Evening star., 1952-06-15
League Urges
Home Rule for
Cities
Sobeloff Commission
Findings Indorsed
At 2-Doy Conference
By Chorles A. McAleer

OCEAN CITY. Md, June IA
Maryland's Municipal League
ended its two-day conference here
today with resolution urging
the States Legislative Council
and General Assembly to enact
legislation which would provide
for home rule for municipalities.
The organization. which repre-.
Sents some 81 cities and towns,
also went on record as indorSing
principles expressed in recommen-
dations by the States Sobeloff
Commission relative to local leg
islation by incorporated munich
palities.
The league voted to launch an
all-out campaign in support of the
measure and named G. La Mar
Kelly, jr.. former mayor of Rock
vile, to head a Statewide COM
mittee. Mr.. Kelly is immediate
past president of the league and
was one of four former heads to ,
earn life membership in the group
yesterday.
League ccnferees also learned
of the resignation of the leagues
active executive secretary. DR..
Joseph M. Ray.
Unanimously Supported.
League members were unani-
mously behind the home rule
resolution and urged the new
committee to do all it can to pro-
mote the proposed legislation
before the various county conf
and delegations to the
General Assembly.
Mr.. Kelly said the committee
will select one man from each
county in Maryland-some one
who is interested in home rule
and not necessarily member Of
the league-to conduct the local
campaigning.
He said the proposed consti-
tutional amendment as recon-
mended by the Sobeloff Commits
sion would not take away powers
of the Assembly. He said it would
reduce excess work of the legis-
lators and give them more time
for State and general matters.
Housing Is Topic.
Oliver C. Winston. executive di-
rector of the Baltimore Housing
Authority and John H. Wilson.
secretary treasurer of the Mary
land Association of Public Hous-
ing Authorities, spoke on public
housing.
Mr.. Winston told the league
that municipalities should inves-
tigate possibilities of public hous-
ing and land development pro-
grams sipilar to those in Balti-
more.
Public housing. he said. mo
longer is an experiment" and now
has become a good municipal
business proposition.
Warren Buckler, bond attorney
for Baltimore, described methods
of bond financing and warned
that any failures create a terrific
black eye on the credit of your
community"
Citizens Urged to Participate.
DR.. Franklin l.. Burdett head of
the University of Maryland's de-
partment of government and poll
tics. said there was more need
than ever for increased emphasis
on citizen participation in govern
ment.
DR.. Rays resignation was an
Inounced at a luncheon. He said
the university granted him two
year leave as head of it's college
of special and continuation studies
to accept civilian position with
the Air Force as assistant chief Of
it's Information and Education
branch.
In DR.. Rays place as executive
secretary starting Monday will be
Edward NICK. johnson, jr., son
of the former executive officer Of
the Maryland State Police force
and 1947 graduate Of the uni
versity. Mr.. Johnson, former
student of DR.. Ray, has been serv-
ing as assistant secretary Of the
league. He lives at 3159 Queens
Chapel road. Mount Rainier.
County Chapters Organizing.
It was announced that county
chapters of the league are in the
organizing stage in Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties.
Mayor Irving j. McCathran Of
Washington Grove said he had
been named chairman Of the
Montgomery unit. Prince George
residents attending the confer
Ience named Mayor Ross Beville
of Takoma Park as temporary
chairman.
An amendment to the leagues
constitution granting life member-
ship to past presidents was ap-
proved. Membership recipients, be-
side Mr.. Kelly, were former Mayors
John c. Post. Takoma Park.
Thomas S. Post, Cumberland, and
Mayor Julian Tubman, Cambridge.
Mayor Herman L. Mills of Hagers-
town will qualify in November
when Mayor Herbert w. Reichelt
of Mount Rainier takes over as
nreSidpnt