Evening star., 1948-03-26
Police Commissioner
Post in Montgomery
Abolished by Board

In a surprise move, the Mont
gomery County commissioners yes
Eterday abolished the post Of police
commissioner, now held by Com.
missioner Wesley I. Sauter OF Be.
thesda. The action becomes effec'
tive April l.. @
t The vote, taken in closed ses.
sion at the Rockville Courthouse
was 8 to 2, with Commissioners
Charles H. Jamison and Oliver w
Youngblood supporting a motion by
Board President Brooke Johns to
eliminate the office Commissioners
Sauter and George C. (Ace) Es-
worthy voted against the resolu-
ton.
The job carries a $1,000 annual
salary which is in addition 70 the
$4,000 received by Mr.. Sauter as
commissioner for the western sub
urban area.
Sauter Refuses Comment.
After the vote. Mr.. Sauter was
quoted as saying, Il guess you won't
need me any more" He left i'm
mediately afterward. When reached
later at his Office in the Bethesda
County Building, Mr.. Sauter re-
fused to comment.
Following the meeting, Mr.. Johns
told reporters the job was super
fuous" and was a carryover from
previous county Democratic admin
istrations. which. according to the
board president, had created the
post to pad" the regular COM
missioners' salaries.
II think we can get much better
results with a chief of police as
the sole authority over the Police
Department" Mr.. Johns declared.
Before, we couldn't hold any one
responsible for conditions in the
department because of the dual
authority setup."
Mr.. Jamison charged that under
the old system. things were hap
pening In the Police Department
that we knew nothing about. Pro-
motions, for example, were never
discussed with the board and the
first we knew about them were
when list was submitted to us
The commissioners also instructed
Police Chief Charles M. Orme to
submit a weekly report to them or
any problems with which he is
faced.
The decision to eliminate the po-
lice commissionership brought to
an end a 10-month-old controversy
among board members.
The argument started last July
when Mr.. Johns resigned as COM
missioner in charge of the county
almshouse with the understand
ing that Mr.. Sauter would do like
wise with the police commissioner
job.
AT that time" Mr.. Johns told
reporters, Mr. Sauter told us he
would resign as of January. 1913
Last December, however, when we
reminded him of his promise, he
told us he had reconsidered.
Burdette Named Assessor.
In other business, the commits
sioners appointed Roger w. Bur-
dette, Damascus, as an assessor at
s3,10O a year He fills the vacancy
created by the recent retirement OF
William Aud.
Mr.. Burdette was rated at the
top of six candidates whose <pames
were submitted by the board to the
State Tax Commission. The COM
m;ssioners voted down motion by
Mr.. Esworthy to appoint Robert w
johnson. Gaithersburg. son Of the
late Walter johnson Mr.. Johnson;
name also was on the list.
The board agreed to have County
Engineer Blanton Barnett make q
survey for a sidewalk on Old Blad.
ensburg road between Colesvill.
road and Franklin avenue, Silvel
Spring.
Mr.. Barnett also was instructed
to prepare estimates on the pro-
posed construction of curbs ant
cutters on Perry street between
Lincoln avenue and st. Paul street
Kensington. as requested by resi-
dents Of the street.