Evening star., 1925-08-30
FLOOD OF PROTESTS
AGAINST BELT LINE
Friendship Heights Women
Latest to Appeal to Mary
land Commission.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The star
BALTIMORE. August 2a.-Letters
Of protest from heads of communities,
civic organizations, property owners
and residents of the territory con-
tiguous to the proposed Washington
Loughborough belt line railroad
continue to be received almost daily
by the Public Service Commission.
Not only are the communities of
both Montgomery and Prince Georges
counties thoroughly aroused, but
residents of Arlington County, Va.
have also filed strong protest
against the establishment OF the road ,
While a protest coming from OUT
side the State ordinarily would have
little weight with the commission. it
is said by those familiar with the
workings of the commission that this
case will prove an exception to the
rule, due TO the fact that Virginia has
no public service commission TO
which the residents of Arlington
County could appeal.
Women Also Aroused.
That the women Of the commu.
mites affected are also thoroughly
aroused is shown by the fact that the
Women's Civic club of Friendship
Heights and The Hills has filed one
Of the strongest protests against the
granting of the franchise to the road
which is signed by Katharine F..
Jervey and 101 members of the or
canization. This petition has more
signatures attached than any other
single protest filed so far.
Hearing on the applica ton for
right to operate the railroad was
originally set for July 23 but al the
request of attorneys for the pro-
posed railroad the hearing was post
poned indefinitely. In the letter
asking for the postponement the firm
requested the commission to set
another date for the hearing some
time after three weeks from the orig
inal time set.
Owing To the fact that the COM
mission usually waits To hear from
the party asking for postponemenr
of a case before setting a new date
no action has been taken so far.
While they do not either deny or
affirm the report. ii is believed that
all railroads entering Washington
will enter a protest against granting
the franchise from the fact that at
torneys of the Baltimore and Ohio
and Pennsylvania Railroads have filed
requests asking that they he notified
when a date is set for the hearing.
Text Of Protest
The text of the Friendship Heights
protest follows:
The WOman'S Civic Club of the
villages of Friendship Heights and
The Hills in Montgomery County,
Md, the Friendship Heights Citizens
Committee of said villages. and the
undersigned taxpayers and residents
of said villa ges. hereby earnestly pro-
test against the issuance of an order
permitting and approving the con-
struction of a belt line and terminal
railroad in Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties by the applicant in
the above-entitled cause, for the fol
lowing reasons:
The said villages of Friendship
Heights and The Hills are strictly
residential in character. being located
a short distance north of the boundary
line of the District of Columbia and
extending from Wisconsin avenue
westerly to within a very short dis
tanCe from the proposed terminal on
the large tract of land referred in pc
tition of applicant as Loughborough.
Consequently the construction and OPP
Grafton of said proposed belt line and
terminal railroad will do irreparat;e
damage TO said villages.
The entire area affected by the
proposed belt line and terminal rail
road is almost exclusively residential
seriously and irreparablv damaged by
the granting of the permissi N prayed
for in the petition of said applicant.
Railroad Not Required.
"The proposed railroad is not re-
uuired by public convenience or ne
cessity and the area to be traversed
thereby is not rapidly becoming in.
dustr;al in character At the present
time substantial part of said area
-,
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. .
which extends from a point near Lin
den in sOuthwesterly direction
across the area TO the Potomac River
and passing through the sections
known as Chevy Chase Lake. Bethes-
da and alongside the tract of land
referred to in petition OF applicant as
Loughborough: the exact location will
no doubt appear more fully on maps
and records on file with your com
mission.
1T is apparent from applicants pc
tition flied herein that the franchises
rights and privileges sought by its
said petition are not permitted or toll
Grated in the District of Columbia
II applicant cannot exercise the pro
posed franchises in the District Of
Columbia. IL seems almost effsontery
on its part to ask nat il be permitted
10 use this area in Maryland as q
dumping ground for something not
wanted in the District of Columbia
The Maryland area in question is GER
tainly as residential in character as
is the area within the District Of Co
Iumbla. II not more so. A great deal
has been expended and much work
has been done through local govern
mental agencies 10 coordinate the
said Maryland area and thereby i'm.
prove conditions therein as a residen.
tial section. Furthermore, extensive
regional planning has been under
taken. involving that part of Mary
land which would be traversed by
said proposed belt line and terminal
railroad to the end that not only this
area contiguous to the District of Co
lumbla he preserved in its present
status as a residential section but thai
IL may be promoted and beautified aa
such by CO-ordinating its public high
ways, providing for public parks and
drives and otherwise working out the
purposes of regional development. all
of which would be greatly impaired
and damaged if the order prayed for
by applicant is granted.
Wherefore, we respectfully re
quest that the order prayed for in
said petition of applicant he denied -