Evening star., 1950-01-20
DR.. Ray Advises
Silver Spring 10
DropCityP Plans
Survey Finds Taxes
Under Incorporation
Almost Prohibitiye'

The incorporation of Silver
Spring under any one of several
much discussed plans either
could not be achieved or would
not be feasible.
So concludes DR.. Joseph M.
Ray, University of Maryland
consultant on public administra-
tion, after prolonged study on
which he reported last night, be-
fore the Silver Spring Junior
Chamber of Commerce.
In effect, DR.. Ray advised that
Silver Spring continue as an un-
incorporated community within
the framework of Montgomery
County.
This is not the course the con-
sultant prefers to all others but
he indicated belief that it is the
best, considering all circum-
stances.
Offers Better Idea
A better idea, he said, would
be for all of the suburban COM
munities of Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties-along
the entire length of the District
boundary-to band together for
incorporation into a city with
county status.
THE formation into one Mary
land city of the entire suburban
Maryland area from Oxon Hill to
Glen Echo is the only adequate
available solution to governmental
problems in this area" he as
serted.
But he conceded that the OBJ
stacles to so sweeping a change
would be practically insurmount-
able"
Strong opposition to such a
move could be expected, he said,
from both Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties, as well
as from the incorporated towns
and special taxing areas in the
area involved.
Sacrifice Would Be Great.
"The counties" he explained,
could hardly be expected to give
up the tremendous tax resources
Of the metropolitan area and
retire from their growing number
of municipal activities to the gov
eminent of the remaining rural
area"
Another obstacle, he said, is the
mutual distrust between residents
of the two counties.
He said there would be a wide
spread feeling in Montgomery
County that Prince Georges
would prove to be a liability,
with its older residential areas,
its less progressive political de-
velopment and its different atti-
tudes toward alcoholic beverage
controls and other matters"
Prince Georges, on the other
hand, already looks "distrustingly''
upon Montgomery's charter gov
ernment and might refuse the
merger for this reason alone.
City In Montgomery Discussed.
A third alternative proposed In
the report would be the establish
ment of a metropolitan city for
Montgomery County. This would
include the area from Cabin John
and Glen Echo to Takoma Park
on the other side of the county.
Here again, however. such a pro-
posal would meet with serious op-
position from the incorporated
towns of Glen Echo, Kensington
Garret Park and Takoma Park
DR.. Ray predicted, as well as from
the county government itself.
In addition, it would not solve
the problem of bi-county services
performed by the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission
and the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
AS a result Dr.. Ray concluded
that this proposal is as unfeasible
as that for Maryland City.
Inclusion in ID. C. Out.
He then took up the possibility
Of including Silver Spring in the
District of Columbia.
1T is apparent to the impartial
observer, he ? said, that the
Maryland area suburban to the
District is economically a part of
Metropolitan Washington.
Transportation facilities all
converge toward Washington and
the telephone system, with its
many subordinate exchanges,
functions primarily as one metro
politan system"
But he pointed out that Mary
landers could hardly be expected
to consent to being included in
an area where there is no self
government. And the State Gov
eminent in Annapolis would be
certain to block the move.
Problem in Silver Spring.
A fifth alternative would be the
much-discussed proposal to in
corporate Silver Spring. DR.. Ray
cited several ohiectior,c houovar