The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-05-03

McKeldin has signed several bills
during the past week concerning
Washington County, the printed bills
have not yet reached Senator Nc
Laughlin's desk.
/ hope, however, that he will re-
ceive them in time for me to publish
a synopsis of them in next weeks
issue.
For the first time that | can re-
member, an appeal to the citizens of
Hagerstown and Washington County
for help to fight one of the most ter
rible diseases of mankind-Cancer-
is tagging far behind, so far, in fact,
that the drive for funds has had to
be, extended indefinitely.
There is no need for me to elabor-
ate on the urgent need for funds to
carry on this important work of
fighting this dread disease, - funds
that will be used right here at home,
so that those of our own community
who are cancer victims can get the
attention they so badly need. You
all know how important it is, so let's
all work just a little harder-and
give a little more-so that we can
add the 1851 Washington County
Cancer Drive to the long list of
worthwhile causes for which our
community has always gone over the
top.
How about it neighbour?
The work of the Federal Crime
Investigation Committee has focused
the eyes of the nation on violations
of the law that are rampant through
out the country, and we are all in
dignantly demanding that something
be done about it.
But before we get too hot and
bothered about the law breaking of
the other fellow, we should first
carefully examine our own con-
sciences.
Take this matter of parking tick
cts, for example.
| have heard it said, time and
time again, that the police depart
ment has gone hog wild over park
ing tickets, when they should be CIV
ing their attention to more serious
crimes and that is why there are not
enough policemen to properly patrol
their beats and take care of the
more important law violations.
All right. Now let's see what
would happen if the police eased up
on violations of the parking laws.
You know - and 1 know - that
before long it would be impossible
to find a parking space anywhere
downtown, unless you were lucky
enough to get to one of them early;
loading and unloading zones would
be filled with passenger cars; alleys
and driveways would be blocked;
and double parking would be the
order of the day. No, that's not an
exaggeration, it's exactly the condi-
ton of our downtown streets not
more than year or SO ago.
Illegal or overtime parking, it is
true, is only minor violation of the
law, but it is violation nevertheless,
and if we are all sincere in wanting
to curb law violations - small as
well as big - we will stop calling
the police officers and the police
commissioner every name we can set
our tongue to when we get ticket
for distinct violation of the law,
but pay our fines, and resolve to do
our part by respecting all the laws
of the land - not just those that we
think we should respect.
Tuesdays meeting of the Board of
County Commissioners was one of
the busiest I have attended in a long
time.
During the morning session, which
is usually used for the reading of
the minutes and the disposal of other
routine business, the time of the
commissioners was largely taken up
with interviewing taxpayers who
called on county matters, and right
here let me say that the commits
sioners at their meetings always
drop anything they might be doing
when taxpayers come before them,
so that they can give them their I'M
divided attention.
Also at the morning session, a
delegation from the Board of Trus-
tees of the Washington County Lii
brary waited on the commissioners
regarding an increase in the 1851
budget to take care of the bookmo-
bile service which has proven SO
popular throughout the county.
The commissioners promised to