Evening star., 1925-08-23
u. s. MUST PASS
UPON BELT LINE
Commerce Commission Off,
CiaIs Raise Question as to
Need of Railroad.

Intended, according to its petition
before the Maryland Public Service
Commission, to carry on an inter
state business, the Washington and
Loughborough, Belt Line and Term
inal Go. proposed construction has
brought forth unofficial inquiries from
Federal authorities as to the manner
in which the road is to tie up with
other railroads serving Washington
and whether it WILL as is said to have
been proposed, take away much of the
business now handled at Potomac yard,
the great freight junction point for
northbound freight located between
Washington and Alexandria.
AT the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, where the applicants must 90
before authority is granted 70 engage
in an Interstate or intrastate railroad
enterprise involving construction of a
line. officials inquired why the spon-
sors for the belt line did not apply 10
the commission in the first instance,
instead of seeking authority from the
Maryland State commission for the
construction OF the belt line.
AT the War Department it was said
permission must be secured from the
department and from Congress be-
fore bridge can be constructed
across the Potomac River, as pro-
posed in the petition. Crossing Of
such an important stream as the
Potomac involves authorization by.
the chief OF engineers of the Army,
according to officials OF the District
engineers office. The belt line spon-
sors propose TO construct a bridge
across the river at or near Little
Falls TO handle business from Vir-
ginia into Maryland.
Rail Officials nenv plan
Interstate Commerce Commission
officials presumed the incorporators
of the proposed belt line had made
railroad connections with the big
roads entering Washington from the
South TO assure a steady flow Of
traffic along the route Of the pro-
posed line. Railroad spokesmen deny
that any such connections have been
made, while commission officials in
an unofficial way inquired further
why Potomac yard should be subordi-
mated unless the need for rerouting
OF traffic north of Washington had
been shown to the railroads which
made use OF the big yard d few miles
south of the Capital. Railroad off
Gals insist the present yards can
care for twice the traffic now handled.
AT the same time William W. Bride.
chairman Of the citizens committee
OF residents of the suburbs northwest
OF Washington in Maryland assailed
the claim of the incorporators of the
belt line that the road would handle
upwards of 10000 freight cars a day.
He said sponsors of the road proposed
10 construct a great freight yard be-
tween the LOughborough section
along the river road miles north
OF Tenleytown and Wisconsin avenue
TO handle this volume of traffic, a
greater freight traffic than is now
handled at Potomac yard in many
days.
Says Values Would Fall.
Turning ia the esthetic side of the
proposed construction and the indus
trial communities expected to grow
up along the right of way of the belt
hne, Mr.. Bride pointed out that Mont
gomery County, Immediately north OF
Washington Is now RAPIDLY he
coming an important educational cen
ter.
Georgetown College has erected q
preparatory school at Garrett Park, in
line with the proposed railroad de-
velopment: the Chevy Chase Semi
nary at Chevy Chase. Md, and the
National Park Seminary at Forest
Glen, Md, are in the territory which
may be traversed by the road, while
property has been acquired along
Wisconsin avenue for the construc-
ton OF other educational institutions
which now have headquarters in
Washington. The value of all these
properties would be very much de-
prec1ated We're an industrial and
manufacturing development of con
siderable magnitude allowed to spring
up along the route of the belt line
he said.
Montgomery County also, Mr.. Bride
ADDED, has become an important coun-
Try club center, with a half dozen golf
ana country clubs located in the ter
rltory few miles north of Washing
ton possible of inclusion in the terri
tory embraced by the proposed route
OF the belt line. Among these he men.
TONED the Chevy Chase Club. the
Burning Tree Club, the Columbia Coun.
try Club, the Bannockburn Golf Club.
the Congressional Country Club, the
indian Spring Golf Club and the Mont.
gomery Country Club. Values of anv
one or these properties would drop, he
said, If railroad were constructed
near them. Millions of dollars have
been spent in the development of these
valuable properties.
The Georgetown spur of the Ralti.
more and Ohio railroad. running from
the Metropolitan branch of the 3. and
u, at a point south of Kensington to
the Potomac River about two miles
north OF the Key Bridge, is the onIv
railroad now serving the territory GOV.
cred in the application of the belt line
II runs directly through the property
OF the Columbia Country Club.