davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Is Suburbia Really
Sick, Sick Sick?
Viewpoints

They'd better stop shedding so many
crocodile tears about suburbia.
Practically everybody who calls himself a
planning expert, and some city editors, learned
column writer's all kinds of sociologists, col.
lege professors, magazine article writers :.
just about anybody who is an expert on any.
thing is having a bleeding heart about the
suburbs.
If you want to come up with a saleable
article just knock out pungent piece titled:
sour Suburbs - How Long VIII They Last?"
Dozens of magazines would enter into stiff
competition with each other trying to get you
to sell your article to them. Perhaps you would
want to give your article this title: do Our
Suburbs Raise Juvenile Delinquents?" Or how
about: "The Suburbs - Are They Rotten to
the Core?"
Another possibility: "The Decline and
Fall of Suburbia." And you could also throw
at hungry publishers: when VIII Our Suburbs
Become Slums?" That1l WOW 'em!
Everybody seems to be worried about sub
urbia except suburbia And it isn't just limited
to U. S. A. experts. Not long ago there was
one from Greece who was telling all of us
suburbanites that we were SICK sick, sick.
There's no doubt about it. suburbia IS a
problem. It's not so much of problem to itself
as 1t Is to the cities Suburbanites fled from
the cities and the resulting vacuum is causing
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Letters TO the Editor

ums for high quality milk are
abolished, what incentive will
the farmers have to continue
spending the extra time and
money necessary to keep our
milk supply what it has been?
The problem affects only sub
urban Maryland now, but the
big diaries have promised to
carry the fight on to Washing
ton next. Do we want these
standards lowered just to make
more profit for the diaries?
These are the questions each
housewife should ask herself.
In the meantime those who live
in Maryland should ask whether
they should continue paying
premium prices for milk which
is no longer of premium quality.
Barbara MOuIt0n, MD.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Wick Byron

through the rigors of long involved written
tests. This method, in our opinion, seems more
OF block than an inducement It reminds US
OF army days when bright young kids fresh
out of college could swamp most oldtime army
personnel in the written exam. And nine times
out OF ten the older cadre with or without
college degrees earned years before made far
superior army officers.
The system of promoting within ranks ex.
ciusively tends to make the system STALE On
the other hand, the practice of reaching out for
outsiders for all top jobs could very easily in.
crease tension and lower morale among the
present personnel
The neighboring board of education in
Washington Is a good example of promoting
from within, all things being equal DR.. Carl
D. Hansen, superintendent was formerly the
deputy superintendent and the present deputy.
Mr. Cantrell, was a principal of Paul Junior
High, when we went to school there. A spokes.
man at the D. C. superintendent office said
that 1t is policy there to promote from within
the system when at all possible.
1t Is difficult to believe that we do not have
In our county system educators who were de-
sirous of or qualified for appointment to at
least two Of the top jobs mentioned.
The county has IL high schools, II Junior
highs and IS elementary schools, plus a Junior
college. 1t would seem incredible If we did not
have personnel with equal or greater oualifica.
tons than the majority Of those recently an
pointed 1t is poor commentary on our sys.
tenn II this be the case. And this is not to imply
that the three newly-appointed officials are
not duly qualified.
1t is hoped that the superintendent and the
school board viii hasten plans to establish a
policy whereby present personnel will have
reason to be ambitious and encouraged to 20 up
In the systam.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Futile Study

HE utter futility of the school boards
! recently completed study on whether
more competent teachers should receive
higher pay came out when 1t was revealed
tnis week that the study group was evenly
split on the question.
Half OF the group was made up of
Ieacners ana the other half was made up
OF non-teacherS. The teachers - to man
- repeatedly opposed the idea of merit
pay for members of their profession and
the non-teaching members of the conn
mittee repeatedly We're unanimous in favor
ing the principle.
From the time the 14-member groun
Iirst met, the chairman said, at was an.
parent that we could not eventually meet
on any common ground" Eleven meet
ingS were held.
Just where this leaves the school
board In its search for an answer to the
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
An Opinion
Outside Hiring
Can Hurt Morale
An Opinion

There is a growing feeling among local
educators that the present Montgomery Coun-
ty school administration has not practiced a
sufficiently strong policy of promoting within
the system for top posts. This has been par.
ticularly noticeable recently in the appointment
OF three outsiders to key posts. Many observers
have expressed the opinion that qualified per-
sonnet already here were not seriously con-
sidered.
In April, 1858, DR.. c. Taylor Whittier,
superintendent of schools recommended and
the Board approved, sight unseen, the appoint.
ment of DR.. John A. Permenter of the Philip
pines and Florida as assistant superintendent.
DR.. Rodney Tllman, 36, formerly of Arksansas
and presently executive secretary of the Asso-
citation for Supervision and Curriculum De-
velopment, national organization, was ap-
pointed as Director of Elementary Education
in Montgomery County. And just last Saturday
the Board reached into Georgia and named
William A. Early as director Of curriculum
development for schools here in the county.
All three are top posts.
Az far as we could learn, little effort was
exerted to consider persons presently employed
by the school system for these three important
posts especially those with wide experience and
excellent education. But we did learn Dr. Whit
tier has a system whereby written examina-
ton is offered to persons in the system who
aspire to supervisory vice principal and prin-
cipal openings. There is also a special course
for teachers who want to brush up in order
to stand better chance for promotion via the
written examination.
There are those in the system who chal-
lenge this method Of discovering best qualified
educators and administrators. Further. 1t Ia
felt that teachers with years of experience but
long out Of college find 1t difficult 10 60
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Milk Regulations

= FREQUENTLY in the life of public Off
Gals there must be times when they
are far from sure they have made the right
decision in matters that are of grave con-
sequence affecting large numbers of peo-
pie.
Such time, no doubt, is the decision
now facing members of the Montgomery
County Council on whether they should
adopt District milk standards for Mont
gomery County. Such proposal is sched-
uled to come up Tuesday and Councilmen,
at the moment, seem inclined to favor
adopting such rules.
There are several reasons why such
action might be desirable The extremely
high standards in these regulations would
favor local suppliers thus helping the econ
omy of the county where dairying is a
major industry Also it would insure con-
sumption here of milk that has lower
bacterial content than almost any in the
Nation and it's difficult to quarrel with
establishment of high standards in any
thing.
Possibly offsetting this, however, is
the position of County, State and Federal
health authorities that milk of a much
higher bacterial count (the District al
lows maximum bacterial count of only
100000 per cubic centimeter while Mary
land-and Montgomery County-allow up
to 2OO,OO00) is perfectly safe.
Also creating considerable doubt in
the minds of councilmen, we suspect, is
the certainty that such law will material
ly help the dairymen but it is by no means
certain whether such law will substan-
TALLY help another important segment of
the communicative milk-buying public.
Apparently, the principal motivation
Tor adoption of such rules is the UNDER
standable desire of local dairymen to help
their own industry and the desire of the
County Council to help the dairymen. Has
anyone, we would like to ask, given serious
consideration to the needs of some 100000
consumers in the county? We are aware
OF no public outcry for adoption of such
regulations.
1t is entirely possible that adoption
OF extremely high milk standards could
be OF more benefit than harm to our coun-
~. But we wonder, at this point, how
many OF the seven councilmen are certain
In their own minds that hurried adoption
OF such rules is in the best interests of the
majority of county residents.
Certainly, the question is one of suf-
ncient magnitude that cautious, reasoned
consideration is urgent. On this one, we
believe, the county heads should be reas-
onably certain before they act. Too much
Is at stake.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
County Comment
Budget Game Played
SkiIlfuIIy by Reese
County Comment

From here, it would appear that County
Manager Melvin L. Reese has capitalized on
the public concern over school expenditures, in
order to distract attention from the rising costs
in his own phases of county government.
Elsewhere in this issue, news story re-
lates that the percentage increase in nonschool
property taxes would be 21h times greater than
the rise in the school under Reese's proposed
budget. The reason this is news is that 1t
presents a startlingly different aspect Of the
tax picture than the one outlined by Reese in
his official budget statements.
At the time he introduced his budget, Reese
made quite point of emphasizing that school
costs were responsible for 371z cents of an
expected 39-cent increase in the property tax
rate. This was duly recorded on page one of
his budget message On Page 5, he noted that
his revenue estimates included million dollars
from proposed, but as yet nonexistent, levy
on utility companies. Without the new levy,
said page s. the property tax would 60 up
another 10 cents.
Newspapers dutifully reported the gist of
the managers statements: ID the largest tax
increase in county history would be almost en-
tirely due to school costs and, t2) Reese was
"holding the line" with mere ia cent hike for
those phases of county government under his
direct control. His reliance on a non-existent
utilities levy was mentioned but, as in his
own statement, relegated to subordinate posi-
ton.
What Reese failed TO emphasize, and what
subsequently developments have made abund.
antly clear, Is that any comparison Of school
and non-schOOl rates inevitably is prejudiced
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19

this time, considering the myriad other
problems that now confront us with the
annual enrolment increase still reaching
5000 per year and no end in sight.
Perhaps merit pay for teachers should
become part of long range plan rather
than one that needs to be settled at once
- one way or the other. In any event,
the school board should make an early
decision and then get on with its important
huEhaan.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19

merit pay question makes for interesting
speculation. Should the board, because
of the wide open split of its study group,
do nothing? We think not.
If adoption of such plan would wreck
the morale of most of our Woodworking,
underpaid teachers we would say drop the
plan although it appears to us to be a
good one.
It's deferment would not work SUBJ
stantial hardship on the school system at
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19

A group Of mothers here In
Montgomery County feels that
cooperative nursery schools are
so good for children that we
would like to have them avail.
able to more peoples children.
One way of having them avail
able to more families would be
to have more pre-schools, pref
erably one or two In each of the
county recreation centers plus
those in operation in churches
and elsewhere.
Another way of making them
available to more families con-
sists in lowering the cost. At
present, some co-ops charge
around $18 a month per child
One way to lower the cost
would be to get more people
to share the cost. For example,
people who do not have children
old enough for nursery school
yet might be willing to share
the cost because in time their
children could go. People whose
children are now too old for
nursery school could help fl
nancially because anything that
helps my neighbours children to
be better citizens will eventu-
ally benefit my own family"
Figuring the cost of leader
ship for about 20 pre-schools
throughout the county to be
about $4,000 and the population
OF the county to be about 340,.
600, then the amount it would
cost per resident would be about
10 cents a year.
Of course, there are some peo-
pie who are going to object to
paying 10 cents a year SO that
little children can go to pre-
school for a few hours a week,
aid so that their mothers will
have a few free days to go shop
ping at the local stores or have
their hair done occasionally.
We mothers have in mind ask.
ing that the pre-school program
be added to the present over.
whelming proposed budget, so
that taxes would remove from
us the necessity of raising funds
for pre-schools.
When the hearings come up
at the end of March, and our
humble proposal is mentioned,
and the foes of little children
stand up and say, 1--WE cannot
afford to add 10 cents a year
to our present outrageous
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19

taxes; I say, when this hap.
pens, and when the Council says,
I'm view of the other needs, SO
important and so expensive at
this time, we cannot agree to
add 10 cents a year to every
ones taxes; I say, when this
business has been brought to a
finality, and we mothers have
been made to feel that we were
asking far, far too much to re-
quest every resident to pay 10
cents a year for the benefit of
the toddlers; I say, then we win
hang our heads in shame for
preSuming so much, heave a
big sigh, and then get to work
to see if there might be some
other way to work out pre-.
schools for our children.
(Mrs.) Florence Poor
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Advance PLANNING

A A ANY county residents will agree with
wv the conclusion of the Montgomery
County Citizens Planning Association that
Our planning efforts are inadequate.
Too little effort, as the group points
out, has been expended on advanced PLAN
ming. And too much time is devoted to
ironing out past coming mistakes. This,
OF course, is not entirely the fault of the
planners but, in large part, blame can be
laid at the door of past governing bodies.
But II more master plans had been avail
able, fewer mistakes might have been
made. The drawing up and adoption of
the Cabin John Valley plan is virtually
the only bright spot in the whole planning
picture. In other areas we have planned
too little and too late.
For much of the county there still is
no comprehensive master coming plan that
can be used as guide by county heads
10 insure sound, controlled growth. One
is being rushed now for the Rock Creek
valley Developers are already asking the
County Council to rezone large tracts in
TINS important area but there is no COM
prenensive plan to use as guide.
The proposal that we undertake q
crash program to greatly accelerate adj
vance planning before new confusion and
costly errors arise is a. sound one. If
county taxpayers understood clearly that
expenditure of few extra dollars now
would yield a big return later on. thew
would surely go along with such a plan.
And, of course, the planners would
De the last to disagree, we would hope.
IL they are given the tools, in the form of
more revenue, they can do the lob.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Bob Bernstein
against the school side.

against the school side.
The bias stems from a technicality of State
law which says that school expenses, for 40.
counting purposes, must be charged wholly to
the local property tax. So, although the county
receives more than half of its revenue from
other sources, such funds show up entirely as q
reduction In the nonschool tax.
This is rather technical stuff. But its fun
Import, as 1t applies to Reeses budget state.
ments, was brought home when the cOunty's
Legislative delegation rejected the utilities tax
proposed by Reese and the County Council.
Deprived of this million dollars of revenue.
Reese will apparently be forced to add 10 cents
to the non-school property tax rate to make up
the difference. Thus, the non-school rate under
Reeses budget would jump, not by III cents,
but by 11h. That's so percent rise over this
years Decent rate. - o.
School taxes, by contrast, would increase
by relatively small 20 percent, from $1.S9 to
$2.265.
None Of this is to deny that the school
budget Is whopping one. If approved, it will
represent a Is percent increase in spending
over the current year. The difference is due
primarily to healthy boost in teachers pay
and an expected 5000-pupil growth In enroll
ment.
But let's not ignore the fact that non.school
costs also are soaring. Reeses new budget for
these items is about II percent higher than
the one it would replace. 1t has not been easy
to pin-point the reasons for the difference, be.
cause Reese, unlike the school board, has made
little attempt to explain or justify his position
to the public
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
School Emergency

I was disturbed by your re-
cent editorial concerning the 39c
or ACC tax increase needed to
implement the proposed County
budget. AS everyone is no doubt
aware, most of the increase
would be used to meet the edu.
cational needs of the Montgom-
cry school system. One should
keep in mind that in 1850, the
population of Rockville alone
was scott has now grown to
22,0O0. This must be considered
as a leading factor which neces-
states higher taxes-not only
for schools, but for other county
services as well.
You stated that after 1873
years the Montgomery County
property tax is "only'' $2.18 and
when there is no real emer.
gency should not be increased
at such big amount at one
time" I truly believe that an
emergency exists now and has
existed for some time. 1t is true
that the School Board has rec.
commended a tremendous bud.
get, but this budget is based on
present needs. Having seen the
Board In action, / am convinced
the members submitted this
years budget after careful con-
sideration and in no way could
their recommendations be con-
strued as "wanton spending"
In the next five years the in.
crease in secondary school pop
ulation will be far greater than
the increase in elementary
schools. The costs for educating
secondary school pupils are
much greater than for the grade
school child.
Fairfax County has proposed
Sligo tax increase to meet
their needs. Their present rate
of student growth is 5000 a
year-the same rate as Mont.
gomery County. At present
there are $1,000 pupils in the
Montgomery school system-by
1862 there will be $1,000. The
national average spent to edu-
cate a child is given as &c an
More Letters on Page 16)
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Milk Answers

Milk is the most important
item in the food budget of most
mothers. How safe is our milk
supply? How clean is it? How
good is its quality? These are
the questions which interest the
housewife-4not who is to blame
for the current battle going on
between the farmers and the
diaries, or who, other than the
consumer, will reap the profits
or take the losses. But these
are the questions that are not
being properly answered in pub
lie.
The quality of milk depends
primarily on cleanliness and alb.
scence of large numbers of con-
terminating bacteria. Pasteuri.
Zation does not kill all the bac.
terra present in milk. A high
bacteria count at the farm
means that there will be some
spoilage of the milk before pas
teurization, and that the pasteur-
lied product will spoil more
quickly. Washington has prided
itself in the past on having the
best milk supply in the world.
The Maryland Virginia Milk
Producers Association, by means
OF quality premiums to farmers,
attempts to keep bacteria counts
below 10000 per NIL, and in De-
cember of 1859, At per cent of
its members shipped milk with
average counts Of less than
5000. The District of Columbia
Code enforces a maximum of
100000. The milk which Chest
nut Farms Is now shipping to
suburban Maryland will, If it
meets the Maryland Code, have
counts as high as 100000. The
difference is significant in terms
OF the sweetness and keeping
quality of our milk, and possibly
also the safety.
The District of Columbia
Health Department inspects at
intervals of approximately two
months all farms supplying
milk to Washington. The state
of Maryland makes no attempt
to carry out such inspections.
Have the out-of-state farms, not
eligible to ship to Washington
consumers, but now supplying
milk to suburban Maryland, ac-
tually met any of the require
ments of the Maryland Milk
Code? Some farms in Pennsyl-
vania do have permits to ship
to the District of Columbia. Why
have these farms from whom
Chestnut Farms is now buying
not applied for District of Co
lumbia permits? These are the
questions we should ask our
health authorities.
The District of Columbia Code,
which the dairies call out.moded,
provides specifications for clean,
airy barns; clean, healthy cows;
barns and milk houses designed
for easy maintenance of cleanli.
ness. No housewife needs to be
told how much harder it is to
prepare clean food in filthy
hut with a dirt floor than In a
clean modern kitchen. Does not
the same hold true for dairy
farms? Do we want to aban.
don the modern dairy farms that
represent years Of progressive
effort - and that supply more
than enough top quality milk
for all our needs-in favor of
farms much less well equipped
to produce the kind of milk we
want?
With all these safeguards it is
difficult to maintain daily the
standards that have been set. If
the standards are lowered, If
inspection is relaxed, If premi-
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Montgomery County
S EN- TIN Ell

Established 1858 by Matthew Fields
MEMBER MARYLAND PRESS ASSOC,
AFFILIATE MEMBER NATIONAL
EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
SENTINEL PUBLISHING CO., INC.
Published weekly. Thursdays, at as
East Montgomery Avenue, by the Senti-
mel Publishing Co., Inc, Cy M. Camp
bell. president.
Entered as second class matter at the
Post Office at Rockville. Maryland, under
Act Of Congress, March 8. 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Mail In Maryland and the District %
Columbia:
One Year ....-..-..............S4.00
Elsewhere:
One Year ..................... $3.50
Out OF County Service
Personnel ...................-.S42
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19
Doirymon NugeI

The only thing that Mr.. Nagel,
speaking through Bob Bernstein
in the March IL issue of the
SENTINEL, demonstrated con-
clusively was that under the
policies Of the Maryland-Virginia
Milk Producers Association, he
was losing money.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-19

Philip Marcus