Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1923-02-09
THE CONDUIT ROAD,

state Attorney Dawson has addressed
the following letter to Col Sheriff., of the
war Department, in regard to the Conduit
Road controversy
your name has been mentioned fra.
quentiy OF late with reference to the con.
troi OF the Conduit road, extending from
the District of Columbia line throush
MONTGOMERY county to the Great Falls of
, the Potomac. and have been advised
that 1t is the desire of the government
g "cials to arrive at some plan whereby
tn much mooted question of civil and
cri minal jurisdiction over the roadway
ma y be judicially determined without
fric ton between the two contendine
anti lorities.
&c ondltlons along this roadway, in so
far Sthey affect law and order in Mont
GONE ey county, have long been a sad re-
fiectio on the ability of those of us who
are ch areed with law enforcement to curb
and C, 'ntrol gambling and other offenses
in MOI lteomery county. and we feel that
the ex ercise Of complete criminal juris.
diction over the Conduit road is necessa-
ry to thu proper maintenance of law aud
order in that community, and to that end
we furtf Ter feel it advisable at this time
to have tue matter determined by our
courts.
Would Aid Officers.
Control OF the automobile traffic over
the CONDUIT troad would serve to keep the
officers of THIS county in touch with the
lawless eleI usnt travelling this road to re-
sorts in tn, immediate vicinity thereof
and better enable them to control and
regulate the conduct snd order of those
establishmel us wherein gambling and
other offense are carried on. The places
OF that cha acter heretofore operated
along this ro Idway have been open to
those resident sof the city of Washington
who indulge i such pastmes and are
operated most " by former residents of
the city of Wa Shinston whose establish
ments and bust 1esses in that jurisdiction
have been brol rem up. In other words,
this county oftel l finds itself the dumping
ground of unde. lirables from Washington
city. as may be well said by any rural
community horde ring on a large and rap
idly growing city. and 1t is my belief that
this situation coul be relieved somewhat
by a measure O. control over that ele-
ment who travel he public highways in
this county.
Believes Coop, Eation Desirable.
MANY of you VIII o are not acquainted
with the conditions of which complain
may not realize the necessity for the &C.
ton contemplated, b. 1t firmly believe it
is the desire of those Of you who exercise
the governments con troll over the Con-
duit road to CO cope ate with us to the
extent that we may ha We the same meas
ure of control over vice in this county
that obtains in the gov, Rnment- controlled
municipality of the Dist riot of Columbia.
A proper regulation of automobile traffic
over this highway is all that may be de-
sired by the governmen OF the United
States or by the State Of Maryland. and
the exercise OF such cont r0l by the auth
critics of this State wou Id not be incon-
sstent with the aim of II governmental
AGENCIES that is, the mali tenance ef law |
and order.
in order that might bI log to your at
IGNITION what believe to ,e the benefits |
TO be derived from local c. ntrol over this
highway, | have gene more Al length than
might have been necessaI I" bring to
,,o,,r a,,antio,, nc ohiect u Of this lettar-
May We no, arrive at some 4 plan whereby
the question of control Ovt the Conduit
road could be determined by judicial auth
GRITTY without the misundeI standing re-
suIt;no from an assumption of iurisdic-
ton on our part
1T is our belief that unde the act oil
the Maryland legislature OF 1898. giving
the government of the Unitedk states the
right to acquire land in this ate ior the
purpose of conducting water to the CITY OF
Washington, the State OF MI Tyland re-
tanned exclusive criminal jurlsd Teton over
such lands. and certainly that would IN,
clude the right to regulate ma controI
traffic over a public highway hereon'
shall refrain from taking any action IN
the matter until have your vi, 'ws on the
question of procedure