Evening star., 1925-08-16
FOES Of BELT LINE
UNITING IN ATTACK
Maryland Property Holders
Prepare Petitions Against
Proposed Route.

Maryland communities in what is
to become the Metropolitan district of
Wa Gshington. and now rapidly grow
ing as vast residential area. are
msrshsling their forces to make
united fight against the proposed belt
line railroad from Loughborough on
River road along the District line to
connect with the Washington, Bslti
more and Annap polls Railroad.
Petitions re being signed by prop
erty holders and forwarded TO the
Public Service Commission of Mary
Land. the hrst of which was that OF
the citizens OF Somerset Md, on the
Rockville pike. A number of the or.
ganizations are planning meetings 10
take formal action on the whole Ques.
ton. following the action of A ma So
meeting of northwest suburban areas
under the auspices of the Bra dley
Hills Community League last week.
The Silver Spring Cha mber Of Com
merce has called a special meeting 10
be held next week in that suburb.
where, ii was said, It will take = de-
cided stand against the proposed rail
road. and the town council of Glen
Echo is to take similar action.
Committee Is Named.
Charles II. Merryma n, who presided
over the Northwest mass meeting at
the old Montgomery Club last week
has named the special committee
which will draft the resolution 10 the
Public Service Commission of Mary
land protesting the allowance of the
petition of the railroad company to
exercise it's franchise, with all its
rights and privileges. including the
privilege of condemning such land as
II needed for a right of way. The
committee likewise will appear per-
son6ily before the commission when
a hearing is held.
This citizens committee is composed
Of William W. Bride, chairman: Wal
ter Tuckerman, Maj. r. B. Lawrence,
Adon Phillips, George E. Hamilton
and Oliver owen Kuhn. MIR. Bride
has called a meeting of this committee
for Monday night. when plans for its
fight in the interest Of Northwest
communities will be formulated. The
committee is acting on a resolution
passed al the mass meeting, which
directed that the committee voice its
unaltera BILE opposition to the laying of
q belt line railroad with it's conse-
quent increase in Industrial building.
Others Are Opposed.
opposed 10 the laying of the railroad,
as are the Montgomery citizens, ac-
cording tp those who have been in
touch with the questioning. T. How
ard Duckett, chairman of the Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Commis-
sion, said that he had talked with a
number of people about the PROPOSE
lion and that all of them were op-
posed 10 the proposed line.
Maj. f. Brooke Lee, Maryia nd s
Secretary of State and one of the
leaders in the fight to prevent the
railroad from becoming d reality, de-
clares that orga nizations throughout
the metropolitan area of Maryland
were planning meetings to go on
record against the road. He declares
he has vet TO find any one in favor of
the project.
All associations and erga nized
bodies are being urged to meet and
take formal action on the question,
and be prepared to make known their
stand at the time of the hearing on
the petition, which is to be held be
fore the Public Service Commission in
Baltimore, Md. Leaders in the fight
also are urging that there be prepared
and presented formal petitions signed
by all property owners.