Evening star., 1953-03-08
6. 0. Leaders
Set 10 Heal Riff
In Montgomery
County Delegations
Feud With Lofstrond
Affects Porty's Future
THE SUNDAY STAR
- Washington, D. c.
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1853
BY Gene Goodwin


County'S State Senator and its
six delegates was expected to
come to a head today at an
extraordinary meeting Of the Re
publican State Central Commit
tee.
So important has the falling
out become to the party's future
that attempts were being made
to have Representative Hyde.
Republican, of Maryland, pres
ent when the committee is
scheduled to sit down with the
State Senator and the delegates
at 3 o'clock this afternoon in
the Rockville home of Adolph E.
GUIDE. committee member.
The meeting will be closed.
No one would talk about it for
publication except to confirm
that it was being held.
Key figures in the dispute,
which has stalled important
county legislation at the Mary
land General Assembly, are Sen
ator Anders r. Lofstrand, Re-
publican. and Delegate j. Doug
las Bradshaw, chairman of
Montgomery's all Republican
delegation.
Opposed Two Major Items.
Senator Lofstrand, who was
promoted from Delegate to State
Senator this year by the Central
Committee to succeed Mr.. Hyde,
has opposed the delegation on
at least two important issues
Observation-Disclosures Capital Park
and Planning Commission and
liquor legislation.
The Senator stunned the dele
gates when he opposed legisla-
ton aimed at abolishing the
planning commission and trans
ferring its functions to Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
Counties. That is a perennial bill
which the delegation unSuccess-
fully introduced in 1947, 1949,
and 1851. Mr.. LofStrand sup
ported the bills then when he
was delegate, although he says
he did so with little enthusiasm.
He bases his sudden opposi-
tion in this legislative session to
what he feels is a change in the
mood of the folks back home. .
Mr.. Bradshaw and most Of
the delegates have continued to
support the anti-planning bill,
pointing to the county's 1850 Re-
publican platform which pledged
local appointment of the COM
mission and transfer to the
county of its building and cleo
trical inspection functions and
recreation.
Liquor Law Plans.
The Senator also set the dele
gates back on their heels when
he announced to the press that
he intended to tamper with the
county'S liquor laws. He said
first he would introduce a bill
to allow voters in the Gathers
burg area to decide whether OF
not they wanted any alcoholic
beverages sold in their district,
Then last week, he said he
would introduce a measure
drafted by the Montgomery
County Licensed Beverage Asso-
citation to give voters of the
Silver Spring and Bethesda areas
the option of deciding whether
they want mixed drinks sold in
certain restaurants and clubs.
However. the Senator so far
has only talked about the two
liquor bills. He hasn't introduced
either one of them. The delegates
already had turned thumbs down
on on introducing the mixed
drinks referendum bill. They
weren't consulted as a body on
the Gaithersburg local option
measure.
The air has gotten so tense at
Annapolis that there is vir-
tually no lia1son betw en- the
delegation and the Senato4. Most
of the time, when they have
to contact one another, they
send notes through the mail OF
use the telephone.
Another thing that angers the
delegates is the kind of company
the Senator has been keeping
lately. They charge that he
consultS more Democrats than
Republicans. The Park and
Planning Commission has been
under Democratic domination
for several years.
Senator Lofstrand says he rep
resents all the people of his
county, not just the Republic
ans.
Both Factions Claim Majority.
Both Mr.. Lofstrand and the
Bradshaw faction claim major
ity backing on the mem
Der central committee. The
other members besides Mr.. GUIDE
are States Attorney Walter w
Dawson of Rockville, chairman;
r. Duncan Clark and George c.
Warner, jr., of Bethesda: Will
liam T. Duvall of GaitherSburg
and Olive D. Kinsman and L. S
Ray of Silver Spring.
Underlying the dispute are the
policies of the county council
The Senator is known to fee
that the council has been toe
easy with the taxpayers dollar
One of the reasons he opposes
the delegations anti-plannine
commission bill is that it would
transfer power for appointing
the commissioners from the
Governor to the council.
The delegates, generally, sup.
port the council.
The rift is almost certain tt
carry into county elections mex
year. In fact, observers woulC
not be surprised if Mr.. LofstranC
and Mr.. Bradshaw turn out tC
be opponents for State Senator
in the next Republican primar!
election.