Evening star., 1953-01-25
Lindsay Law
Repeater 10 Be
Pushed Again
Montgomery Bloc
To Seek Reform on
County Elections

By Gene Goodwin
sinr sinff corrn.nondant

Sfur Sfoff correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. "a. - A
scrappy band of Montgomery
County Republican legislators
will resume it's campaign Mon
day to get the dominantly Demo-
cratic Maryland General Assem-
bly, to repeal the Lindsay law.
That's the law which prevents
Montgomery County from hold
ing non-partisan elections for
the County Council.
Delegate j. Douglas Bradshaw,
chairman of the all-Republican
Montgomery delegation. said the
1858 version of the Lindsay re-
pealer will be introduced in the
House of Delegates here tomor-
row.
The Montgomery lawmakers
feel the repeater has q good
chance at passage this session.
They hope to take advantage of
Democratic factional splits re-
sultng from the Republican vic
tory in Maryland last November.
Similar repeal measures were
unsuccessful in the 1947, 1s49
and 1851 sessions.
The Lindsay law was passed
In 1945, when Montgomery
County was entangled in conflict
over adoption of a home-rule
charter and when it's delegation
to the Assembly was Democratic.
Mr.. Bradshaw emphasized that
the Lindsay repeal bill is en-
abling legislation. Non-partisan
council elections would not be
mandatory if it passes, he said.
The bill merely would give the
council the authority, either with
or without referendum, to per-
NIT non-partisan candidates..
List Montgomery Bills.
Also ready for introduction by
the Montgomery group Monday
are bills to:
l. Allow the county to build
roads through towns, if the towns
consent. and charge abutting
property owners for the costs.
2. Allow county Board of APP
pealS cases to be appealed all the
way to the Maryland Court of
Appeals. AS it is now, decisions
by the board, which rules on
coming exceptions and variances,
can only be appealed to the Cir
cult Court.
State Senator John Raymond
Fletcher, Republican, of Prince
Georges County, says he will in
troduce a bill Monday which
may stir up quite turmoil. At
the request of Beltsville civic /
leaders, he is introducing a i
measure to incorporate that
community under a seven-mem-
ber town council, two to be
elected at large and five from
wards.
The trouble will come because
residents of part of the area to
be incorporated-the commun-
ity along Edgewood road east of
the Baltimore boulevard-have
petitioned to be annexed by Col
lege Park. A bill is being drawn
to accomplish that.
COMPROMISE Necessary.
Some compromise will have to
be reached. Both bills will pro-
vide for referendums, Mr.. Flet-
cher said.
Also scheduled for introduce
tion this week by the Prince
Georges delegation are bills to:
/. Authorize the town of Riv-
erdale to annex and collect taxes
from the large Engineering &
Research Corp, which lies just
to the north Of Riverdale. This
bill does not provide for a ref
erendum, according to Delega-
ton Chairman Albert r. Hassall,
because no voters reside in the
Would-be annexed area.
2. Increase the District
Heights board of commissioners
from three to five members, au-
thorize the town to build a $780,
600 municipal center and author
ize it to set up a police force.
Hearings on two important
legislative matters will be held
here this week.
Hearings on Roads Program.
The House Ways and Means
Committee will hold it's first
hearings on the State Roads
Commissions 12-year 1858 mil
lion roads program at IL am.
Tuesday in the House chamber.
The Senate Finance Commit
tee will hold a hearing on the
Green Commission bill to in
crease State aid to counties for
education at IL am. Thursday
in the Senate chamber.
Locally, a hearing has been
scheduled for 8 pm. Friday in
the county service building at
Hyattsville on the proposed con-
solidation of the Prince Georges
County urban area into one
"Marvland CITY"