Evening star., 1955-01-30
Democrats Decide
To Keep Hands off
Manager Choice
By ChorIes [. Hotfmon

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Montgomery County Demo-
cratic precinct leaders yesterday
decided to give the county coun-
Gil a free hand In the selection
of a new county manager.
The precinct leaders took the
action. in effect. as they tabled
a resolution that would have pc
titioned the council to give "se-
rious consideration" to local
man for managers job.
Members of the council were
among some 100 persons attend
ing a public forum" in Rock
vile to discuss problems facing
the County Council. the delega-
ton to the General Assembly
and the State Central Commit
tee.
Leading the unsuccessful drive
to petition the council to ap-
point a local man to the county's
top post were Milton Clogg and
E. Brooke Lee.
Walker Urges Defeat.
Council President J. Grahame
Walker urged defeat Of the mo-
tion on grounds the resolution
had q "coercive implication"
Councilman Robert r. Snure
said he considered the resolu-
tion "a slap in the face as far
rs the County Council is con-
cerned."
The motion and q substitute
calling for a vote Of confidence
in the council were tabled on
motion of Blair Lee III, head Of
the county delegation to the
General Assembly and the son
of E. Brooke Lee.
The row over the manager
ship came only a few minutes
after the County Council had
spent several hours interviewing
four local candidates for the
managers post. All Of them were
described by Mr.. Walker as
illegally qualified" for the lob.
Resolution Called Improper.
The council has been wrestling
with the manager question for
two months and Mr.. Walker said
yesterday it appeared about
time the governing body was
needed to act on a selection.
Critics of the Clogg-Lee reso-
luton charged it was improper
for the forum to adopt resolu-
tions directing elective officials
to take actions proposed by party
officials.
E. Brooke Lee in urging adop-
ton of the resolution. said many
Democrats "see too little deter
mination to keep the pledges for
increased economy and local
public spending, and for less
harmful. arbitrary and unrea-
sonable regulation Of county resi-
dents"
He added that many Demo-
cratic workers were not going to
"sit quietly by while major mis-
takes in government are about
to be made or have just been
made by the majority Of Dem
ocratic council without both
voicing a respectful objection
and asking for a better govern
mental answer"
Mrs. Margaret Schweinhaut
scored the resolution as SILLY
politically and a disgraceful pro-
posal."
Liquor Protest Staved on.
In tabling the resolutions, the
forum STAYED of an anticipated
move that repeatedly would have
petitioned the delegation to hold
a public hearing on q number Of
proposed liquor law changes.
The delegation has drawn bitter
fire from some quarters for
throwing out all such proposals
without first holding a hearing.
William Austin urged the dele
cation to leave the laws un-
changed but said the County
Council should provide more ade-
quate liquor dispensaries.
The. elder Mr.. Lee also sug-
gested the delegation amend the
proposed law increasing the size
Of the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission from three
TO six members so Montgomery
and Prince Georges County gov
erning bodies each would name
three members. The law as pres
emily drawn would give each
body the appointment of two
members and allow the governor
to name the other two.
The delegation also was told
that proposed bill calling for
auto inspection should require
such inspection only annually in
stead of semi-annually