davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15
MARYLAND:
Suburb City
Plan Looks
Surely Dead
By GENE GOODWIN

Maryland City once was
called q 25-year-old idea that
refuses to die. That was three
years ago.
Today, after consideration
by two sessions Of the Mary
land Legislature and almost
two years Of study by political
scientists and a special COM
mission of Prince Georges
County leaders. Maryland City
is a 28-year-old idea that ap-
pears to be deader than a
doornail.
Maryland City is the name
given to the proposal. first adj
yanced in 1927 as q newspaper
promotion stunt, to consolidate
into one large city the hodge
podge Of communities that
make up urban Prince Georges
County.
Heodoche Cure
It was aimed in 1927 at
solving a small governmental
headache. AS Prince Georges
has grown into the largest
county in the Washington
area, that headache has be-
come a cancer of government
tai waste and duplication.
Today, suburban Prince
Georges, an area of about 140
square miles, where almost
100000 people live, is balkan
lied by 20 incorporated towns
(some with fewer than 1000
residents) and about go special
improvement districts. Over
lying all these, Of course, are
the county, State and Federal
governments, the bicounty
Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commits
sion and the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commits
sion-all, needless to say, tax
supported.
Chief argument for combin-
ing the municipalities. i'm
provement districts and the in
between areas of urban Prince
Georges into a single city
(Which Immediately would
become the second largest in
the State) has been that it
would save money and improve
efficiency by consolidating
governmental services now
handled piecemeal by the sew
eral towns and districts and
the county.
Opponents View
There Is the question, on
the other hand, of whether a
geographical area shaped like
a baloney sausage with a
myriad of interests. communi-
ties and shopping centers, is a
logical unit for Incorporation.
Opponents like to ask where
its Main street" would be.
Nevertheless, the Prince
Georges Chamber Of Com
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15
Inside front coUer

WHADDYA READ?-The OUT
side front cover of the vireinia
edition Of Washington teIe-
phone directory says it costs
s. cents to coll Richmond. The
inside front cover says it costs
so cents. The reason: Vir-
einio's powerful Stote Cor
poFotion Commissions rules.
services to the sec gained
Statewide attention largely
through the disclosure in a
feature story in The Star about
three years ago. One result
was passage, at the last ses-
sion. Of bill by Mr.. Bailey
limiting the use of free passes
on transportation companies
to commission officials while on
"official business only" Pre-
viously even the clerks and
stenographers on the commits
sion staff got free passes to
and from work.
Phone Companies Hit
A number Of telephone COM
panies operating in Virginia
came in for severe criticism
for services offered when the
VALC subcommittee held its
hearings.
But the question of rates re-
mains the one of paramount
interest in the Washington
Metropolitan Area.
For example: It costs 5
cents less to call Warrenton,
Va, from Washington than it
does from Falls Church, some
10 miles closer.
Or, If some one in this area
wants to reach a mentioning
friend at Virginia Beach, he
can place a person-to-person
call from Washington for 80
cents less than from Alexan-
dria. On a call to Roanoke,
the difference Is IS cents.
On the other handy tele-
phone customers in either
Washington or suburban Vir-
ginia will pay the same rates
to call Baltimore. The Federal
Communications Commission
has jurisdiction over that con-
nection.
Both the phone company
and the FEC say that in gen.
eral it is cheaper per mile to
transmit messages over longer
distances than short distances.
However, that doesn't seem to
explain the example cited by
Mr.. Purcell of calling Marion,
Va, and Kingsport, Tenn,
from Richmond.
An official Of the telephone
company told The Star: 1--WE
recognize the difference in
rates but over the years we
are gradually bringing the two
together"
The question Is: Which
way? A lot Of people are hop
ing the VALC study will throw
more light on the subject.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15

merce. which had promoted
Maryland City off and on for
years, persuaded the county's
legislative delegation three
years ago to introduce a bill
calling for a commission to
study the problems of urban
government in the county. 1t
passed the 1858 Legislature.
A committee of 81 Of the
county's leading citizens was
appointed and began its study,
with the help of a crew of
American University political
scientists. in an atmosphere of
promise. There were hints that
it would come back to the
people with a sweeping plan
or recommendation that would
catch their fancy-something
as simple and appealing as
the Maryland City idea that
had caused the study in the
first place.
A Dirty Word
But before the study was
barely under way, opponents
led by municipal officials who
had a vested interest in per-
petuating their little political
islands-had begun a success
full campaign to turn Maryland
City into dirty word.
In the end, all the COM
mittee came up with was a
recommendation to the 1855
Legislature that study be con-
tinued by the creation of a
five-m m Der metropolitan
council to coordinate various
governmental functions in the
urban area and a 50-member
committee of the future" to
study and discuss urban prob
lens.
To the Prince Georges Coun-
ty lawmakers, rightly or
wrongly. the committees rec
concentration appeared to lead
to nothing more than another
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15

bureau in an already madden
ing tangle of bureaucracy.
They introduced q bill imple-
menting the committees re-
port. in what seemed to be q
gesture of courtesy, and then
let it die
No loud mourning was heard
from committee members, who
are well aware that Prince
Georges County has more
municipalities than any other
Maryland county because in
corporation was the only way,
in the not-too-d distant past,
that residents of the built-up
areas could acquire such basic
municipal services as refuse
collection and paved streets.
County Services
Today the county govern
ment at Upper Marlboro is
providing enough Of the basic
services to the unincorporated
urban areas to remove the i'm
petus for further incorpora-
ton.
In addition. some Of the
larger municipalities are be-
ginning to share more expen-
sive equipment and to cooper
ate in other ways to save
money.
But meanwhile the Prince
Georges suburbs are still
cluttered with too many little
towns that have outlived their
real usefulness. And with the
passage of the new municipal
home rule law, the only hope
for Maryland City now would
be for the towns themselves
to initiate or agree to mergers
with other towns and unincor-
porated areas.
The chance Of achieving the
Maryland City dream through
such painfully slow local con-
solicitations Is so remote as to
be almost uncomfortable.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15
VIRGINIA:
it Costs Less in D. c.
To Phone Richmond

distances that cross State
lines
This situation is now being
studied by the General Assem-
bly's interim study group. the
Virginia Advisory Legislative
Council (VALC).
Mr.. PurceII's Grievance
1t all started on March II,
1854. when Delegate H. H.
Purcell Of Louisa, flushed with
anger. took the floor in the
House and waved about a fist
full of rate tables.
81 want to know" he shouted,
why it costs me 81 to call
Alexandria from here and only
Is cents to Washington. They
use the same dial equipment to
get to both places"
Waving in the direction Of
Southwest Virginia, Mr.. Pur-
cell said its costs $1.55 to call
Marion. Va, but only $1.35 to
call Kingsport, Tenn, some so
miles farther West.
The General Assembly adopt
ed his resolution calling for a
VALC study of telephone rates
and services.
A subcommittee of the vALC,
headed by Delegate Norman C..
Bailey of Orange. recently con-
cluded tina second of its pub
lie hearings on the subject
and will meet again on> June
IS in Richmond to start re-
viewing testimony.
Then it will draft a report
with possible legislative rec
concentrations to be submitted
to the Governor by September
l. Mr.. Bailey said his group
may conclude its work by
July /.
An Awesome Body
Many of the General Assem-
bly, stand in awe Of the pow
erful State Corporation Com
mission. This body is author
lied by the Virginia constitu-
ton. and its three members
have judicial status-and are
so addressed.
Members of this body, which
regulates all public utilities in
the State. get free telephone
service. free passes on rail-
roads and buses and free tele-
graph service within the State.
All Of these services come from
the very utilities the sec Is
supposed to regulate in be-
half of the public.
That is why, during debate
on the Purcell study resolu-
ton, one House member timid-
ly inquired if the measure
wouldn't infringe on the regu-
latoFy powers of the sec.
Mr.. Purcell conceded that it
might lead to that end. But
he quickly added that the at
torney general had informed
him the Legislature has the
power to limit the authority
of the commission and de-
signate which factors 1t may
use in setting rates.
AS a matter Of fact, the util-
tiles practice Of giving free
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15
FAR EAST
Dulles Tells NATO
Of Rejected Plan
To Bomb Red China

Most sensational develop
ment on the Far East scene
last week was Secretary OF
State John Foster Dulles an
nouncement in Paris that the
United States had considered
and rejected-the idea of
bombing Chinese Communist
aerial concentrations opposite
FormoSa.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-15
DISTRICT:
By HECTOR MCLEAN


have to wait for Congress and
the President to decide how
much of a pay raise will go
to its classified workers, the
Commissioners have at
tempted to nail down at least
one section of the jigsaw puz-
Ele on salary increases.
They did so by compromis-
ing with the Board of Educa-
ton on proposed increases for
schoolteachers.
The deal came a week ago
in a series of secret sessions
climaxed by a telephone poll
of the Board of Education to
obtain unanimous agreement
on terms.
Cost Of the compromise to
the District will be some $780,
900 a year more than the SIS
million which the Commission
ers had previously agreed it
would be possible for them to
pay.
Actually, with the school
board holding out for $2.4 mil
lion as a proper figure for the
boost. the compromise splits
the difference-f1xing the new
cost at $2,070,000.
Obviously the additional
expense couldn't be met out
of the Districts budget for
the next fiscal year. as pro-
posed by the Commissioners.
It was too closely balanced
between spending and revenue.
Hill Cutbock Possible
Conceivably congressional
budgeteers now working on the
Commissioners spending pro-
gram might cut it back enough
to absorb ultimately ex-
pected pay raises, but such a
slash would represent either
a sharp cut in the city's pub
lie works program or in serv-
ices provided by the District
government. or both.
Chances are that the LAY
raises will have to be covered
by some increase in the Dis
trict's revenue. This could
come either through direct
action by the Commissioners
in raising the real estate and
personal property taxes-which
they are empowered to do
or through some variation OF
the $l3-million-a-year revenue
program now under study at
the Federal Budget Bureau.
The latter, however. would
require congressional approval
which might not be OBTAIN
able at this session from law
makers bent on getting away
from washington early.
AS an independent item OF
city expense. the teachers pay
raise would not be too serious
a matter for the District. Pre-
sumably, though. it will be
coupled with boosts for the
classified workers-covered by
the Federal legislation now be-
fore CongreSs-and raises for
police, firemen and for workers
paid on an hourly basis.
How large these might be is
still pretty speculative al
though the compromise on
teachers pay may make the
total bill little easier to cal
culate.
BeoIIs Proposal
District officials, at least.
hope it will ease off some Of
the pressure behind proposal
by Senator Beall, Republican,
of Maryland. which would cost
the city Sc million a year.
The compromise was intro
duced in the House last week
by Representative Bennett.
Democrat, of Florida. but has
not been given the same formal
status in the Senate, which al
ready has two other school pay
measures before it. One is the
Beall bill and the other was
proposed by Senator Morse.
Democrat. of Oregon. This is
estimated to cost the city $2.4
million year for a fat,
across-the-board raise of $500.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
MRS. LOUISE pEvRiEs

Death at Winnes Rest Home in
Fremont Friday claimed the life
of we'll known Mrs. Louise De-
Vries, wife of Thomas DeVrieS OF
231 w. Fourth-st, following an ex-
tended period of i'll health. :
Funeral services we're held Mon
day at three o'clock from the Nei-
decker Eberle : LeVeck funeral
home, the Rev. John Braun Off
ciating and burial in LakevieW
cemetery. Mrs. DeVries is sur
vived by her husband, Thomas;
two stepdaughtersy Mrs. Robert
MacCallum of Washington, D. c..
and Mrs. William Wilson of Grand
Rapids, Mich, and brother, Otto
F. Casperson of Port Clinton.
1t was her suggestion, while a
Magruder hospital patient two
years ago, that sparkplugged Port
Clinton Civic Clubs campaign OF
saving sales tax stamps to supply
the hospital with new wheel chairs
For some time, as long as health
permitted, Mrs. DeVries counted
and sorted the stamps contributed
by the public.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
CUARDSMEN END
PERRY TRAINING

Some So Ohio National Guards
men from Port Clinton reaped
hearty praise today for their per-
formance during their tWo-week
field training program here end
ing Sunday.
Members of the Port Clinton
unit, the 112th Transportation
Truck Battalion, and 112th Ord
nance Co., packed their gear and
headed for their homes where they
will become civilians again after
two weeks of military life.
"They have shown remarkable
efficiency and progress" asserted
Brig. Gen. julius A. Stark, camp
commander, of their work. 'They
have demonstrated they are capa-
BILE Of giving a good account OF
themselves in any emergency.
Even seasoned Second Army in
spectors, not noted for their gen
erous praise, said the Guard out
fits showed good progress" dur
ing their stay here. The abundance
of superior" and excellent" rat,
ings. in such subjects as military
courtesy, discipline, weapons train
ing, unit transportation, and fooo
service, passed out by the inspec
tors fore the statement out.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
WALTER w. LAUCHLIN

A heart attack caused the un
expected death of Walter C. Laugh
lin, 68, Sunday at 10 pm. at his
home, 224 w. Water-st, Oak Har
Dor. He was an employee of the
Matthews Co. here.
Mr.. Laughlin was brought to Ma
gruder hospital in a Dwyer ambu
lance, after efforts to revive him
with the resuscitator there had
been futile, and was pronounced
dead at the hospital. Funeral ser
vices were conducted Wednesday
at 2 at the Dwyer mortuary. Je
hovah Witnesses of Port Clinton
of which he was a member, were
in charge of the rites. Burial was
in Milan cemetery.
Mr.. Laughlin is survived by his
wife, Ethel; one daughter, Della
Martin of Berlin Heights; bro
ther Earl of Huron, and two
grandchildren. He was born in
Huron and had lived in Oak Har
Dor about ten years.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
d. |: EKY|


Mary d. Perry was 86 she passed
away in the home of her daughter,
Mrs. Owen VonEitzen, Aug. TO-
after being i'll for six weeks. Mrs.
Perry lived in Port Clinton and
was a native of Ottawa County
Surviving are five daughters, Vir-
ginia Goodman of Toledo, Mrs.
Dora Perry of Toledo, Mrs. Bertha
Rouke of Toledo, Mrs. Orean Won
Eitzen of Port Clinton, and Mrs.
Lorraine Cutcher of Bono, and
several grand, great grand and
great-great-grand children. Her
husband, Napoleon Perry, died in
1887.
The body was at Robinson Fun
eral home. Rosary was held Friday
evening at 7:30 and services were
Saturday at 10 am. in Mount Car
mel Church in Bono with Father
Lauer officiating. Burial was made
at Tousaint Cemetery.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
CURTICE MAN
BADLY INJURED

Edward R. Fleckner, Sc, of Cur
tice, well known here and broth
er of Mrs. Otto Henderlich of Dan
bury, was seriously injured Tues
day afternoon in a Scar collision
at Starr-ave and Whittlesey Road
in Toledo He is an uncle of Waldo
Henderlich, Harrison-St, and freight
agent at Curtice.
Mr.. Fleckner is in st. Charles
Hospital with injuries which in
clude Is broken ribs. He was alone
in the car. Also injured was George
H. Schaffer, As, Luckey, who was
driving another car; Joseph Drouil
lard, 10, Toledo, driver of thu
third car, and his companion, Rich
ard Kmdick, 18, Toledo. Drouillard
was cited by the sheriff's depart
ment for driving with defective
brakes.
Mr.. Fleckner was agent for the
Ohio Public Service Co. when il
was operating interurbans and is
we'll known here.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
Mrs. Ruth Wilt
BUYS Brinkfnan's

Port Clinton welcomed a new
business personality this week
when Mrs. Ruth Wilt, of Castalia,
purchased the Brinkman China and
Gift Shoppe on E. Perry-st.
Mrs. Wilt acquired the popular
shoppe from Mr. and Mrs. Chest
ar Brinkman, who are moving to
Toledo where they will take over
Rae's Gift Shoppe at 905 Starr
avenue.
A widow, Mrs. Wilt has a mar
ried son, Richard, also of Castalia
md one grandchild. She plans to
drive back and forth to Castalia
for the present She has been a
student of ceremics for several
1ears, and plans to offer classes in
ceramics at the gift shoppe this
all. The same type of operation
at the shoppe will be continued.
Name will be changed to the
Ruth Wilt Gift Shoppe.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
PAUL LEICHNINGER

Paul Evans Leighninger, Al, OF
289. PoWhatan-ave, Columbus, died
suddenly Friday at the Mark Sell
Ter cottage at Lakeside where he
was visiting, after suffering heart
attack.
A department store merchant in
Columbus, Mr.. Leighninger is sur
vived by his wife, Dorothy Jane;
daughter Jane, IA; and a son
Martin, 10. He was a member of
the Masonic lodge. His body was
taken from the Gerner and Wolf
mortuary to the Jerry Spears NOR
tuary in Columbus for funeral SER
vices with burial in Memorial Park
there.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
MRS, WALTER PAPE

Mrs. Ruth Elizabeth Pape, 6O1
Indiana-ave, Chester formerly OF
Lakeside, died last Thursday in st.
Frances hospital in Pittsburgh fol
lowing long illness. She was AZ.
Size leaves her husband, Walter;
son John and a daughter Bar
bara, at home; three sisters, Mrs.
Wilda Diffany of Lakeside, Mrs.
Nettie Schultz of Gypsum, and Mrs.
Josephine Bandelean of Danbury;
and two brothers, Raymond and
Elmer Eberly of Port Clinton. She
had lived in Chester since 1941.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
Rotary Hears
Tenn. Doctor

The local Rotary Club at its reg
ular Tuesday noon luncheon had
as speaker Dr.. Thomas from Pit
man Center, Tennessee, who has
spent % year practicing medicine
among the mountaineer people of
East Tennessee.
His graphic colloquial story of
"a day as a mountaineer doctor
was exceptionally entertaining.
Recognition was given to loZ
golfers who competed last Monday
in the Pro-Am tournament at Ere
mont Country Club as guests of the
Fremont Rotary, Howard link
Corp, and Tony, the Baker. Max
Stephenson was local club winner,
coming in End.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
NOTICE TO BRIDGE
C0NTR RACTORS

Notice is hereby given that seal
ed bids will be received by the
Ottawa County Commissioners at
the office of the County Auditor,
Port Clinton, Ohio, until two o'clock
PM, EST, August 20, 1855, for
furnishing all labor and material
for the construction of abutments
for Bridge No. H-42-0.30 over Nine
Mile Creek on the Salem Harris
Road as per plans and specifica-
tions prepared by the County En-
gineer and on file in the office of
the County Engineer and County
Auditor.
ESTIMATED COST $9277.S2.
A certified check of percent of
the bid must accompany each bid
as a guarantee of good faith.
The Commissioners reserve the
right to reject any and all bids.
BY order of the Board of County
Commissioners.
Port Clinton, Ohio M. c. GUTH.
August /, 1866 County Auditor.
26-4t
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
Cow Killed
On Highway

A cow owned by Bernell Wagner
of Bay-twp wandered onto the Rt
SO highway at 2:30 am. Wednesday
and died from injuries it received
when hit by a car near the town
ship community hall.
Occupants of the car were Alice
M. Smith, Fremont Route 3, driver
jeanette Hoover and Helen Zilch
deputy sheriff Myron Hetrick re
ported. They escaped with minor
bruises but the car, new hardtop
convertible with only 600 miles on
its speedometer, was badly dan.
aged.
Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1955-08-19
PERRY CUNNERS
STUDY DEFENSE

A two-fold system for defending
Ohio's skies against enemy air
craft is getting sharp teeth here
during training Of some 700 Ohio
National Guard anti-aircraft gun
nerS.
The Guardsmen from 13 Ohio
cities include some 700 civilian
soldiers from Dayton, Hamilton,
Middletown, Greenvilleg Lima, Pi-
qua, Canton, New Philadelphia,
Akron, Columbus, Toledo, Spring
field, and Logan.
The Guard firing units are pre-
pared to defend Ohio's major stra-
tegic areas in two ways in event
of an attack, according to Col. Will
bur H. Fricke, Dayton, commander
of the 371st AAA Group. The
180th and 182nd AAA Battalions
are members of this group, along
with the 177th and 10th AAA
Battalions which have already COM
pleted their summer training.
All Guard batteries have mobil-
ization assignments, Col. Fricke
said. In an emergency, the gun
ners would gather at a place al
ready determined for going into
firing action.
Second phase of the defense pre-
cautions is the readying of ION
site" gun locations for the anti
aircraft units.