Evening star., 1953-03-18
Accord Seen
On nP|anningB Bill
Compromises
includes Proposal
For Two Counties
To Control Budget
By q steff correspendsnt Of The stur

BY a Sfoff Correspondent Of The St1r
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 18.-Agree-
ment was reported today on COM
promise amendments to the con-
troversial Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission legislation, including
one to put the commission under
budgetary control of Montgom-
cry and Prince Georges coun-
ties.
Four Montgomery and Prince
Georges delegates and the two
senators from those counties
have been comforting off and on
for the past week in an attempt
to salvage at least part of a bill
introduced in the General AS
sembly by the two delegations
to abolish the planning agency
and transfer all of its functions
to the two counties.
Senators j. R. Fletcher, Re
publican. of Prince Georges, and
Anders R. Lofstrand. jr.. Repub-
lican. of Montgomery, and some
of the delegates refused to go
along with that original pro-
posal. The debate became so
heated on the Montgomery side
that the county's Republican
State Central Committee called
their legislators to a showdown
meeting a week ago Sunday.
Since then, both sides have ap-
peared more willing to compro-
mise.
In Tentative Agreement.
One member of the four-man
subcommittee appointed by the
delegates to work out the
amendments with the Senators
reported that tentative agree
ment has been reached on pro-
posals to:
/. Retain the commission and
extend its jurisdiction through
out both counties. It now covers
only the urban area. Such a
move would necessitate scrap
ping the Upper Montgomery
County Planning Commission.
2. Require the commission to
submit its budget for approval
to the Prince Georges County
commissioners and the Mont
gomery County Council, similar
to the procedure now followed
by the school boards Of the two
counties.
8. Repeal all mandatory taxes
of the commission and permit
the Prince Georges commits
sioners and the Montgomery
Council to set the tax rates for
the agency. For taxing pur-
poses, the two counties would
be divided into rural and urban
districts, on the theory that the
rural areas should pay a lesser
tax since they would require
fewer services from the agency.
AppOintive System.
4. Permit the Montgomery
Council to appoint its three
members on the commission.
upon recommendation of the
County State Central Commit
tee. The three Prince Georges
members would continue to be
appointed by the Governor.
The subcommittee amend
ments are being drafted and are
to be presented to the joint dele
cation this week.
Delegate Harry E. Taylor, jr.,
Republican, of Prince Georges
announced that he will introduce
a bill this week to set up public
kindergartenS in his county for
children whose parents are will
ing to pay part of the costs.
Mr.. Taylor said, however, he
has had to change the measure
from it's original draft because
of objections from the county
commissioners. His first draft
would have directed the COM
missioners to appoint a kinder
garten director and would have
authorized them to appropriate
funds, if they wished, for a
public kindergarten program.
He said he has changed the
bill to put the program COM
pletely under the County School
Board.
Fletcher Introduces Bills.
Senator Fletcher yesterday
introduced several bills, includ-
ing one to extend roadside pro-
lection throughout all of Prince
Georges County. The present
county law allows control of
land within 300 feet on few
selected highways in the sub
urban area.
Another Fletcher bill would
make certain that persons act
ing in behalf of liquor license
holders could be held liable,
under State law banning sale
of alcoholic beverages to minors.
The present law bans sale to
minors by the licensee or any
of his employees, but does not
cover relatives and other persons
not technically classified as en-
ployes.
The Senator also introduced a
bill to provide for a special 10
cent fire tax in the Kent Elec-
ton District of his county, SUBJ
ject to a referendum on the first
Monday of November, 1858. Pro-
ceeds of the tax, which would
total over $4,000 a year, would
go to the recently organized
Kentland Volunteer Fire De-
partment.