Prince Georges
Bill Sets Up
Accounting Unit
Measure Prepared
To Abolish County's
Finance Department
By Gene Goodwin
Star Staff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 18. The
Maryland Legislature had before
it today bills authorizing the cre
ation of an accounting depart
ment and an office of licenses
and inspection in Prince Georges
County.
The all-Democratic House
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 commis
sioners the control over county
finances, which had been trans
ferred to the treasurer under the
1953 McKay bill.
Also promised was an end to
the ‘‘buck passing,” which re
sults from having inspection
functions separated under vari
ous 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
tion.
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 col
lect his expense account of up
to $2,500 a year.
Mr. Mace receives $6,400 a
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 Sub
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 bi
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 $400,000 a year in
county funds, $99,000 of it being
in direct aid of $3,000 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 State-wide
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
double transfer he made in two
steps.
Sanitary Commission
Bill Passes House
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 18 (Special).
—The bill to increase the Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission from three to six mem
bers and to transfer its control
from Republican to Democratic
hands was halfway through the
Maryland Legislature today.
Sponsored by the Democratic
controlled Montgomery and
Prince Georges county delega
tions, the measure was approved
in the House yesterday on a 107-
to-2 vote; The dissenters were
Delegate Gilbert Gude, lone Re
publican in the Montgomery del
egation, and Delegate Sam Cu
lotta. Republican of Baltimore
City.
Committee Kills Bill
To License Naturopaths
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 18 (&). ;
Medical men won a battle in the
House Ways and Means Commit- i
tee yesterday against licensing :
of naturopaths. Dr. Carl Meek
of the medical and chirurgical
faculty of Maryland called na
turopaths and their patients
“a cult.” He expressed fear that
some serious ailments might not
be diagnosed by them. The com- !
mittee killed a bill to license 1
them.
Dr. Dennis C. Hitchcock,
spokesman for naturopaths, said 1
more than 100 of them are prac- '
ticing in Maryland, that it is a
legal practice and a respected i
profession.
TTic naturopaths said they cure i
by aiding natural processes in 1
the body, using manipulation and <
U
RADIO—COMICS-TELEVISION
OBITUARIES—FINANCE
Different Type of Draftee Going Into Assembly Line of 'New' Army,
Somewhat Confused, but Almost Certain He Will Serve Only Two Years
By Richard Rodgers
Army induction today isn’t
like the great transformation cf
the early 19405. Even the draftee
is different. Despite the clanging
of arms in China, he seems con
vinced he will serve only two
years in uniform, then return
safely to civilian life.
In this regard, current model
recruits are unlike the World
War n prototypes, who were
concerned chiefly over when and
if they would return, and in
what condition.
And the induction routine is
almost wholly rewritten The
new script turns young males
into serial numbers by a slicker
and gentler process;
Today’s draftee resembles his
wartime predecessor, however, in
that he is as confused and just
as open to rumors.
The other day. Uncle Sam ran
an average assortment of Dis
trict teen-agers and barely-vot
ing-age men through the main
induction station in Alexandria,
The Star followed one of them
through the assembly line. His
name is Norman Plotnick. This
is the first time in his 21 years
he has left home, 5401 North
Capitol street, for longer than
two weeks.
Norman was older than many
in his group of 39. He was de
ferred from military service until
he was graduated from American
University with a bachelor of
science degree in radio and tele
vision work.
Until summoned to uniform,
he was Station WWDC’s ‘‘music
director,” in charge, as he de
scribed it, of such things as mak
ing sure the music royalty
ledgers were kept straight.
Norman is his family’s first
serviceman. An older brother
was exempted.
That last family breakfast, the
day he was to report, was a
tremulous meal, but his mother,
Mrs. William Plotnick, managed
to get through the farewells re
latively dry-eyed.
“Please don't cry,” Norman
said. “It’ll just make it tough
er.” So she didn’t until he was
gone.
“Then,” she said, "I just had
to sit down and cry it out.”
Her son reported to Selective
Service Headquarters at 431
Indiana avenue N.W. at 7:30
a.m. to board a chartered bus for
Alexandria. It was a subdued
busload.
By the time it reached the in
duction center, at 814 North St.
Asaph street, the group was
cheerier.
Herded into the bamlike main
room at the center, the draftees
stacked their handbags, an
swered roll and started through
the mill.
The physical examination for
young Plotnick and his com
panions was real, not one of
those superficial “if you’re still
warm, you’re in” tests familiar
to veterans.
One of the party proved to be
minus three toes. He was sent
back to civilian life.
“In the old Army," a sergeant
bystander remarked, “they only
counted heads, not toes.” (His
“old” Army was the 1942 Army,
and sergeants then were scoffing
at the “new” Army.)
Medics even conducted calis
thenics for Norman’s group to
determine whether fingers and
toes articulated normally. It was
not enough that the arm had a
hand—the hand had to func
tion. ,
Found fit, young Plotnick
turned to a non-com to volunteer
a generous offer. "I’d like to
give you this opportunity to take
my place,” he said with exag
gerated courtesy. “You’re wel
come to my papers. I won’t mind
if you go instead of me.”
He had already taken the
Armed Forces Qualification Test
during a pre-induction test a
year ago. The AFQT is the
modern version of what was
Prince Georges Clears Licenses
In 9-Hour Liquor Discussion
The I»rince Georges County
Liquor Board granted two hotly
disputed license requests yester
day during a record nine and
one-half hour hearing at Upper
Marlboro.
Samuel Saunders was permit
ted a change in his license from
off-sale at the Chev-Tux Liquors,
1701 Kenilworth avenue, Beaver
Heights.
Also approved was the trans
fer of a beer, wine and liquor
on-sale license from Kenneth M.
Raynor at the Boots and Saddle
Club in Oxon Hill to a new
restaurant at 4916-8 Livingston
road, Oxon Hill. The license
will be bought by Francis A.
Fisher, 5917 Twenty-eighth ave
nue, Marlow Heights, who plans
a seafood restaurant for the
location. The restaurant will be
in the area of a shopping center
now under construction.
A large crowd jammed Circuit
Courtroom to speak on the two
applications.
18 Oppose Change.
Opposition to the Chev-Tux
license change was based on a
belief by 18 area residents who
testified that a place where
people sit down to drink will in
crease the present influx of un
wanted persons in the area.
Mrs. William B. Bryant,
colored, of 1903 Kenilworth ave
nue said there are, too many
liquor outlets in the area al
ready.
The license change request
was supported by a petition of
181 signatures and a large del
egation which contended the
Area lacks adequate facilities for
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FAREWELL TO HOME—Norman Plotnick kisses his mother
and sister good-by and heads for the induction center.
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NOTHING WRONG PHYSICALLY—Mr. Plotnick, soon to shed
the "mister,** passes the doctor’s examinatioh.
erroneously but generally called
the IQ test by 1940 Gls.
The Alexandria center hits
ohly the high spots in induction
tests. It relays recruits to Fort
Jackson, near Columbia, S. C„
where they endure immunization
shots, equipment issues and a
battery of tests designed to sep
arate round pegs from squares.
These tests number 10 and
range from quizzes on vocabu
lary and arithmetic reasoning
to clerical aptitude for radio
coding.
The medical examination used
up most of the morning at the
Alexandria center. Those who
finished first started learning an
colored persons to sit down
while they drink. Mr. Saunders
testified that 97 per cent of his
patronage is colored.
The license was granted, how
ever, because board members felt
an on-sale establishment is re
quired by public convenience and
necessity. “It would furnish a
place for patrons to go inside,"
the board said.
Fear Traffic Hazard.
The Oxon Hill Restaurant
liquor application was opposed
because, witnesses said, it would
increase a traffic hazard on In
dian Head road, have a bad
moral effect in an area which
has no other similar license
holders and because the location
is close to the Forest Heights
Elementary School.
In granting the application,
board members agreed with con
tention in a petition of 780 names
and testimony from witnesses
that the rapidly growing Forest
Heights, Glassmanor and Oxon
Hill areas need a liquor outlet.
The board continued a hear
ing on a request of Anthony C.
Schreiber for a beer on-sale
license at 4421 Wheeler road
until March 17.
Among other licenses granted
yesterday were:
To Albert C. Rawlings, off
sale beer at Al’s General Mer
chandise, Brown Station and
Melwood road. Route 1, Upper
Marlboro.
To Vemon R. Butner, for
beer off-sale at Butner's Mar
ket, 5818 Fortieth avenue, Hy
attsville. a transfer from 4908
jPecatur street, Edmonston.
fpfre ’Binning Ji&tf
WASHINGTON, D. C„ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1955
important military custom—
waiting.
Lunch avoided the old, rude
introduction to GI chow, when
misanthropic cooks flung gravy
over the ice cream, and a tray
carrying rookie was helpless.
Nonfian Plotnick’s group had a
box lunch, prepared by a nearby
restaurant whose operator strives
to please. The box contained
two soldier-sized sandwiches,
crammed with slabs of boiled
ham and roast beef; a carton of
milk, a tangerine and two cup
cakes. It was heartier and
tastier than many downtown case
lunches.
In between assemblies in the
THIS SUNDAY'S BEST READING
£>mti>ag S>tar
WASHINGTON'S HOME GROUNDS—In The Star Pictorial
Magazine you visit the Ferry Farm acres in Fredericksburg,
Vd., where the Father of Our Country lived from early
childhood until he was a grown man. In the same maga
zine, Meredith S. Buel takes you underground for a day
near Burnsville, Va., with teen-age Explorer Scouts from
Alexandria as they go "Exploring Virginia's Breathing
Cave."
WHAT WAS THE FBI'S TOUGHEST CASE?-Was it trapping
the notorious killer John Dillinger . . . getting the goods
on the nine top United States Communists . . . tracing
the leak of A-bomb secrets to Harry Gold? Top G-Man
J. Edgar Hoover tells his own story of the most difficult
case in the bureau's history in This Week Magazine.
WHAT ABOUT LIES UNDER OATH?—The news is full of
stories about anti-Communist witnesses who belatedly
changed their testimony. Can they get away with what
they admit were«lies under oath? Probably. Two legal
experts, Phil Yeager and John Stark, tell why in the
Editorial Section.
EVERYBODY DISNEY NOW—Before television got
into his life and vice versa, Walt Disney the man was
a sort of genius incognito. Things are different now that
TV has let his fans meef him face to face, he tells Harold
Heffernan in your handy TV-Radio Pull-Out Section.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR WOMEN—In the Society and Fashion
Section, Selwa Roosevelt, in her Mansions of Washington
series, visits the Perry Belmont house, headquarters of
the General Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star; Eleni
shows the new, partless, "plateau" hair-do.
FOR YOUR BEST READING EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK,
ORDER THE EVENING AND SUNDAY STAR. HOME
DELIVERY, $1.75 A MONTH. (NIGHT FINAL EDITION,
10 CENTS ADDITIONAL) PHONE STERLING 3-5000^.
afternoon, a kibitzer asked Nor
man how he stood on marriage.
“I’m not going to get married
for a long, long time,” he said.
“I don’t have a steady girl.
I’ve been going with six girls.
I had my last six dates with
them, one after another, six
nights in a row.
“This getting married just be
cause you’re going in the Army
is crazy," he said. “It’s a fever.
One guy gets married, then
everybody else in the crowd has
to get married. It’s a sort of so
cial pressure, and it’s crazy. It’s
not for me.”
Did the possibility of seeing
action overseas influence his de
cision not to concentrate on one
girl?
“Nope. I don’t think the Chi
nese will start a war. They
can’t afford to fight us. Why,
they don’t even have roads good
enough to fight a war with.
They wouldn’t be a match for
us. I think they know it."
He feels certain he will be
a civilian again in two years?
“Sure. Two years—that’s
pretty long, isn’t it?" Then he
brightened. “But I’m going to
try to get into the Signal Corps,,
in some electronics line. They
send you to school. It’s a real
opportunity. I might learn more
in two years in the Army than
I ever could outside.”
He said he was looking forward
to getting to Camp Gordon, in
Georgia, where some hometown
pals are already stationed.
Someone asked him why he
thought he was going there.
“Why. that’s where well take
our basic training,” he said.
A corporal cleared that up.
"There’s a chance you’ll go to
Gordon, but 9 out of 10 get
their basic at Jackson. Even if
you don’t stay there, you might
be sent someplace else besides
Gordon.”
Norman had just lost his first
collision with the Rumor, GI,
Ml.
“You don’t know what to be
lieve,” he said. “Everybody you
know who’s been in the Army
tells you something different.
They all give you a different
angle.”
Time was approaching for the
swearing-in ceremony.
A capitain mounted the plat
form and announced he had
some Articles of War to read,
centering on absenteeism with
out leave, desertion and penal
ties. The lecture obviously
aimed at persuading the group
to stay put and not go over the
hill.
“Going AWOL on the first
day,” he added, “would not look
good on your record.”
He explained that the group
could not be forced into induc
tion.
"We can’t make you,” he said.
“You could walk out of here
right now, and we couldn’t stop
you.”
Several listeners exchanged
glances from under raised eye
brows. The brows came down
when the captain went on to
explain the Army would call in
the FBI or a United States mar
shal in such cases.
The oath ceremony was brief.
No one held back.
Now that the citizens were
soldiers and subject to military
discipline, the sergeants broke
them into fatigue details—some
to collect waste paper, some to
police the latrine, some to cart
away the trash cans overflowing
with lunchboxes, some to
straighten tables and chairs.
Considering they were in service
only a' few minutes, the boys
were being broken in rather
quickly.
His work finished, Pvt. Plot
nick. US 52390299, headed for
the queue at the public pay
phone to make his fourth call of
the day to his family.
Then the new soldiers lounged
around for 90 minutes, waiting
to be taken to the Alexandria
railroad station to meet the 6:33
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GATEWAY TO A NEW LIFE—The draftee squints up at the
sign over the Alexandria induction center entrance.
y SK 1 ijy
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—Star Staff Photos.
IN THE ARMY NOW—Sworn into military service, he becomes
Pvt. Plotnick, facing a two-year hitch.
for Columbia, S. C. While time
dragged on, they exhausted the
coke machine and surrounded
the center’s soldiers, getting a
more complete rundown on their
future.
In the train-bound bus, an
exhileration seized them. When
the driver cut a comer short, a
big fellow in the back shouted
at him, "Please don’t make me
come up there after you. Please,
please don’t.”
Girls on the sidewalks were
accorded approving yells and
whistles.
It was nearing 6 p.m. when
the bus arrived at the station.
Although knowing they were to
Fairfax School Board Splits
On $9.3 Million ‘56 Budget
Members of the Fairfax County
School Board are sharply divided
on the proposed $9.3 million
school budget for 1955-6.
Four of the seven board mem
bers are solidly behind the budg
et as it now stands, they said
yesterday. Two others think it is
too high, and the seventh mem
ber believes a few items might be
trimmed.
Members who are supporting
the budget are chairman Rich
ard Shands, Robert F. Davis,
Mrs. H. C. Crowther and Harry
Lee. Opposed to it are Fred W
Robinson and Robert Darr.
Floyd Curby is for cutting some
items.
The budget is more than $1.7
million above the 1954-5 school
budget and could result in a tax
increase of 30 to 40 cents unless
the county has a big surplus at
the end of this year.
Major items of controversy in
the proposed budget are $27,300
to employ seven driver training
teachers for the county high
schools, and a large increase in
the number of helping-teachers
and supervisors.
There seems to be no disagree
ment, however, over granting a
SIOO Increase in the teachers’
salary scales, which would give
Fairfax a scale of $3,300 to $5,-
200 after 17 years. In fact, board
members said they were going to
prepare figures to show how much
a higher increase in the scale
would cost, and consider it after
hearing views expressed on the
proposed budget at a public hear
ing March 2.
Mr. Shands said he was In
favor of presenting the Iqgl $9.3
WASHINGTON AND VICINITY
AMUSEMENTS
dine on the train, the draftees
went to work immediately on
pies, candy, cookies and soft
drinks from the station con
cessionaire.
About 6:30, they began drift
ing onto the platform. Far up
the tracks, a train headlight ap
peared and moments later a
long, silver flyer slid to a stop.
The pack rushed for the steps.
Porters and conductors repelled
the draftees desperately. It was
the wrong train.
Theirs did show up a couple
of minutes later. They clam
bered aboard and it wheeled
away, its newest passengers
clamoring for diner seats.
| million budget to the people for
discussion, but declared that he
would not hesitate to revise it
later. While the budget was be
ing prepared, he cast the de
ciding vote on placing the driver
training teachers in the budget
and on increasing the number
of supervisory teachers by 18
to a total of 44.
Mrs Crowtber said she felt
every item in the budget was
“justified and necessary.”
Mr. Davis declared that he
stood behind the budget as it
now is proposed.
Mr. Lee said: “I’m for leaving
everything in it. We ought to
add more if possible—specially
more money for gym equipment.”
Mr. Robinson protested: “The
budget very definitely is too high.
Driver training ought to come
out. I can think of 101 other
things we need before coming to
that.”
Mr. Darr declared that he
could cut $150,000 of the budget.
Mr. Kirby said he had voted
against putting the driver train
ing teachers in the budget and
also thought three new remedial
reading teachers would be enough
to add next year instead of the
proposed six.
Scouts to Be Honored
The Men of St. Luke will
honor members of Boy Scout
Troop 205 at a meeting at St.
Luke's Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Colesville road and
Highland drive. Silver Spring,
at 8 pm. Monday. A film pro
duced by the Ford Motor Co.,
"American Farmer,” will be
shown. 4 I
* 35
Justice Probes
Liquor Boycott
In Montgomery
Possible Violations
Os Anti-Trust Law
Seen by Barnes
By Charles L Hoffman
Boycott of the Montgomery
County liquor dispensary system
by eight major distillers is under
investigation in the Justice De
partment.
Assistant Attorney General
Stanley N. Barnes last night
disclosed the anti-trust division
is studying the situation “from
the standpoint of possible viola
tions of anti-trust laws.” Mr.
Barnes heads the division.
Disclosed by Irelan.
Montgomery County Attorney
Charles M. Irelan disclosed
Tuesday that eight distillers had
refused to continue to sell di
rectly to the county’s $7 million
a-year dispensary system.
Montgomery, as the only
county member of the National
Alcoholic Beverage Control As
sociation which includes 17
States operating monopoly sys
tems, for several years has been
permitted to purchase directly
from distillers at as low a price
offered by them to wholesalers.
Walter W. Mitchell, executive
secretary of the association, yes
terday confirmed the other
States are concerned over the
boycott.
Industry “in Middle."
Persons close to the distilling
industry admit they are un
happy about the situation and
the publicity it has created.
A spokesman within the in
dustry contended the distillers
are caught in the middle and are
being pressured by retailers and
probably by wholesalers, "who
are more influential,” into cut
ting off Montgomery County.
Retail and wholesale dealers*
associations both contend the
action stems from a “retailers*
revolt.”
John A. Menton, executive
secretary of the Maryland State
Licensed Beverage Association,
alleges that Montgomery County
is underselling all retail dealers
in the State because it is selling
below fair trade prices.
Fears Setup May Spread.
The beverage association
spokesman made it clear that
Montgomery County’s successful
financial operation of its dis
pensary system—it makes about
$750,000 a year for the county
treasury—may stimulate other
counties to establish monopoly
setups.”
Mr. Menton said retail deal
ers in Frederick and Prince
Georges County were feeling the
pinch from Montgomery’s op
eration hardest. He added how
ever, even Baltimore dealers
were losing business to Mont
gomery.
Alcoholic beverage consump
tion statistics, however, indicate
that Montgomery residents buy
less liquor per capita in the
county than those in other coun
ties of the state and the per
capita consumption is well below
the national average.
Purchases in D. C. Seen.
An industry spokesman con
ceded this probably is caused by
the large quantity of liquor pur
chased in Washington, at lower
rates in many instances, and
transported into Montgomery
County.
Mr. Menton feels the county
is violating fair trade laws and
that distillers who sell directly
to the county at lower rates than
retailers can get, are acting
contrary to State law.
Retailers to Get Chart.
The retailers since last fall
have been carrying on a cam
paign “to evaluate” each distil
ler’s policy in regard to Mont
gomery. The evaluation chart
was to be mailed to all retailers
today.
I. William Schimmel, executive
secretary of the Institute of Wine
and Spirit Distributors, blasted
the county’s system as “being
in business to make money . . .
(when) they should be attempt
ing to control moderation.”
A campaign has been under
way in the county to get State
legislation to permit some res
taurants and taverns to serve
liquor by the drink. No “pouring"
licenses are held except by nine
county clubs and three res
taurants.
Band Fund Aided
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.,
Feb. 18 (Special).—The Albe
marle County Farm Bureau
board of directors has appropri
ated SIOO to the Albemarle High
School Band toward purchase of
uniforms.
Shop The Star First
For Your New Home
If you ore planning to buy a homo,
shop the big real estate section of
The Stor tomorrow. When you shop
The Star real estate section first you
get a head start in your important
week-end search for just the house
you want. Every Saturday in The
Star you will find the widest variety
of real estate offerings for sale in the
Washington area.
In addition you’ll enjoy, every Satur
day, many helpful hints for improving
your home and the latest real estate
news os reported by The Star.
Don’t miss the big real estate sec
tion in The Star tomorrow. Read The
Evening and Sunday Star regularly.
Phone Sterling 3-5000 far convenient
home delivery.