Evening star., 1951-10-17
McNaW Would
Cdt Red Tape on
Mentally Sick
Finds Patients Kept
In County Joil Doys
Awaiting Papers

Irving G. McNayr, Montgomery
County manager, today was seek
ing to shortcut red tape which,
he said, forces the county to keep
some mental patients in jail until
they can be committed to State
institutions.
Mr.. McNayr said some mentally
Ill persons have to be kept in the
county Jail at Rockville two or
three days and sometimes longer
while they await lengthy pro-
cedural paper passing"
The manager, in a report to the
County Council at its meeting in
Rockville yesterday, said he in
tends to discuss the matter with
State authorities "and make every
effort to arrange for the immedi-
ate notwithstanding of mentally
Ill patients and thus avoid any
incarceration of these people in
the county jail.
Two Week Investigation.
Mr.. McNayr was ordered by the
d council two weeks ago to investi-
gate the practice of temporarily
confirming mental patients in the
Jail. The order was passed after
Mrs. Stella B. Werner and Mrs.
Kathryn J. Lawlor. council mem
bers, reported on visits to the jail.
1t was suggested at that time
that the manager attempt to ar
range temporary confinement of
mental patients in one of the
county hospitals. but Mr.. McNayr
said yesterday none of the insti-
tutions sis desirouS of setting up
facilities for such emergency care" I"
He ruled out establishment of
special facilities by the county as
too expensive for the amount they
would be used.
At least six mental patients have
been put in the county Jail in the
past two months. it was learned.
Most of them were put there on
technical disorderly conduct
charges after being turned over to
the county by their families. Oc-
caSionally a mental patient is ar
rested by police on some criminal
charge.
Other Major Actions.
In other major actions the
council:
l. Set hearing for 8 pm. No
vember z, in the Rockville Court
house, on proposed new subdivision
regulations for Upper Montgomery
County, and for 1880 pm, Novem-
ber Is. in the Rockville Court
house, on the resignation of Is
members OF the Cabin John Park
Volunteer Fire Department.
2. Agreed to pay half the costs
OF maintaining up TO three school
crossing guards in the city of Ia
koma Park.
3. Granted a commercial coming
application which breaks a long
standing policy of maintaining a
3O0-foot kight of way along the
Rockville pike.
The new subdivision regula-
tions, prepared by the recently
organized Upper Montgomery
Planning Commission, are similar
to those now in effect in the
suburban area of the county.
Takes No Stand in Dispute.
In setting the@hearing on the
controversy within the Cabin
John Fire Department. the Council
said it has taken no stand on the
dispute but believes a public hear
ing will help solve the problem.
The agreements on Takoma
Parks school crossing guards was
reached at a conference between
the county Council and the Tako-
ma Park Council.
City officials wanted the county
to foot the full bill for at least
three guards as it has in the past
but agreed to the $3.50 financing
plan for this year at least.
Serves Notice on Funds.
The City Council served notice
that it will ask for a larger per-
centage of county police funds for
next year. The city now gets a
rebate of IL cents of the tax rate
for providing its own police force.
Parents at the Takoma Park
Elementary School, Philadelphia
and Cedar avenues, began serving
as school crossing guards Monday
to protect children until the two
councils resolve their differences.
The coming matter was decided
on a 4-to-3 vote. which broke
across party lines. Grover Walker
and Mrs. Werner, Democrats,
Joined Republicans Harold Ham
mond and Mrs. Lawlor in voting to
decrease the setback along the
west side of Rockville pike at Con-
gressional airport from $50 to 100
feet.
Gas Station Being Built.
The decision came on an appli-
cation from Arthur c. Hyde, owner
of the airport, asking reclassifica-
tion from Residential A to Com
mercial D of a 200-foot strip OF
land parallelling the pike lat a
depth Of rs feet. Mr.. Hyde asked
that the strip be rezoned to a point
rs feet from the highways center
line, but the council decided that
a 100-foot setback is as far as the
right-of-way can be safely de-
creased.
A filling station is being con.
structed on the land in question,