Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-05
Sothoron Act
Discussion SET
For Saturday
Prince Georges Civic
Leaders to Confer
With Legislators

Prince Georges legislators anc
civic leaders will meet Saturday
at Hyattsville to iron out differ
ences over streamlining of the
county government.
Delegate j. Frank Lillard, jr.
set the hearing for pm. at the
County Service Building. He
acted as Mrs. Irna Bogdanoff
chairman of the local government
committee of the County Civic
Federation, prepared an attack
on a proposed substitute for the
controversial Sothoron Act.
Mr.. Lillard, with Delegate
Harry E. Taylor and William r
Hughes, all Republicans. spon-
sored a Sothoron Act repeater
and interim" measure which they
said would be revised or repealed
when a survey of the county
setup is completed.
Survey to Begin Soon.
The survey is due to begin in
q few weeks and is to be finished
in six months.
: Dissatisfied with some provisions
of the delegations bill and uncer-
tain how long the interim might
be, Mrs. Bogdanof today began
ranying the committee supporters
f0r a showdown
aActually there are no major
differences between the two
groups" Mr.. Lillard said. eve
all are seeking the same end and
substantially the same means OF
obtaining it."
Former State Senator L. Harold
Sothoron, Democrat, started the
controversy when he introduced
the bill last year providing for a
full-time county commissioner
and other far reaching changes.
The measure, bitterly fought by
civic groups, was enacted and
Senator Sothoron lost in the No
vember election.
Constitutionality Questioned.
Although the measure was
passed by both houses and signed
by Gov. Lane, its validity has
been questioned because of cons
titutional restrictions as to the
type of legislation permissible at
short sessions.
That question mark, Mr.. Lillard
explained, makes it necessary to
put through a new bill this year.
otherwise" he said. eve would
have offered a measure directing
a survey of the county's govern
mental structure.
Mrs. Bogdanof said her group
is opposed to provision of the
pending bill which calls for aboli-
ton of the county engineers Of.
flee and would substitute board
or public works headed by the full
time commissioner.
How could any one other than
q professional engineer capaDly
perform such duties?" she asked
Neutral on Architect Plan.
Mrs. Bogdanof said her COM
mittee would take no stand on an
other highly controversial pro-
vision. which would set up a
county architects Office with the
chief objective of reducing costs
of public school construction.
State and county school authori-
ties have voiced strong opposi-
ton to the plan.
One of the chief. aims of the
federation, Mrs. Bogdanoff de-
clared, is employment of a pro-
fessional county manager who
has demonstrated his ability to
efficiently conduct a $40 million
a year business" She added: mo
private corporation with such a
volume of trade would take such
a chance on inexperienced man
agement."
Thomas E. Latimer who now
holds the $500 year post would
be given more authority under the
new bill than was conferred by
the Sothoron Act. The civic
groups oppose this extension Of
power.
Mr.. Lillard countered this bill
may be amended if the hearing
develops the need for changes. He
indicated that he and his COL
leagues are considering an amend
ment making it mandatory that
recommendations of the survey
firm be adopted.