Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-23
Council Urges
Planning Unit
|0f 6 Members
Montgomery Body tt
Ask Other Changes
In Pending Bill

Council yesterday suggested last
minute changes to the bill to
reorganize the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
While the county's legislative
delegation in Annapolis was in
process of deciding on an eight
member commission, the Council
voted to recommend a six-mem-
Der commission, with three mem
bers from Montgomery and three
from Prince Georges.
The councils program for re-
vamping the controversial COM
mission will be sent to the dele
cation, which is busy threshing
out a series Of bills affecting the
bi-county agency. Members
voted down several proposals
suggested by Mrs. Stella Werner,
longtime foe Of the commission.
Pay Cut Defeated
She urged the commissioners
pay be set at $40 a day, with a
limit of $1,000 annually. The
pay is now $500 a year.
J. Grahame Walker, council
president, declared that low
salaries would restrict the COM
mission posts to "the wealthy or
the retired"
Mr.. Walker declined to call
for a vote on another proposal
Of Mrs. Werner when the other
five members of the council
expressed opposition to her Sug-
gestion. She wanted those parks
in Montgomery not purchased
in part with Federal funds to be
returned from commission to
county control.
The council voted to ask the
law makers for authority to
exercise budgetary control over
the commissions administrative
spending so that SURPRISES would
be returned to the county
treasury and not to the COM
missions.
Coordination Asked
Closer coordination between
the commission and the county
by legislative mandate also will
be sought. County Manager
Melvin L. Reece complained
that the county had not been
informed of the commissions
start on a master plan for the
Cabin John watershed. -
They're planning something
but we don't know about it."
he said.
In other actions:
The Council appointed Dis
trict resident, C. Edward NNhol-
son, jr.. assistant county attor-
ney, succeeding John w. Neu-
mann. who is resigning to return
to private practice. The ap-
pointment is effective April |.
Mr.. Nicholson, IS, is a special
assistant to the United States
Attorney General and served
from 1912 to 1850 as an FBI
agent. He plans to establish
residence in Brookdale, Md. He
will receive 1911 a year.
Job Freeze Relaxed
Relaxing its job freeze order
OF February 8, the Council au-
thorized County Manager Reece
to fill vacancies and hire tenn
porary employees. Mr.. Reece
said he needed typists to work
on preparation of the county
budget.
Mr.. Reece said he hopes to
complete by May. the study Of
personnel ordered by the Coun-
Gil at the time of the job freeze
order. His findings will influence
the budget which will be con-
sidered in June.
The Council set May 9 as the
date for a hearing on the con-
troverSial community swimming
pool issue. 1t will act next week
on an amendment to the coming
ordinance which will return jur-
isdiction over permits for such
pools to the zoning Board of
Appeals. ..
To Get 4 More Troopers
Montgomery County's allot-
ment of State Police troopers
soon will be doubled, Mr.. Reece
told the Council.
Col. Elmer Munshower, Super
intendent of State Police, noti-
fed Mr.. Reece he will add four
new troopers to the four now
assigned to the county following
the next training school gradu-
alton.
He ruled out the placing of a
State police barracks in the
county as urged by the Council
but said that he hopes eventually
to open a State police office, with
full communications facilities.