Evening star., 1951-03-28
CountyG. 0. P.
May Again
On Election Bill
Democratic Support
Revives Hopes for
Montgomery Plan
By J. B. Zotmon
Stor Stoff Correspondent

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Republican Montgomery County
delegation will attempt to revive
its non-partisan election bill if
county Democratic leaders throw
their support behind it.
This was announced last night
by Delegation Chairman j. Doug
las Bradshaw in a telegram in
viting Warren Browning, chair
man of the county's Democratic
State Central Committee, to an
immediate conference in the del
egation's Office here.
Earlier, the House Ways and
Means Committee voted unani-
mously to kill a bill that would
have given the county council
practically unlimited taxing au-
thority. The motion for an un-
favorable report was made by
Montgomery Delegate Anders R.
Lofstrand, jr., House minority
leader.
At the same time. the Senate
advanced to the final passage
stage a watered-down version of
legislation affecting the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
Bus Line Bill Advanced.
The Senate also passed and
sent to the House a bill intended
to prevent the Capital Transit Co.
from carrying through its plan to
abandon eight Montgomery and
Prince Georges County bus lines
when permits expire Saturday.
On the other side of the State
Capitol, the House gave final ap-
proval to a measure increasing
fines and prison sentences for
persons convicted of gambling.
Sponsored by Delegate William
r. Huck) Hughes, Republican,
of Prince Georges County. the
bill would raise the maximum fine
from $1,000 to $4,000, and the
maximum Jail term, from one
to five years. 1t still faces Senate
action.
Originally, the bill provided for
a mandatory Jail sentence of at
least one year for each gambling
conviction, but this provision was
removed by the House Judiciary
Committee.
Mr.. Bradshaw's telegram was in
answer to an offer from Mr..
Browning to assist the delegation
in getting its home rule legisla-
tion through the General Assem-
bly,.
Defeated in House.
The bill to which Mr.. Bradsha W
referred would have cleared the
way for nonpartiSan elections of
county council members. After
passing the Senate, the measure
was narrowly defeated in the
House last week, after Majority
Leader A. Gordon Boone, Demo-
crat, of Baltimore County issued
party call" against q favorable
committee report.
State Tax Authority Sought.
The Ways and Means Commit
tees action on the Montgomery
taxing bill was taken shortly after
County Manacer Irving G. Nc
Nayr said the County Council
needs additional sources of rev.
enue. The measure would have
given the Council the same taxing
powers as those of the State.
Mr.. McNayr conceded the bill
was too broad and offered to
submit amendments to give the
county the same taxing authority
as that now held by Baltimore
County and Baltimore City. This
would include power to tax to-
bacco, alcoholic beverages, utility
bills and vending machines. The
committee refused to accept the
amendments, however.
Opposition to the bill was voiced
by representatives of the Silver
Spring Board of Trade and by
Lee H. Robinson, Silver Spring
businessman.
Later, Mr.. Lofstrand told re-
porters he is against any addi-
tional taxation.
people are taxed too much
now" he declared. He said the
Republican Party had been swept
into power in the State on a
pledge to block any increase in
taxation.
The Park and Planning Com
mission bills would transfer build
ing and electrical inspections from
the commission to the county
council.
They also would permit the
council to take over public recre-
alton activities now carried on by
the commission and would author
ize the council to set up a board
of appeals to hear coming peti-
tions. These petitions now are
heard by the council. Appeals
from the new boards decisions
could be made to Circuit Court
Separation Eliminated.
The bills sponsored by Senate,
Dewitt S. Hyde, Republican, of
Montgomery County, originally
would have abolished the planning
agency and set up separate plan
ming bodies in Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties, the
members of which would have
been appointed by the governing
heads of both counties.
Senator Hyde said he amended
the bills in the Senate Judiciary
Committee yesterday to eliminate
this provision. AS a result, the
present makeup of the commission
would be left unchanged, and its
functions in Prince Georges Coun-
ty would remain the same.
He also introduced a bill to
raise the commissions admin
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