Evening star., 1950-12-31
Montgomery Listed
In Top Communities
For Good Government

i montgomery county, Mo-, ana
Richmond, Va. have been named
on a team" of II all-American
communities for 1850 as result of
their outstanding accomplish
ments in providing good govern
ment for their citizens.
Montgomery is the first county
to make the team" which is the
second selected by a Jury of vet
eran municipal experts at the
recent national conference on
government Of the National Mu-
nicipal League in Buffalo, N. Y.
The first such team" was
chosen a year ago at the leagues
meeting in st. Paul, MINI.
Others on List.
Others on this years list, &C
cording to a copyrighted article
in today's issue of the Mime
apoliS Star and Tribune, are:
Hartford. Conn, Kansas City,
Mo-. Montclair, N. j., New Or
leans, Phoenix, Ariz., Portland,
Me-. Cincinnati. Toledo and
Youngstown, Ohio.
"All are proof" says the article,
that American people can have
good, honest. efficient government
If they're willing to raise their
fists instead of sitting on their
hands"
The article quotes league off,
cials as saying 1t is no coincidence
that more than half of the all
American cities have a council
manager form of government.
1000 Manager Systems.
A particular" baby of the
league, according to the article,
the city manager system now
governs more than 1000 cities.
towns and counties throughout the
United States.
Montgomery is the first county
in Maryland to adopt a charter
form OF government, providing for
a council-manager setup. This is
what the league has to say about
the nearby Maryland community {:
Montgomery County in many
respects is like no other place in
the country, For one thing, the
county government rules both
urban and rural areas.
THE two most heavily popu-
lated places, Silver Spring and
Bethesda-C Chase, are not in
corporated and don't want to be.
DOrmitOry for Washington.
For another thing, Montgom-
cry County is dormitory for
Washington, D. c. If you work in
washington, it's quite possible you
sleep in Montgomery County.
AT one time, many of the resi-
dents weren't sleeping we'll. For
years, the Democratic) partisan
ruling machine had failed to pay
off its bonds as they became due.
Instead, it borrowed new money
to pay old debts.
In 1888, aroused citizens, led
by the League of Women Voters
and the Civic Federation, got
Brookings Institution to make a
study. The institution recon-
mended home-rule charter.
"A charter reform board was
named in the early 1940s and got
a new charter on the ballot in
1914. The voters rejected it,"
A new charter board tried again
in 1946 and put the charter over
two years later. The charter slate
OF seven candidates was swept into
Office and became Montgomery
County's first home-rule council.
Results Are Listed.
"As county manager, the coun-
I'll named Irving G. McNayr, a tall,
friendly Southern drawler who
looks like a former football player
and is"
The county's financial policy,
Mr.. McNayr found, needed study
and change. He and the council,
q. set up a five-year building
program and a $40 million school
building program. raised teacher
pay. established citizens advisory
committees for various depart
ments and completed 5000 off,
street parking spaces in Silver