Evening star., 1955-02-18
Georges
Bill Sets Up
AccountingUnii
Measure Prepared
To Abolish County's
= Finance Department
By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff coyvasnnnran%

Star Stuff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. Is. - The
Maryland Legislature had before
1t today bills authorizing the cre-
alton Of an accounting depart
ment and an Office of licenses
and inspection in Prince Georges
County.
The all-Democratic Hou e
delegation from Prince Georges
also was ready to introduce to-
day a measure to abolish the
county Department Of Finance
and to repeal most of the So
called Mckay bill.
Senator H. Winship Wheatley.
jr., Democrat, of Prince Georges,
said the bills were designed to
carry out Democratic campaign
pledges. He said his party, in its
successful campaign against the
Republican incumbents in the
county last fall. promised to re-
store to the county commits
sioners the control over county
finances, which had been trans
ferred to the treasurer under the
1853 Mckay bill.
Also promised was an end to
the buck passing" which re-
suits from having inspection
functions separated under vari-
Gus agencies.
Like Budget Bureau.
Mr.. Wheatley said the county
commissioners plan to install
Controller Carl Mace as head
of the new accounting depart
ment, which would be under the
immediate supervision Of the
county commissioners and would
be to them something like what
the Federal Budget Bureau is
to the President"
Mr.. Mace served in a similar
capacity under the county board
until the Mckay bill created the
Department of Finance and put
him under Treasurer Julian B.
Mckay, Republican, who was de-
feated in the November elec-
ton.
The treasurer's bill would not
alter the $7,500-a-year salary to
be paid the new treasurer, DEM
ocrat Charles Callow. but it stip-
ulates that he would have to
submit vouchers for his personal
expenditures to the county COM
missioners before he could coll
lect his expense account of up
to $4,000 a year.
Mr.. Mace receives $6,40O q
year as controller. The COM
missioners have authority to
change that salary when he be-
comes accounting officer.
Could Consolidate Inspectors.
The authority to set up an
office of licenses and inspections
would enable the county COM
missioners to consolidate the in
Spections now handled by the
county, the Washington SUBJ
urban Sanitary Commission and
the Health Department.
Another bill put in the House
hopper yesterday by the Prince
Georges delegation would re-
quire all agencies and organiza-
tions receiving county funds,
except municipalities and BIZ
county commissions, to file semi
annual reports with the county
commissioners showing how the
county money was spent.
Mr.. Wheatley said the bill
would apply to fire departments,
school board and Prince Georges
Hospital, as well as the usual
county agencies. Mr.. Mace said
volunteer fire departments in
Prince Georges now receive a
total of about $400,00 a year in
county funds, 500, 900 of it being
In direct aid of $4,000 a year to
each department and the rest in
various fire taxes.
Delegate Ernest A. Loveless, jr.,
Democrat, of Prince Georges,
said he is drafting a Statewide
bill to make it possible to transfer
the location and ownership of a
liquor license at the same time.
Present law requires that such a
fi0tlh1e frnnSfer bo y,,oda ~ x,,,<