Evening star., 1951-02-03
PrinceGeorges
Survey Given
First Shove
Abbot Is Appointed
To Committee for
Guiding Inquiry

Initial steps toward a profess
sional survey of the Prince Georges
County government structure were
underway today.
The county commissioners yes
terday adopted in full recommen-
dations of the Citizens Committee
for Good Government, the County
Civic Federation, the League of
Women Voters and other citizens
groups.
Representatives appeared be-
fore the commissioners at their
monthly meeting in the County
Service Building, Hyattsville.
The commissioners named Dam
iel A. Abbott of Camp Springs
from their membership as one of
the three members of a special
committee to initiate and guide"
the survey. -Sey also voted to
notify the county legislative dele
cation formally of the choice and
ask the delegation to chose one Of
its members to serve on the spe-
cial committee.
Third To Be Selected.
Selection of the third member
a person with professional back
ground in local government-will
be made by the executive board
of the citizens committee. Will
liam R. Turner. executive seere-
tary of the citizens group, told
the commissioner the choice pro-
ably will be made in time to in
form the county heads Tuesday at
their meeting in Upper Marlboro.
Citizen spokesmen made it clear
that the third member must be
non-partisan. They indicated he
will be a county resident who is
civil service employe of the
Federal Government and who,
consequently, is unable to run for
county offices.
For their part, the commission
ers stated that when the special
committees work is finished
when the commissioners are ready
to sign a contract with a survey
firm for the study-the committee
will be dissolved.
Don't Want New Machine.
The other commissioners echoed
Mr.. Abbott's sentiments in that
regard, when he said:
1--WE fought like heck to lick
one machine in the last cam
paign-we don't want another one
around"
Election of the all-Republican
board was part of the upset which
saw the COP take over control
of the traditionally Democratic
county last November.
The motion that the citizens
recommendations be accepted was
made by Commissioner w. Evertt
Marion and seconded by Mr.. Alb
bott. The vote was unanimous.
Earlier, Mr.. Turner had told the
commissioners:
"The recommendations of
comprehensive survey are badly
needed by the citizens of this
county. Many of the problems
that face the county cannot be
solved until its citizens are fully
informed. The survey movement
from its inception has been a
citizens movement "a genuine
desire to approach the problems
of the county on a constructive
and objective basis"
Hyattsville Requests Received.
He said the citizens and the
commissioners must come to a
common understanding today on
the steps necessary to initiate the
survey"
The commissioners also received
a delegation from the Hyattsville
Business and Professional Mems
Association. The group made two
requests. The first was that the
commissioners go on record ia
voring legislation to condemn land
for off-street parking in incor-
porated areas. The commission
ers took this under advisement
pending receipt of additional in
formation on legislation already
before the General Assembly.
The second request was that
the commissioners back legisla-
tion to eliminate the inventory
tax for merchants. Spokesman
declared the tax was inequitabie.
The commissioners agreed to no.
tify the county delegation at
Annapolis that they favor repeal
of the tax, imposed by State law.