Evening star., 1950-12-10

IlOnS 1ncluQe plumDlng inspection,
storm water drainage, installation
and control of water mains and
sewers and trash and garbage COL
lection. Like the Park and Plan
ming Commission, the Sanitary
Commissions three members are
appointed by the Governor and it
has met with the same criticism
as the planning commission.
Under the Montgomery delega-
tion's plans, plumbing inspection,
trash and garbage collection and,
perhaps, storm water drainage
would be transferred from the
commission to the council. In ad-
dition, commission members would
be appointed by the governing
bodies of the two counties.
AS for the liquor board, it is
proposed to have the council, in
stead Of the Governor, as at pres
ent, appoint its members.
Unlike Prince Georges County.
the Montgomery Liquor Board
operates dispensaries whose prof.
its go to the county. It also grants
beer and wine licenses to privately
operated taverns.
The Montgomery delegation
proposes to strip the board of it's
licensing authority and give it
to the council.
eve believe q group which has
control over the sale and distribu-
ton of beer should not have SINH
lar control over the granting of
licenses" Mr.. Hyde declared.
Such a system can easily lead to
abuses"
And, finally, the delegation will
sponsor a law to abolish the ap-
pointment of Board of Education
members by the Governor in favor
Of an elective board.
"All these proposals" Mr.. Hyde
said, "are part of our home-rule
program. The election of Repub-
lican delegations running on such
a platform in 1916 and again this
year prove that the people of
Montgomery County want them"
Pointing out that the incoming
Governor indorsed such legisla-
ton in campaign speeches in
Montgomery County, Mr.. Hyde ex-
pressed confidence it would be
adopted, despite heavy Democratic
majorities in the House and SEN
ate.
Sothoron Act Opposed
Observers are inclined to go
along with him, in view of the
Governors hold over recalcitrant
legislators through his "greerbag"
appointments.
These include m agistrates
throughout the State. members of
State commissions, department
heads and hundreds of local job
holders in Baltimore and the %
counties.
-Four years ago Gov. Lane used
the appointments as bargaining
tool in pushing through the sales
tax. although it apparently back
fired, resulting in his defeat when
he sought reelection.
The Prince Georges delegation,
five of whose seven members are
Republicans, will concentrate it's
fire on the Sothoron Act.
Sponsored at the last session.
of the General Assembly by for
mer State Senator L. Harold Soth-
oron of Prince Georges, who lost
his bid for Ge-election. it provides
for a full-time county
commissioner and county pur-
chasing bureau.
The measure was bitterly op-
posed by civic groups and the
League of Women Voters, who
contended it should have been
held up pending a survey to de-
termine what, if any, changes were
needed in the county government.
Their request for such survey
was denied, however, by the for
mer Democratic county commits
sioners.
This action is believed to have
been a major factor in the county's
Republican landslide last month,
since one of the pledges made by
G. o. P. candidates was to sponsor
a survey and to repeal the Soth-
oron Act.
State Senator John r. Fletcher,
who defeated Mr.. Sothoron, said
his delegation will hold off any
legislation proposing drastic
changes in the county setup pend
ing results of the survey.