Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-30
Council Nears Vote
On Hospital Bonds
Action to Decide
On s. Million Bill.
For Montgomery
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN

The Silver Spring Hospital bill
today was within one step Of
enactment by the Montgomery
County Council.
A final vote on the bill was
scheduled at the councils legis-
Ilative session today.
Action yesterday on the meas
ure saw nine amendments voted
on and three of them fall in
defeat.
The bill authorizes issuance Of
So million in bonds to help A.
nance construction of the pro-
posed 225-bed hospital at Forest
Glen road and Sligo Park.
The bonds would be paid of
by tax not to exceed Z cents
per 500 of assessed valuation
on all property in the 18th cleo
ton district excluding the in
corporated areas.
Final Action Waits
The bills sponsor. Council
President Robert T. Snure,
sought final action on the
measure last night but agreed to
the delay when Councilman Will
bur Baughman baked.
Mr.. Baughman, smarting from
defeat of an amendment that
would have excluded from the
hospital district an area near
Olney, asked for the delay. The
excluded area would have includ-
led Mr.. Baughman's fashionable
subdivision, Gayf1elds. he said.
Mr.. Baughman said the exclu-
sion was sought because the area
is heavy contributor to the OPP
Ierations of the nearby Montgom-
cry General Hospital and Sandy
Springs.
] The major amendment-in eff
feet substitute bill-was de-
Ifeated by a Stool vote. 1t was
the proposal of Councilman j.
Grahame Walker.
i Would Have Required Survey
Mr.. Walker wanted to supplant
the present Medical Care Com
mission with a new Hospital
Commission The commission
would have been required to con-
duct new survey of hospital
needs and recommend hospitals
for construction. Title to all such
hospitals would remain in the
county and construction costs
would be financed by a county,
wide tax regardless of where the
hospital was located.
Leading the fight with Mr..
Snure against the Walker
amendment was Mrs. Stella B.
Werner.
She said the county should
not get into the hospital BUSH
ness either directly or indirect-
ly.
I'VE should weigh carefully
before attaching any new tax
rate for any service" Mrs. Wer-
ner said. Instead she proposed
a binding referendum on
the bill to get the sentiment in
the county.
Measure Loses, 4-3
She saw her measure defeated
4-to-3 after County Attorney
Charles M. Irelan questioned the
authority of the council to
initiate a referendum.
Mr.. Irelan said the State law
granting powers to chartered
counties made no provisions for
such referenda. Mrs. Werner
said, however. that attorneys
had told her there was no ex-
press prohibition in the act to
the county's initiating a refer
endum.
one urged the passage of the
amendment even under the
cloud noted by the County At
torney and said the referendum
should be put on the ballot If
1t were not tossed out by the
courts.
Supporters of the bill got a
big psychological boost yester-
day when the Medical Care
Commission recommended its
passage.
Foes Asked Consideration
The commissions action was
taken after opponents of the
Snure bill asked that the COM
mission consider the entire stu
alton.
The commission reaffirmed its
1855 report that a serious hos
pital bed shortage exists in the
county.
The members of the commits
sion are opposed in principle to
county ownership, construction,
management and/or leasing OF
hospital facilities" Chairman
Henry p Laughlin, MD, said.
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