Evening star., 1954-10-04
Democrats Ask
School Aid Rise
In Montgomery
Proposal Announced
By Candidates for
Maryland Legislature

Montgomery County Demo-
cratic candidates for the Mary
land legislature today made
public their plans for a drive
to get more State aid for county
schools.
The plan was revealed by
Edward S. Northrop, candidate
for the State Senate, and the six
candidates for the House of
Delegates.
Mr.. Northrop said a minimum
State program must include
fair contributions on two sep
arate fronts-the annual oper-
ating costs and capital expendi-
lures for new school construc-
ton.
Hyde's Record Hit.
The plan was released in the
second edition of the Mont
gomery Democrat which was
mailed to more than $4,000
county homes. The publication
also attacked Republican Repre-
sentative Hyde's record in Con-
gress and accused Gov. McKeldin
of "stalling" in waiting until just
recently to appoint a commission
to study laws governing the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission.
Mr.. Northrop said the Demo-
Gratis. if elected, would seek to
establish a floor under which
State aid for school operating
costs would not drop in any
county.
Under the present equaliza-
tion fund setup Mr.. Northrop
said. "a county stands to lose
its shirt whenever it undergoes
a major reassessment." He pro-
posed that all counties receive a
minimum of Is to 80 per cent
of its school operating costs from
the State.
Montgomery now gets about
IS per cent of its expenditures
from the State. Mr.. Northrop
said some counties such as Gar
rett and Calvert get as much as
80 per cent while the Nation
wide average is about 40 per
cent. Mr.. Northrop said his pro-
posal for establishing the mini
mum percentage of aid would
be the best way to improve the
present situation without vio-
lating Maryland's well estab-
lished equalization between rich
and poor counties"
Blair Lee III, candidate for the
House of Delegates, also called
for the rewriting of the incentive
fund law which provides State
aid for school construction. AS
now written, it allows Mont
gomery only about $4,000 a
year-the difference between $40
a pupil and the receipts of a
scent tax rate in the county,
Mr.. Lee said.
Mr.. Lee said the present law
places too much emphasis on a
county's tax base. His proposal
called for revision of the law or
the drafting of a new law that
would take into account annual
increases in school enrolment
to give special assistance to
counties where enrollments have
been skyrocketing.
Mr.. Lee said that for the long
run the candidates would favor
a permanent program of modest
aid for school construction. He
added, however, that the candi-
dates believe a temporary emer-
gency program "of substantial
dimensions" would be in order
for the next four years.
COP. "Whitewash" Charged.
The Democrats charged that
"another Republican whitewash
was in the making" as a result
of Gov. McKeldin's recent ap-
pointment of six-man commits
sion to study the Sanitary Com
mission laws. At the same time,
the Democrats said the commits
sion is earmarked for a complete
overhaul if they are elected.
The Allied Civic Group, which
prodded the Legislature into the
investigation, had expected to
get a commission composed Of
bipartisan laymen, the Demo-
Gratis said.
"(Gov.) McKeldin crossed up
the civic leaders by loading the
commission with Republican
Office holders, most of whom are
personally beholden to ranking
officials on the Sanitary Commis-
sion," the Democrats charged.