Evening star., 1948-10-31

SSld Mr. MullgaIA Wnen asked WnaC
the chances were of charter
movement in his county. We've
discussed the question in the feder
alton but have decided to defer
action until we see what Mont
gomery does"
The charter movement in Mont
gomery County traces its beginnings
to two-year Brookings Institution
survey of the county government.
The survey had been urged by the
Montgomery Council Civic Fedora
ton in 1888 and both major political
parties pledged themselves in their
platforms that year to have 1t
made.
After the 1888 election the Demo-
cratic Board of County Commits
sioners authorized the Brookings
Institution to make the survey. re-
suits of which we're made public
early in 1941.
The report recommended radical
changes in the county govern
mental setup, including a council
manager plan and county civil
service system.
1t also proposed the election of a
county council on a nonpartisan
basis with nominations to be made
by petition instead of by traditional
party machinery.
Charter Committee Formed
In addition, the report made sug-
gestions for bringing the proposed
changes within provisions of an
amendment to the Maryland con-
stitution providing for home rule
for counties.
1t met with immediate support
from residents. who felt the county
had outgrown its governmental
machinery. They organized a
countrywide study group to sponsor
a series of public meetings to con-
slider the institutions recommended
tionS.
Outgrowth Of these meetings was
the formation in July, 1912, of the
Montgomery County Charter Com
mittee, with Allen H. Gardner,
Washington attorney and member
OF the civic federation, as president.
Objective of the group was to
circulate petitions for election of a
Charter Board, which would draw
up a proposed charter and submit it
to the voters in the 1874 general
election.
Both the Charter Committee and
the Democratic leaders nominated
candidates for the Charter Board,
with the committee. slate emerging
victorious in the November election.
The Charter Board question, itself.
squeezed through by a vote of 1926
to 6,032.
The new Chaxter Board immedi-
ately set to work and the final draft
OF the proposed charter was made
public in May, 1s43. 1t provided for
home rule with local legislation to
be enacted by nine member coun-
ell, which would appoint a county
manager.
The proposal was fought bitterly
by the county Democratic admiAis-
tration, which described 1t as "un-
American" and a "rash experiment.
which would set up a permanent
bureaucracy"
Rejected Last Time
In the 1914 general election, the
proposed charter was rejected by a
vote of 1858 to 14,O4S.
Regrouping their forces, the char
terites again asked the voters to
elect Charter Board in 1916. This
time, there was no opposition slate
and the question was approved,
1917 to 1888.
Elected to the board were Col.
Norman B. Ames, Bethesda, head of
the department of electrical en-
gineering, George Washington Uni
versity; James j. Hayden, Chevy
Chase, dean of Columbus University
Law School; George r. Candy, Coles
vile fruit grower; William C. Han
son, Travilah farmer, and Howard i
Bailey, Silver Spring. assistant to
the managing editor of The Star.
While the proposal to elect a
Charter Board had been the target
of almost daily attacks by the DEM
ocrats in the 1946 campaign, they
have been strangely silent since the
election that year. Perhaps it was
because of the stunning defeat they
suffered at the polls when the voters
elected every Republican running for
local Office.
In fact, E. Brooke Lee, long time
leader of the county Democratic
organization, has urged county resi-
dents to adopt the proposed charter
made public last spring by the
SIldI Uer bOdru.
Brooke Johns Opposes 1t
His stand coiflcided with his an
nouncement ine September, 1S47,
that he was retiring from politics
to devote more time to his real es-
tate and cattle business.
While he still contended the
charter movement sis the most un-
justified development ! have OBJ
served in local American politics,
Mr.. Lee said defects in the 1914
charter had been removed from the
new plan.
Consequently, he said, the most
recent charter Is "the best that will
ever be written by the group who
constitute the leadership of the
charter movement"
Il am convinced" he added, chat
1t would be extremely unwise for
the thoughtful citizens of this
county to fail to adopt the new or
1948 charter. Not to do so Is to
take the chance of getting a vorse