Office to notify
them that a meeting would be
held in the Mayors Office at 4:50 p.
m. He states there were no report
ers present at the Herald Office
when he called, and that he left
word to have them call him back,
which they did. He also stated that
he notified one of the radio stations
that the meeting was to be held at
1850, but was frank enough to admit
that he just plain forgot to notify
the lobe-Independent.
1t seems that while no official in
formation was given by the Mayors
Office of this Thursday meeting, it
was known some time in advance
that such meeting would be held,
and as matter of fact 1 was told
myself by one of the Council mem
bers that there was a meeting on
Thursday to vote on daylight saving
and to pass the plumbers code, and
no doubt the Daily papers received
their information from members of
the Council who, although the May
or's office had made no official an
nouncement, seemed to know, days
in advance, that the meeting would
be held.
l think all of us realize that it is
a physical impossibility to conduct
the business of a city the size of
Hagerstown without the Mayor and
Council meeting from time to time
in executive session without the
public or the press being present.
But most of us object to the way in
which these executive sessions are
arranged by the Mayor.
The Board of County Commission
ers from time to time hold executive
sessions, but whenever such sessions
are planned, they are careful Gin
advance) to issue public statement
that an executive session will be
held at which the press and public
will be excluded. Such an execu-
tive session was held recently by
the Board of County Commissioners
and the Board of Education, con-
corning the much discussed school
bond question, but the County Com
missioners in announcing the execu-
tive session made it plain that re-
porters, if they would wait until the
executive session was over, would
be handed statement if there was
anything concrete accomplished at
the session.
This was the session, you will re-
member, when the Board of Educa-
ton and County Commissioners
agreed on financing the school pro-
gram, and very plain statement,
giving all the facts, was given to
both the press and radio immedi-
ately after the executive session
came to an end.
This straight and above board
method of action contrasts very
strongly with the attitude taken by
the Mayor of Hagerstown, who calls
these executive session from time to
time, either without notifying any
body, or by telling just some or an
other favored reporter.
Everyone, I think, agrees that it
was a foregone conclusion that day.
light saving would have to be adopt
ed in Hagerstown since practically
the whole of Maryland and the Dis
trict of Columbia are adopting it,
and the much talked of plumbers
code was nothing more or less than
a codifcation of the old codes which
have been in existence for many
years and great many provisions
of which have never been (and
probably will never be- lived up to.
All this argument between the
press and the Office of the Mayor of
Hagerstown could be minimized, if
not entirely cleared up, if the Mayor
would adopt the simple rule of mott
flying the press and radio, in adj
vance, of every special meeting of
the Mayor and Council, and stating
plainly whether such meeting would
be executive or open to the press
and public.
Is that too much to ask, Mr..
Mayor?
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