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NEWS CONFERENCE
January 3, 1968

OPENING STATEMENTS BY THE GOVERNOR

(Day Care Center Expansion)

I am pleased to announce today that Maryland will be able to ex-
pand its program of Day Care Centers for children of working mothers
in the coming fiscal year. President Johnson signed legislation yester-
day which will provide substantial Federal support for this program
previously financed strictly by the State. With this aid, we can triple
our present efforts in providing day care for children of welfare
mothers so that they can accept employment or job training The
number of centers will be increased from nine to 26, and the total
number of children cared for will be increased from 400 to 1, 300.

(Baltimore County Construction Permit Charges)

I wish to comment on a very misleading statement by the Baltimore
County Auditor which was the basis of several news stories yesterday.

First of all, I think it is important to place the criticism in the
proper perspective. Mr. Borland has long been a political opponent
of mine, as any cursory examination of news releases during my tenure
as County Executive will indicate. He was not part of my adminis-
tration but was the carefully selected handmaiden of the County
Council. Most of his productive time was spent in attempting to em-
barrass my administration and apparently, once having embarked
on the course, he finds it difficult to discontinue it.

Now, as to the substance of his allegations; and I reiterate this was
a problem from the previous administration, the Public Works Agree-
ment having been signed on March 1, 1962. Under the terms of this
agreement the County agreed to acquire a right-of-way for Rolling
Road to provide a safe access for an elementary school and a second
access to the proposed apartments. The County Council, of which
the incumbent County Executive was a member, refused to approve
access of this right-of-way on several occasions, even after the Board
of Education stated it was necessary. Consequently, my administra-
tion was forced to file a condemnation action. Because of the unsafe
condition, the right of prior entry was granted in August, 1966.

The important thing to emphasize is the enforcement of the Public
Works Agreement (executed, I reiterate, before I took office) was