Evening star., 1950-02-03
Prince Georges Group
Asks u. ). Land Near
|GreenbeIt for Parks

The Prince Georges County Civic
Federation last night urged that
Federally-oWned land near Green
belt be turned over to the county
for parks.
At the same time, during a busy
meeting at the County Service
Building, Hyattsville, the fedora
ton voted to renew its appeal for
a local government" survey.
Transfer of 1000 acres of unde-
veloped land near Greenbelt to the
county was advocated by Walter
F. Mulligan. federation president.
AS a result, federation members
voted unanimously to transmit the
recommendation to the Govern
ment's Public Housing Authority
and to members of Congress from
Maryland.
Noting that the sale of Green
belt to private enterprises is i'm
minent, Mr.. Mulligan asserted
that If the remaining land isn't
turned over to the county real
estate developers will get hold of
it" and the county will lose val
liable park site.
The federation voted to send
representatives before the county
commissioners, along with delega-
tions from other county organiza-
tions, to ask that the Government
survey be made by DR.. Joseph M
Ray of the University of Mary
lands department of Government
and politics.
Mrs. Irma Bogdanoff, president
of the county League of Women
Voters, reminded the group. that
a similar delegation went before
the commissioners over year age
to make the same request. The
commissioners took the matter
under advisement."
In another action, the fedora
ton. on a motion by Mrs. Georgia
Benjamin, asked the commission
ers to hold "open and complete"
public budget hearings this year.
She described budget hearings of
the last two years as half
hearted efforts"
The federation, after consider
able discussion, voted to demand
that the commissioners adhere to
a master zoning plan and to the
recommendations of the Mary
land-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission Except in
extraordinary circumstances"
Another resolution asked that
the county's Board of Election
Supervisors accept aff1davits from
individual new voters rather than
require them to first present re-
moval certificates from other vot-
ing areas before permitting them
to register.
A request by Harley williams,
head of the Arlington Better Gov
ernment League. that the fedora
ton vote against the Smith-Byrd
rider to a bill amending the Hatch
Act, now pending before Con-
gress. was turned down by the
Prince Georges group. The rider
would grant Federal employees in
the District area the right to ac-
tive participation in local party
politics.
DR.. r. c. Wiley, chairman of
the federation's Education Com
mittee, advocated use of a "prim-
err book for teaching young chill
dren the American way of gov
eminent. Asserting it would be
better to "indoctrinate them into
Americanism while they're young. y
DR.. Wiley declared: IT think we'd
hear lot less talk on comnu-
nism."
Mr.. Mulligan reported that DR..
Thomas S. Pullen, State school
superintendent, would meet with
the groups School Committee next
week to discuss a proposed 12-
month school plan recommended
by the federation.
The federation adopted a reso-
luton by George Ickes urging the
State Roads Commission to con-
struct sidewalks on both sides of
the Defense highway bridge
across the Pennsylvania Railroad
at Lanha1n.
The. federation also reiterated.
its plea to the Maryland Legisla-
ture to repeal the law giving the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission the power to sublet
water and sewer connection work
to private contractors.
PTA Plans Squure Dance