Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-08-29
To Stop Speeding On The Conduit
Road.
From the Washington Star.

, |
tocycles on the Conduit road extending
along the north bank of the Potomac river
from Foxhall road to Great Falls, distance
OF about fourteen miles. The road was
built by the government over forty years
ago in connection with the water supply
system of the District. For greater part
of the distance it is directly over the tun-
mel conduit COL Langfitt, the engineer
officer in charge of the system, has COM
planned to the War Department of the mis-
use of the road by auto vehicles, claiming
the operators of some Of them drive so
fast and recklessly as to make dangerous
the use of the road by the general public.
About six years ago the War Depart
ment had controversy with Mr.. Garrett,
then mayor Of Glen Echo. Md, small
village on the road a few miles above
Georgetown. 1t grew out of the action of
the mayor in assuming Jurisdiction over
that part of the thOroughfare running
through Glen Echo. distance of about a
mile, and imposing fines and collecting
them for alleged violations of the speed
laws of the State of Maryland. The action
of the mayor of Glen Echo was the cause
of considerable dissatisfaction by the peo-
pie of this city. who claimed that in many
cases arrests were made and fines imposed
arbitrarily without just cause. The result
of the controversy was that the War De-
partment assumed complete jurisdiction
over the road its entire length, putting
its agents in charge and denying the Glen
Echo mayor any authority whatever in the
premises.
Since then agents of the government
with the powers of deputy United States
marshals have patrOled the Conduit road
and have endeavored to enforce the laws
in operation in the section in the State
of Maryland. as well as the shorter section
within the District of Columbia. 1t now
appears from the report of Col. Langfitt
that there is some doubt as to the powers
of these agents TO require obedience to the
regulations by persons who exceed the speed
limits prescribed. Several instances are
cited where reckless drivers have been stop
ped for speeding and warned against rep
etitions of the offense No arrests were
made, however, and the warnings were not
always needed.
Col. Langftt and his assistants appar-
emily are convinced that the imposition of
some penalty is the only way to stop the
practice of speeding. AS means to that
end he has asked the War Department for
information as to the extent of the police
powers of the agents patroling the Conduit
road. What he desires to know particularly
is whether the agents legally can arrest
persons who violate the speed laws, and in
that event where and how the prisoners
shall be prosecuted. In order to clear up
these problems Acting Secretary Breckin-
ridge has referred the matter to the Attor-
ney General for advice as to the proper
course of procedure in the premises.
In July, 1907, Attorney General Charles
j. Bonaparte gave an elaborate opinion of
several thousand words to the general
effect that the United States government
alone had jurisdiction over the Conduit
road, and that the mayor of Glen Echo
had exceeded his powers in collecting fines
for alleged offenses committed on it. That
opinion has a general bearing on some of
the questions now under consideration, and
may be made to apply to them.
In summarizing his views. Attorney Gen
eral BOnaparte said:
81 advise you. therefore, first. that in
my opinion the laws of Maryland confer
upon the mayor of the town of Glen Echo
no authority to impose or collect fines,
either for violations of the ordinances of
that town, or for Offenses against the State
of Maryland; second, that the Congress
has the right of exclusive Jurisdiction over
the entire length of the Conduit road, sup
posing, as | understand to be the fact,
that its entire rOadbed is owned in fee by
the United States. and has been acquired
islature of the State of Maryland to such
acquisition, contained in the Act of 1858
third, that the said Conduit road is not a
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