Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-07
Prince Georges
School Board
Election Urged
Civic Federation Also
Fovors Licensing Of
PinboII Machines

Election Of five-member county
School Board, instead of appoints
ment by the Governor, was advo-
Gated last night by the Prince
Georges County Civic Federation.
Meeting at the County Service
Building, Hyattsville, the organiza-
ton also went on record as favoring
the licensing and control of pinball
machines in the county.
The federation reelected Walter
F. Mulligan of Berwyn, a retired
Government Printing ONCE cleo
trician, as its president for his 18th
consecutive year. All other officers
also were reelected.
One Dissenting Vote.
Approval of the elected School
Board and pinball issues followed
report by Daniel M. Greene Of
Avondale, chairman of the fedora
tons Legislative Committee, in
which he submitted drafts of two
proposed bills to be presented to
the county's delegation to the Cen
eral Assembly
The federation approved the
school board measure with only one
dissenting vote out of the IS mem
bers present. 1t was different
story on the pinball proposal, with
Mr.. Mulligan casting the deciding
vote in favor of it to break a 12-all
tie. The federation asked that final
approval of both questions be left
to voters to decide in referendum.
Mr.. Greene's bill, if adopted by
the county, would provide for the
elected f1ve-member board on and
after January l. 1851, with all mem
bers serving four-year terms. Ths
board, in turn, would have the power
to elect its own chairman and its
members would receive $500 annu-
ally, an increase of $780, The chair
man would get 5000 annually.
Greene Recommendation.
Mr.. Greene urged that one men,
Der represent the Bowie, Laurel,
Evansville, Lanham and Berwyn
election districts; another, Chillum,
Hyattsville and Riverdale districts;
a third, Bladensburg, Queen Anne,
Kent and Seat Pleasant districts:
the fourth. Spauldings, Oxon Hill,
Surratts and Piscataway districts,
and the last member, Marlboro,
MellWood, Nottingham, Brandywine
and Aquasco districts.
Considerable discussion arose over
Mr.. Greene's draft on pinball ma
chimes. Mr.. Greene, however, ex-
planned his proposal was not at
tempting to license the one-arm
bandits" only machines which now
are listed as games of skill" While
not specifying what fees should be
charged, Mr. Greene said that
Charles County assesses machine
operators 500 for each machine
and distributors $1,000. His pro-
posal would bar those under Is from
playing.
The federation Endorsed a move
ment to have the Legislature quad
ripple the State incentive funds for
schools and to authorize a $10,000,-
900 State grant program for school
construction. Quadrupling the in
centive fund, the group was told,
would provide sufficient money for
interest and sinking fund to
finance a $4,000 900 bond issue for
schools. Raymond C. Wiley of COL
lege Park, chairman of the Educa-
ton Committee, discussed a report
on school needs compiled by q
countrywide Committee on Edu-
cation.
Swimming Pools Backed.
The federation also Endorsed a
plan to construct four swimming
pools in the county, to be operated
under supervision of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. Mrs. Brendan O'DWyer
of Landover Hills was designated to
represent the federation on the
Citizens Advisory Committee to
the county mental health clinic at
College Park.
Besides Mr.. Mulligan, other ON
GERS reelected, all without opposi-
ton, were Albert F. Bird, Temple
Hills, first vice president; George
Bowen, District Heights, second vice
president; Fred w. Cast, Cheverly,
treasurer; Mrs. Genevieve Stewart,
Riverdale Heights, secretary: Mrs.
Dorothy E. Sousa, West Hyattsville,
corresponding secretary, and Frank
Fierstein, Bladensburg; Richard E.
Bauer, Rogers Heights, and Mr..
Greene, members of the Executive