Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-04
Montgomery Council
Member Tells of
Rising Influence
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN

o0BC plUBI dlu Aok thAC doSOClA-,
ton and appointment Of a full
time executive secretary.
She said the incorporated
towns power and effectiveness
at the General Assembly came
from their year-round activities
carried on by the Maryland Mum
League. which has q full
time secretary and issues period
ical reports from its Offices on
the University of Maryland cam
pus.
Chairman Asks Delay
Thomas Kay Of Cecil County,
who served as chairman of the
committee, however, urged a de-
lay by the association until i'll
sees the first of series of better
reports on county activities
promised from the States Fiscal
Research Bureau.
Mrs. Werner got voice sup
port in her move to pave the
way for a full-time secretary
only from Robert T. Snure. her
fellow councilman. Mr.. Kay had
put the cost of maintaining a
year-round program at $4,000.
j. Thomas Kibler of Kent
County, who heads the associa-
ton. said he would name a COM
mittee to meet in October with
a special legislative group study
ing improvements in the dis
tribution of State funds through
the political subdivisions.
Mr.. Kay who said he had met
with the group headed by Sen
ator William James. Democrat
of Hartford, warned If the Legis-
lature puts a freeze on we're
all going to get hurt"
Education Costs Rising
The James subcommittee IS
one Of three groups studying the
State fiscal picture and seeking
a means Of economizing and
finding new sources Of revenue
to pick up a reported $35 million
deficit anticipated next year.
Tax-conscious county commits
sioners from throughout the
State were told here today that
the cost Of education has gone up
about five times as fast as school
enrolment.
Assistant State School Supt.
David w. Zimmerman said en-
Irollments have increased 1877. 1000
or about 81 per cent in the last
10 years.
| During the same period. money
spent for education has jumped
I3l5 per cent from $27 million to
SIP million.
DR.. Zimmerman also forecast
annual increases in the future Of
SO million a year, shared jointly
by the State and counties. He
said enrollments were expected
to increase at a rate Of $4,000
a year through 1860.
| The school spokesman. who
has urged the commissioners to
work closely with county school
boards. suggested that they be
not too timid about borrowing
money for school construction.
| Realty Provides Most Money
| DR.. Zimmerman said that at
present about 81 per cent of the
cost of Maryland's schools is
born locally by taxes on real
estate.
/ Some counties, however, get
as much as 80 per cent of their
education money from the State
while others like Montgomery,
Baltimore and Baltimore City,
get only 20 to Is per cent. The
County Commissioners also were
Informed that the Federal gov
lernment has paid for $29 million
worth of schools in Maryland
under Its program of aid to Fed
orally impacted areas.
Twenty-one elementary schools
and % high schools have beer
built with the Federal funds tt
provide 1909 classrooms tx
house 26,109 children.
These figures were reported
by B. Alden Lilliwhite, assistant
chief of the division handling
the Federal aid program in, thu
Department of Health, Educa'
ton and Welfare.
Permanent Plan Due
Mr.. Lilliwhite said the de-
partment next year will recon-
mend q permanent program fol
the special ala TO lmpactet
areas to supplant the present
Legislation which has been re-
newed three times.
The County Commissioner
were to wind up their session
tonight with a banquet at tn
George Washington Hotel.
! Also in attendance here from
the Washington area wer,
Montgomery County Manager M
Il. Reese, William B. Mckinney
. recently promoted to assistan
! to the Montgomery County man
. ager; Montgomery Planning En-
} gineer Harold Taubin, ant
: Prince Georges County Commits
+. sioners Jesse s. Baggett, Herber
w. Reichelt, Lansdale @. Clag
5 EFT and A. Preston Perrie.
Perry Boswell, jr., also O.
: Prince Georges. led a panel dis
5 cussion on community develop
: ments.