Evening star., 1953-06-13
Residents Ask
Defense Fund
InMontgomery
Health Budget Cut
Stirs Controversy
At Public Hearing

NSANAAoS o4AA W 4ANA CdOC 1OS ICC'
commended $316.652 for the De-
parment of Health.
Last nights public hearings or
budgets for health, welfare anC
safety were remarkably quiet ano
brief after Wednesdays mara
thon six-hour hearing on the
school budget.
A large number of residents
however, turned out to urge the
council to allow funds for civil
defense.
Heading the delegations was
Arthur Hanson, representing the
newly formed County Civil De-
tense Association.
Mr.. Hanson conceded the resi-
dents have not been too inter-
ested in the program, but urged
the council to take the lead. He
also presented a petition signed
by some 800 persons urging a
civil defense appropriation.
Money Left Over.
Council President George F..
Nesbitt poinetd out that last
years $4,000 had gone partial
ly unused and the Council felt
there was general apathy.
Air Force Sergt. Russell Bald
win, of the Ground Observation
Corps urged the Council at
least name a director and ap-
propriate some $4,000 for main
tanning four observation posts.
Henry H. Smelling, former
Civic Federation president, and
James r. Miller, however, both
recommended that mot a single
cent" be expended.
Mr.. Smelling scored some Fed
eral and State civil defense
plans as "idiotic" and said no
funds should be spent locally
until q group of workers ap-
pears who know exactly where
they are going in the pro-
gram"
The council was told by Ger
hard Meyer of the Greater Ken
Sington Civil Defense Council it
was the county fathers respon-
Sibility to set up a defense
program. Such a program can
not solely rely on normal public
services, he said. !
Seek Police Funds.
Councilmen also heard Wash
ington I. Cleveland and Edward
B. Landry of the County Safety
Board call for increasing funds
for safety education and replace
ment of police cars and motor
cycles.
Mr.. Landry asked that $500
be set aside for safety educa-
ton and Mr.. Cleveland urged
that $4,000 be provided for re-
placing % polio cars. He
also asked that $1,000 be used
for replacing four motorcycles
and equipping six with two-way
radios.
Last nights chief controversy
eentered on the Health Depart
ment's requested budget of $408,-
149, which former County Man.
ager Irving G.. McNayr slaShed
to $316,652.
The League of Women Voters
urged the council to restore at
least $7,915 to the budget to
bring it UP to this years ap-
preparation. Mrs. Thomas Lee
Smith, league president, specifi-
cally urged that another sani-
tartan be hired.
The county health fund and
the County Public Lay Council,
both supported the budget re-
quested by Director DR.. v. L.
Ellicott.
DR.. B. J. Olson of the health
fund. said there was no pattern
to Mr.. McNayr'S cuts and no
logic since the cuts came at a
time when population was in
creasing.
The $4,000 recommended cut
in salaries for public health
nurses would mean that Mont
gomery Blair High School and
Bethesda Chevy Chase High
School would have no full-time
nurse at the school, according
to Mrs. Joseph O'Brien and Mrs.
Arthur E. Stack.
Gordon HorSburgh. of the
Takoma Park Junior High Par
ent Teacher Association, also
opposed the nursing services
slash.
Nurse Services Questioned.
Mrs. Robert Madden, of Chevy
Chase Sec. S. however, chal-
lenged the health department to
tell what a school health nurse
did.
II understand they can't even
give a child aspirin" she said.
DR.. Ellicott conceded they did
not encourage the nurses to give
out aSpirins,' but added, their
job was chiefly educational.
Morris Allen, of the Montgom-
cry County Taxpayers INC. urged
the health department to con-
solidate its IL health centers
into three new centers-one in
Rockville, one up-county and
one in the suburban area.
Mr.. Allen presented figures to
show that several clinics had
only seven to IL patients a week.
Bethesda which averaged GOA
week costs the county some So
700 annually in rent, he reported.
Welfare Levy Discussed.
Although there was no serious
opposition to the Welfare de-
partment's recommended $751;
551 budget, Mr.. Allen also
questioned the State law which
requires the county to levy a
one-cent-per-$100 property
value for aid to dependent chill
dren.
William Roger. welfare direc-
tor, conceded the board needed