Evening star., 1951-05-29
PrinceGeorges
Recreation Trio
Asked 10 Resign
Civic Committees
Open Drive to Save
ChiIdren's Program
By J. [. MiehoeI

By J. [. Michael
Immediate resignation Of al
members Of the Prince Georges
Recreation Board and their re.
placement by religious leaders wa,
demanded today as civic groups
launched an all-out campaign fol
continuance of a county financed
program for children.
The demand came from Walter
r. Mulligan. chairman Of q spe-
cial committee of the Citizens
Committee for Good Government
and president of the county Civic
Federation
At the same time. Benjamin NJ
Bolinger, chairman of the county
Recreation Advisory Council
lashed the county commissioners
for denying the Recreation Boards
suggested appropriation and 70,
rejecting their request for a hear.
ing on a revised budget.
Board Asked $63,730.
He was supported by the county
League of Women Voters, whose
president. Mrs. William H. Wood
said in a statement, "We are con-
cerned only about the children ano
feel everything possible should be
done to make recreation facilities
available for their needs"
The recreation program, begun
in 1949 with an initial appropria-
ton Of $4,000, this year was al
lotted $4,000 and the board asked
$63.730 for the next fiscal year.
Declaring that governmental ex-
penses had to be trimmed, the
commissioners termed recreation
''least essential" and eliminated II
from the county budget. Later,
they refused to give the recrea-
ton board an opportunity to pre-
sent revised figures at an open
hearing. ..e..
They said they did so because Of
the need for expanded school
facilities and summed up their
position with the statement that
eve do not propose to continue
q recreation program at the ex-
pense of taking it out of the hides
Of our school children"
Program Taken Over.
Civic leaders have asserted that
the impasse results from political
maneuvering. The three members
of the Recreation Board, c. Gerald
Buscl1er, H. Smith Purdum and
Thomas s. Gwynn, jr., are DEM
ocrats, while all the five commits
sioners are Republicans.
Mr.. Gwynn, who is assistant
superintendent of county schools.
has not been mentioned as q par
ticipant In the political pickering
since he was appointed by tt Z
Republican commissioners. The
term of Irwin I. Main, formerly
the fourth i Recreation Board
member, expired May l.
After recreation was stricken
from the county budget. the
Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission an.
nounced that it would make funds
available for. a limited program
this year. The commission has
not made public the amount il
would allot for this purpose anc
some sources said yesterday there
is doubt as to whether the agency
will finance the program.
Both sides have declared thai
neither politics nor personalities
have influenced their actions. A.
proof of this, Mr.. Buscher ane
Mr.. Purdum have said they
would gladly resign" if thai
would insure continuance of rec.
reation under county auspices.
Needs Positive Action"
Along With civic leaders, they
oppose transfer of such activitie!
to the planning commission.
Referring to what he called the
qualified" resignation offer o1
Mr.. Buscher and Mr.. Purdum, Mr.
Mulligan said:
THAT is an if proposal. What
is needed is positive action. Un.
less both resign forthwith, there
is no chance that some 10000 chill.
dren will have supervised recrea.
ton facilities this summer"
Everyone knows" he added
shat Mr.. Buscher and at leas
one OF the commissioners are a
odds and that fact, coupled will
political animosities, would maxi
1t impossible to get anywhere a
O hearing"
Mr.. Mulligan said that if MI
Buscher, Mr.. Smith and MI
Gwynn resign, the civic groul
would recommend that the com
missioners name in their place
a Catholic, a Protestant and
Jewish clergyman.
Mr.. Bolinger, in a letter t,
chairmen of the "a communit.
councils whose membership total
10000. said the commissioner
have refused to hear the recrea
tion board on both the origina
and the revised budget and urget
each chairman to write a lettel
of protest to the commissioners
Cites Liquor License Funds.
He pointed out that in prepar
ing the new county budget tn,
commissioners anticipated 500,
600 from liquor licenses and sait
that ito date they have received
$4,000. with possibly anothe
$4,000 yet to be received. Their
is $70.000." he added, "whicl
could be used for recreation an,
this makes their plea of no fund