Evening star., 1949-02-26
Bills 10 Transfer
Count!yP|anning
Due for Action
Montgomery Bockers
And Commission Aides
Heard at Annapolis
Bv B Zofmnn
Stcr Staff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 26.-The
House Ways and Means Commit
tee is expected to act early next
week on four bills which would
transfer many of the functions of
the Maryland-Na Capital
Park and Planning Commission to
the Montgomery County Council.
The measures would transfer
building and electrical inspection
and all planning functions in
Montgomery County, other than
those dealing with parks, from the
commission to the council.
Spokesman for the commission,
the council and the all-Repub-
lican Montgomery delegation ar
gued for two hours before the
committee yesterday over the
effect of the proposed legislation.
Claims by supporters of the bills
that they would result in county
wide zoning and planning under
locally elected officials were met
with the contention from COM
mission representatives that the
measures would destroy plan
ming in the Maryland Washington
regional district"
Lee Criticizes Setup.
Frederic P. Lee, council presi-
dent, started the debate by charg-
ing that under the present setup,
1--WE are second-class citizens"
He pointed out a Statewide law
gives all counties except Mont
gomery planning authority. And,
until six years ago, he added,
building and electrical inspections
were under elected officials in the
county.
Chairman Leroy Humphrey
asked whether the same condition
existed in his home county of
Prince Georges.
yes" replied Mr.. Lee. you're
just as bad off as we, but you
seem to like it,
Emphasizing the commission S
authority to purchase and devel-
op park lands in Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties with the
aid of Federal funds would be un-
disturbed by the bills, Mr.. Lee
said: 1T is mean picture I bring
to you when say laws have been
on the books 20 years but we can't
enforce them because the ma
chinery exists in the planning
commission over which we have
no authority
Wants Problems Separated.
In response to another question
by Mr.. Pumphrey, Mr.. Lee said
bi-county agencies are necessary
for bi-county problems. but he
insisted that building and elec-
trical inspection and planning
for Montgomery County is a
Montgomery problem and should
be divorced from Prince Georges
County"
A much different viewpoint was
expressed by j. Bond Smith, attor-
ney to the commission, who denied
the present law discriminates
against Montgomery and Prince
Georges County.
Warning Is Issued.
"These bills" he warned, would
destroy planning in the Maryland
Washington regional district COM
pletely and irrevocably because
they would repeal the Maryland
Washington Regional District Act.
You can't take away half your
planning district and still have a
planning area. These bills are
vicious in their effect"
Mr.. Smith argued that the en-
tire planning area in the two coun-
ties must be treated as unit in
conjunction with planning by the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
County lines are unimportant
in such an area" he maintained.
To support his stand, he quoted
excerpts from an editorial appear
ing in the February IS issue OF
The Washington Star opposing
the bills.
Also opposing the bill were E.
Brooke Lee, vice chairman of the
commission, and its chairman,
Irwin I. Main.