Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1952-06-19

record as supporting the recent
Sobeloff recommendation.
Legislation
The Sobeloff Commission, known
officially as the Commission on
administrative Organizations of the
State, has urged the State Legisla-
tive Council to submit self-govern-
ing Legislation to the General As
sembly. 1t recommended two
amendments to the State Constitu-
ton to accomplish these aims.
One would prohibit the passage
of local laws by the General Assem-
bly, relating to cities and towns,
except for those regulating maxi
mum rates at which property taxes
may be levelled and amount of
municipal debt that could be incur
red. Such legislation also would
include permission for municipal
tiles to amend their charters
through local action.
The second amendment would
prohibit passage of local legisla-
ton for the 20 counties and Balti-
more City. Counties and Balti-
more City now have home rule
power in the Constitution similar
to that proposed by the Sobeloff
Commission. Only Montgomery
County and Baltimore City, how
ever, have adopted home rule char
tiers.
Life Membership
Mr.. Kelly, who was one of the
four league members to be honor
ed at the convention by life mem
bership in the league, is former
mayor of Rockville and immediate
past president of the League.
He said today that the committee
he heads will begin to function
within the next few months and
that one resident from each Coun-
ty in the State will be chosen to
conduct the local campaign for
self-government for municipalities.
Women will be included on the
Committee. He said the constitu-
tional amendment proposed by the
Sobeloff Commission would not
take away powers of the General
Assembly but would reduce the
work load of the States govern
ing body and give it more time for
consideration of State matters and
those of general concern.
1t was announced at the con-
vention that county chapters of the
League are in organizing stages in
Montgomery and Prince Georges
counties. Mayor Irving ]. Nc
Cathran of Washington Grove was
named to head the Montgomery
Chapter at meeting held recently
at Olney.
Historical Background
In the meantime, Mr.. Kelly
pointed out today that historically,
Maryland counties as Political sub
divisions of the state, as well as
governments of municipalities, in a.
sense, date back to- an era when all!
government conferred in the General
Assembly and the Lord Proprie-
tary, and local self government did
not exist except by special grant.
He said control of the General
Assembly over counties and towns
swamped initiative in the Colonial
period and that they remained
simple settlements, without polit-
ical or civil rights, at a time when
ether towns of the colonies were
fast growing into independent seq
ments of government. At the
same time, he said the Maryland
counties, which were of English ORR
gin, were created primarily for the
use of the state in order that it's
authority might be more easily i'm
posed. County functions, however,
have been modified and changed to
considerable extent since provincial
times, he added.
Mr.. Kelly said one of the chief
reasons why many municipalities
in Maryland have failed to expand
and grow as they have in other
states is due to ut-dated provincial
dependency upon the General AS
sembly.
He said dependency of the NUM-
cipalities on the Legislature places
burdens upon County legislators
which frequently swamp them at
times when the widening scope of
state affairs demands their undivid-
ed attention.
He emphasized the fact that self
government for the municipalities
would by no means remove the
watchful eye which the General
Assembly must keep on local acti-
Nities. On the other hand, he
pointed out that the initiative
which the municipalities would
gain by becoming sufficient
4 i n Al