Evening star., 1951-12-09
CiviicGroupsSet
For Action on
Survey Report
Prince Georges Study
Recommendations
Due Next Sunday
By J. l. MichoeI

De lncluoeQ IN professional sur
vey report expected to be re-
leased next Sunday.
Prepared by the Public Admin
istration Service of Chicago, the
findings will embody conclusions
of a $4,000 survey begun last
spring after long and bitter con-
troversry.
The checkup was authorized by
the incumbent all-Republican
county commissioners who last
year ousted a 26-year- -old Demo-
cratic regime.
Leading the fight for the survey
were the League of Women Vot-
ers, the Civic Federation and the
Citizens Committee for Good
Government.
Home Rule or Charter.
Members of these groups, their
programs held in allegiance since
survey field work was completed
several weeks ago, expect inclu-
sion of these recommendations:
l. Home rule or charter gov
eminent, with administration in
the hands OF a professional county
manager and the commissioners
Or council acting as policy max
ing body.
2. A single county police system.
This would mean abolishing
municipal police departments
and ending law-enforcement
activities by the sheriff and his
deputies.
3. Establishment Of a finance
and budget department. a per-
sonnel board, a merit system for
county employees and a purchasing
department headed by an execu-
tive without other duties.
4. Creation of a metropolitan
city embracing densely populated
areas adjacent to the District.
No Final Action.
Other predicted suggestions re-
late to functioning of the Prince
Georges General Hospital, Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission, Maryland-National Park
and Planning Commission and
county departments of Education,
Health and Welfare.
The report also may touch on
economic aspects of county
liquor dispensary system and other
problems.
While most. If not all of these
subjects have been discussed,
none has been finally acted on by
any of the three civic groups.
All have. however, developed
plans to present the surveys find
ings to the public through work
shops, forums. newspaper and
radio publicity and speakers who
will appear at community and
county wide meetings. The civic
bodies recently formed an Inter
Organization Committee to carry
out these objectlves.
Growth IntensIfies Problems.
Demands for a survey became
insistent in I947 when league
members attempting to obtain
governmental information found
what they called confusion, in
terlocking lines Of responsibility.
poorly kept records and a gen.
eral lack of pertinent knowledge
on the part of public officials"
In the opinion Of Mrs. Irma
Bogdanoff, league president at
that time, such conditions were
not altogether the fault of Demo-
cratic officeholders. AS she ex-
planned it:
THE county and its problems
had grown enormously within
decade and the impact of this
unprecedented growth upon the
antique system OF government
could not be foreseen."
Princes Georges population,
now nearly 100000. increased
lit per cent between 1910 and
1850. Assessed property valuations
today total more than $267 million
and the current budget exceeds
$40 million.
Commenting on the need for
home rule or charter, Mrs. Bog
danof pointed out that the county
commissioners are not, in reality,
the county's governing body. In
stead, they are second to the leg
islative delegation. made up OF a
State senator and six delegates
to the General Assembly. Under
the present system, the legislature
uses about IS per cent of its time
acting on local bills which could
be handled in the counties.
The Civic Federation first sug-
gested a survey in 1914 when it
received complaints from new
residents concerning inadequacy
of schools, police protection and
other services.
-Four years later, concerted
moves for a checkup were un-
successful. Finally. former State
Senator L. Harold Sothoron in
troduced and pushed through his
long-embattled bill revamping the
SohAAeJ 1S1lO1 QlE
survey demands.
Chance for Republicans.
Republicans, out-registered 2 toI
J. saw their chance and seized it.
They adopted a 1850 platform
pledging the survey, repeal of the
Sothoron Act and appointment of
a county manager who was not a
commissioner.
After their victory at the polls,
the new GOP-dominated delega-
tion kept its promise to repeal the
disputed law. A new bill was
passed, similar in some respects
but permitting the commissioners
to select one of their number for
full-time administrator at $500
year.
In reply to ensuing protests, the
legislators explained that they en-
acted the substitute as an interim
measure, to be replaced after sur
vey recommendations are debated
The civic groups have since
criticized the commissioners be-
cause, although authorized to do