Evening star., 1953-05-02
Secret Session
Marks Opening
In Montgomery
Council Receives
8 Bills as Legislative
Meetings Begin
BY ChorIes L. Hoffmon

opened yesterday with the in
PRODUCTION Of eight bills, fol-
lowed Immediately by an hour
long meeting behind closed
doors.
The session lasted less than
20 minutes.
Observers have been hopeful
Council President George F.
Nesbitt would discontinue the
practice Of barring the public
while the council discussed bills
and proposed legislation.
Indications, however, were that
the bitterly protested secret ses-
sions at which bills are drawn
would be continued.
None Of the bills introduced
had been discussed by council
men in open session. The coun-
Gil in recent weeks has gone into
closed sessions at almost every
scheduled meeting to discuss
legislation planned for intro
duction.
Bills Not Explained.
Yesterdays brief session was
marked by the absence of ex-
planatory discussion of the bills
meaning or intent. They were
introduced by title only.
Mr.. Nesbitt, however, told
reporters he would seek to cor
rect this situation in the future
The council president indicated
he would encourage councilmen
to explain their bills.
The first bill introduced yes
terday would ratify the pur-
chases of land by any fire de-
partment or library before jan
uary l, 1853.
Under an old law the council
several weeks ago refused to
approve a firehouse site for the
Conduit Road Fire Board be-
cause it had been purchased in
1850 without meeting county
purchase requirements.
Withholds Tax Funds.
The action not only made null
and void the purchase of the
site but also barred the fire
board from receiving county tax
funds.
Some firemen said that if the
law were enforced six or eight
departments in the county would
lose their tax funds. The pro-
posed bill not only would ratify
the purchases but restore the
departments rights to tax funds.
There is a chance some coun-
cilmen may seek to amend the
bill to exclude the Conduit Road
Fire Board from it's effect. The
fight over the f1rehouse site was
bitter.
Bill No. 3 introduced by Coun-
Gilman Harold G. Hammond
would eliminate the provision in
the county code exempting gov
ernmental agencies from build
ing and road construction regu-
lations. Chiefly affected would
be the school board. The bill
would have no effect on the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission or the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
Bill No. S would put the juve-
nile court judge on a full-time
basis indefinitely. The bill is
aimed at filling the gap left
when the General Assembly
failed to act on the county's
juvenile judge bill last month.
Others in the Hopper.
Other bills introduced yester-
day:
Bill No. 2-To establish the
value of the annual supplements
to the county code as evidence
in the courts.
No. 40 move the deadline
for petitioning for a referendum
on a charter amendment from
September 20 to the third Mon
day in July.
No. 6-To impose a $50 fee
for filing applications for aban-
donment of roads and drainage
rights-of-way.
No. ITO clarity the law on
payment of interest on unpaid
taxes.
No. $40 transfer from the
county council to the Board Of
Appeals the authority to hear
appeals under the riding school
and stables ordinances.
The council set the bills for a
public hearing at 8 pm. May 18
at the courthouse in Rockville.
The rules were suspended to can
eel today's meeting. The next
session will be held at pm.
Tuesday.