Evening star., 1949-04-02
Brooke Lee AssaiIed
ByMontgomeryGr
As Liquor Bill Loses
BY Siaff Correspondent Of The Sior

BY Stoff Correspondent Of The stor
ANNAPOLIS, April 2.-For the
second time in a week, the Re-
publican Montgomery County
delegation has suffered defeat in
its attempt to obtain legislative
approval of bills affecting the
County Liquor Board.
After a spirited debate, the
House last night voted So to A.,
against a measure to transfer title
to the liquor dispensary building
in Silver Spring from the Liquor
Board to the County Council. The
bill previously had passed the Sem
ate.
Last Monday, the Senate re-
iected by one-vote margin bill
to transfer appointment of Liquor
Board members from the Cover
nor to the County Council.
Montgomery Delegate Julian P.
King accused the legislators of
"bowing to pressure from a man
who has been discredited in his
own county"
Rejected by the Voters"
Mr.! King, who rarely takes the
floor to talk on a bill, said:
"E. Brooke Lee montgomery
Democratic LEADER can't be
elected to the lowest office in
Montgomery County, yet you listen
to him. D 80 pa
He has been rejected by the
voters of my county because every
thing he has done has been to ad-
vance himself politically, and not
for the benefit of the county"
He pointed out that of the ap-
proximately $1,000 registered vot-
ers in Montgomery county, only
about $4,000 are registered as Re-
publicans.
"Yet the voters sent a solid Re-
publican delegation to Annapolis
and went in the Republican COL
umn during the presidential and
congressional races" he declared.
"You have done us more good
countrywide and statewide by
following such leadership than
you can possibly imagine"
Delegates Applaud Speech.
When he sat down many of the
delegates applauded.
After the vote was announced,
another Montgomery delegate,
Dewitt S. Hyde, shouted: I'VE will
remember this vote in 1850"
Members of the Democratic ma
jority. in opposing the bill, made a
frank bid for party support. One,
Delegate William F. Stronger, of
Anne Arundel county, said:
There is no reason for us to
help the charter form of govern
ment in Montgomery County. The
question is whether we are Demo-
Gratis or Republicans"
During the debate, Mr.. Lee sat
at the press table in the front of
the House chamber.
Later, Montgomery Delegation
Chairman Anders r. Lofstrand,
jr., issued a statement in which
he accused Mr.. Lee of "emasculat-
ing the groups legislative pro-
gram.
Every Attempt Knocked DOVE" :"
Obviously angered by the House
action, Mr.. Lofstrand asserted:
Every single attempt by US
this year to give the people OF
Montgomery County more say in
the local government had been
knocked down by Mr.. Lee.
Although Mr.. Lee and his
political organization have been
consistently repudiated at the
polls by county voters. the Gov
ernor and administration sup
porters still go along with him
and his wishes"
Mr.. Lee, in a counterstatement.
charged the QelegaClon nao con-
fined its legislative efforts largely
to attempts to transfer appoint
ments, buildings or jurisdictions"
THE Democratic majority in
both branches of the Legislature. I"
Mr.. Lee stated, voted for the bills
introduced by the Montgomery
delegation that did not seek to de-
stroy regional planning in the
Maryland suburbs Of Washington
or seek to take appointments from
the Democratic Governor.
THE actual record Is that in
three sessions covering three years.
they have not even introduced one
major bill to create. curtail. en-.
large or eliminate single major
Servire ,f couY,tv government"