Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-15
Council Hears
P|easAgainst
Budget S|dshes
Library Increases
Get Strong Support at
Montgomery Session

~SssSS Se
The Montgomery County
Council got little encouragement
last night in its hope Of holding
the line on the managers SIT
million operating budget.
Some $50 residents turned out
at the new county building.
Rockville, in the windup of these
public hearings on the budget.
The strongest support for
budget item increases went to
the Department of Libraries. as
spokesman from a number of the
community library advisory
boards took the floor.
The groups generally wanted
the council to restore some $22.-
600 Jeptha j. Carroll. former
acting county manager, Topped
off the library departments
$290,999 request.
Ask More Employees.
Specifically, they asked that
10 additional employees sought by
Director George B. Moreland be
granted.
r. E. Iffert of the County Lii
brary Association also urged
that even Mr.. Moreland's request
be raised $3.50 on his salary,
$4,000 for a new bookmobile.
$1,000 to operate it. and $4,000
for a special librarian.
The League of Women Voters
came up with figures showing
the library circulation had in
creased So per cent in the last
year and that employees were
handing out twice as many
books as do librarians in most
areas. t -...
I'VE are pushing out the
books, but our libraries must be
more than supermarketS dis
pensing books" said John C.
Reid of the Bethesda Library
board.
Mrs. Thomas Lee Smith Of the
league said the county is con-
sidering putting out $8,359 less.
next year than it. did two years
ago. State aid has made this
possible although the total rec
commended is up.
Clarke lie Fauver of the Allied
Civic Group also urged that
$19.507 be restored to the budget
for hiring new employees.
More Court Personnel Asked.
James v. Bennett, of the Juve-
nile Court Advisory Board, urged
more personnel for the court.
Mr.. Bennett said there was an
increase of 600 complaints in
the court last year, bringing the
total to about 2.1O0 for the year.
Another probational officer for
the court also was urged by the
league.
A spokesman for the County
Bar Association asked for new
and larger quarters for the Sill
yer Spring Police Court.
Rupert L. Dunn of the sheriff's
Office said the work load de-
mands at least nine deputies,
and that only eight have been
recommended.
William r. McCullOm agreed
with the manager in his recon-
mendation that 20 new engineers
should be hired at higher SAL
aries than are now offered to
carry out the public works de-
partment's $50 million street
and road program.
Scouting Urged.
But Morris Allen of the County
Taxpayers, Inc. expressed doubt
that the department could do
the work laid out for it. He
urged the Council to take a clear
look at the recommendations.
The council also had before it
last night II proposed street i'm
provement projects, which had
been petitioned for by residents
and which would add another
$5O8,200 to the capital budget.
The Council will begin its con-
sideration of the budget this
week.
The Council may decrease any
budget item by simple major
ity vote, but it takes a 5-to-2
vote to raise the managers rec
lamentations.
The deadline for adoption of
the budget is June 80, two days
after the primary. elections.