Evening star., 1948-05-12
Assembly Faces
plea for School
Building Funds
100 Millions Sought;
SonitoY Commission
Issue Also Raised

Legislation authorizing q $780,
000, 600 State bond issue for school
construction will be sought at the
May Is special session Of the Mary
land General Assembly.
Montgomery and Prince Georges
legislators also will seek to have the
sinking fund and water bonds ex-
cluded from the Washington Sub
urban Sanitary Commission's bond
ed Indebtedness limitation of IA per
cent of the asSessable basis of the
sanitary district.
The session was called Monday by
Gov. Lane primarily to consider
cost-of-living pay increases for
State employees and an additional
$500,000 for the Welfare Department.
A number of other bills are sure
to be brought up, however, If the
experience at previous special ses-
sions is any indication.
Most are noncontroversial and
could be settled without having to
wait for the next regular session in
January. But one, which would out
law dog racing in Anne Arundel
County, is expected to result in .
dispute.
Proponents Cite License Act.
Proponents of the measure, which
will be supported by Senator Wilbur
r. Dulin, Democrat, OF Anne Arun-
del County, said the sport. with
betting, could be legalized through
a home rule" license act passed sev-
eral years ago.
A delegation of Parent Teacher
Association officials and civic
leaders from Montgomery and
Prince George Counties was to ap-
pear today before the Legislative
Council in Baltimore in an effort
to place the bond issue proposal
on the special session agenda.
Nathan r. Gilbert. president of
the Montgomery County Council OF
Parent-Teacher Associations. was
authorized by the county commits
sioners yesterday to represent them
at the hearing.
Mr.. Gilbert said the proposal was
initiated by the Maryland League
OF Women oVters. He added that
funds from the bonds would be allo-
Gated to counties on the basis of
need.
Similar Action Taken.
Similar action was taken by the
Prince Georges County Commission
ers yesterday when a group of four
county residents obtained board in
dorsement in their attempt to get
the bond issue.
The delegation included Carroll r.
Palmer, president of the County
Council of Parent Teacher Associa-
tions: Mrs. Simon r. Epstein. CHAIR
man of the Education and Tax Com
mittee of the County League Of
Women Voters; Mrs. r. o. Stelzer,
president OF the College Park Branch
of the American Association of Uni
versity Women. and Mrs. Loring
Benedict of the County Home-
makers Clubs.
Also scheduled to appear before
the Legislative Council in support
of the bond issue are Supt. of
Schools G. Gardner Shugart; his
assistant, Paul c. Cooper, and DR..
Keith c. Harder, chairman Of the
Citizens Advisory Committee to the
County Board of Education.
The Prince Georges commission
ers were told that an overall need
for more than $4,000, 900 for school
construction exists in the county
now and that $4,000 900 of this
amount cannot be deferred
Meeting Set for Tuesday.
The bill affecting the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission will
be considered at a meeting next
Tuesday Of the Prince Georges and
Montgomery County legislative del
egations with commission officials.
At present, the commissions
bonded Indebtedness is limited to Il
per cent Of the taxable basis OF both
counties, to which 1t furnishes water
and sewer service.
According to Senator L. Harold
Sothoron, Democrat, of Prince
Georges County, attorneys for bond
ing houses have decided that
So ,000. 900 sinking fund and approx
imately $5,000,000 in water bonds
are apart of the IA per cent. He
pointed out that this ruling would
hinder issuance of new bonds.
Commission officials said their
present bonded Indebtedness was
about $4,000, 900, which they de-
scribed as pretty close" to the IA
rant