Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-09
$500 Million
School Program
Bill Readied
Northrop Measure
Outlines 5-Yeur
Montgomery Plan
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Slofs Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 9.-Legis-
lation calling for a five-year.
5000 million school building pro-
gram in Maryland is being pre-
pared for introduction in the
General Assembly by Senator
Edward s. Northrop, Democrat,
Of Montgomery County.
The program projected in
Senator Northrop's bill would
involve expenditure of $40 mill
lion a year. half of which would
be put up by the State and half
by Baltimore City and the %
counties.
The funds would be distributed
to the counties. Mr.. Northrop
said, under q formula based on
pupil enrolment increases and
the assessed valuation Of real
estate. The enrolment increase
factor would mean more State
aid to Montgomery and Prince
Georges CountleS.
The States share Of the pro-
gram would be financed by bond
issues, the Senator said. It would
supplement the present State
county incentive fund school
building program, which involves
an expenditure of about SAB
million this gear.
Carries Out Suggestion.
Senator Northrop's program is
the same as that suggested by
the Maryland Congress of Par
ents and Teachers and the
Maryland State Teachers Asso-
citation as a means Of meeting a
need for 5,919 new classrooms
by 1860.
If the formula proposed in his
bill were applied this year, Mr..
Northrop saids Montgomery
would qualify for about SAL mil
lion from the State. more than
any other county. 1t would have
to spend about $2.2 million of it's
own. Prince Georges would
qualify for about $3.7 million
from the State, for which 1t
would have to put up about $1.4
million.
Senator Northrop said he is
seeking other sponsors for his
bill. but will introduce it alone
If he has to.
Meanwhile, the Prince Georges
delegation prepared to introduce
bill requiring that all private
water and sewer systems in rural
Prince Georges would have to be
approved by the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission.
The House yesterday accepted
on a voice vote the favorable re-
port of the Ways and Means
Committee a bill to require the
State Roads Commission to pay
the cost of relocating public
water and sewer lines when high
way construction necessitates it.
Mccain objects.
The committee gave the bill q
favorable report despite testi-
mony by Roads Commission
Chairman Russell H. Mccain
that it will cost his agency about
$40 million during the 12-year
roads program now underway.
That money would have to come
out of construction funds and
would hamper the 12-year pro-
gram to that amount, he said.
The bill was introduced by the
Montgomery and Prince Georges
delegation at the request Of the
sanitary commission. which
claims it will have to spend $2.7
million to move it's facilities for
the State during the 12-year
program.
The House, In another action,
passed across to the Senate a
measure abolishing the trial
magistrates system in Montgom-
cry County and establishing a
county peoples court of three
full-time judges, one for juvenile
cases. The vote was 101 to 0.
The bill has been amended to
allow the court to sit part of
a day each week in Takoma
Park. That was asked by off,
Gals and residents of that city.
A departure in the bill is pro-
vision for appointment of the
$l0,000-a-year judges by the
county council. That's an in
novation for Maryland courts.
Merit System Bill.
Two more Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission measures were intro
duced in the House last night
by the Montgomery and Prince
Georges delegations. One would
establish a merit system for
commission employees. The Sec
ond would set the stage for
abolition of the Upper Mont
gomery County Planning Com
mission. which would be rem
dered imperative by a bill now
being prepared to extend the
Jurisdiction Of the bi-county
park and planning commission
throughout all Of Montgomery.
Senator Joseph A. Mattingly,
Democrat, Of st. Marys County,