Evening star., 1926-03-28

TOR building @ railroad bridge across
the Potomac River above Chain
Bridge by Congress would be de-
livery to the Washington and Lough-
borough Belt Line and Terminal Co.
Of an asset which it could sell or lease,
something tangible which 1t does not
now have, 1t was charged in sub.
stance in a brief filed with the sub
committee on bridges OF the Senate
committee on commerce yesterday
by the Montgomery County Civic Fed
eration on behalf OF that body, which
owes its being to the united uprising
of an alarmed citizenry at the first
showing of the proposed project. All
other interests aTTayed in the fight
against the belt line were represented
in the brief, which is typical of all
those fled.
w.. Property at Stake.
The vast property interests that are
threatened by the proposed project was
brought strikingly to the committees
attention In the brief, when it said
that the property valuation OF Mont
gomery and Prince Georges Counties
now reach the staggering figure of
more than 500, 600. 900. With the great
development plans for the county, the
stride which it is beginning to take in
from the Capital City in the regional
development scheme, it was pointed
cut, WILL in q short time, make the
property valuation increase another
800 600, 900. Arlington County, Vir.
ginia. valuations are approximately
SIS. .000. 900 and this likewise is ex.
pected to double in the next few
years.
Project Called Speculative.
From its investigation of the cir
Cumstances under which this measure
has been introduced in Congress and
the attempts which the federation has
made to determine an actual need for
the belt line" said the brief, the fed
GRAFTON is convinced that the entire
project is utterly without merit; that
no need whatever has been established
for 1t, and that the interest of the
Washington and Loughborough Belt
Line and Terminal Co. is purely spec
ulative in character. 1t is to be noted
that under the terms Of the bin the
rights conferred by the measure are
given not only to the Washington and
Loughborough Belt Line and Terminal
Co., but to its successors and assigns
If the measure be approved the COM
pany, if a purchaser or lessee could
be found, could sell or lease the rights
which it would receive free from Con-
gress.
1T is true that a charter was Sc
cured by the Loughborough Co. from
the Virginia Public Service Commis-
sion, but it is also true that no hear
ing on the merits of the measure was
given by the Virginia authorities to
the proper owners in opposition.
''As has already been seen, no action
was taken by the Public Service Com
vii Of Y 10 Nd h,If hn
borough company, as soon as tremen-
dous opposition in Maryland to the
project was developed, promptly with
drew It's petition and now seeks Fed
eral aid in imposing upon the people
Of the State of Maryland, without
their consent, a freight belt line rail-
road. which will result in such tre-
mendouS damage, not only to the
Maryland property involved, but TO
the future growth and expansion Of
the Nations Capital City.
Summary of Petition.
Summarizing it's petition, the
Montgomery County Civic Federation
is opposed to the passage of s. 2796
and H. f. 1928, because:
81. From a transportation stand
point, there is absolutely no necessity
whatever for such a freight belt line
"2. There is united local opposition
to the project in Maryland, Virginia
and the District of Columbia, both
from the standpoint of property dam
age direct and indirect and from the
purely civic standpoint.
"3. The object OF the proponents OF
the measure in seeking Federal action
at this time Is to secure the powerful
aid OF the Federal Government in
forcing upon the States of Maryland
and Virginia a belt line which is not
needed and which the people of those
States do not want"
Property of Company.
THE Washington and Lough-
borough Belt Line and Terminal Co,
the brief went on, lis not an operat-
ing company and owns no railroad
belt liTte or terminal, nor, so far as
known to The federation, has 1t any
interest in any railroad, belt line or
terminal. Its property at the present
time consists of q Virginia franchise
which was granted without hearing
protests, and an interest or control
through the Loughborough Develop,
raent Co, OF an undeveloped tract OF
land of several hundred acres, partly
in Maryland and partly in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Were the pending measure to be
passed Federal franchise would be
given to the company and added to
Its property above set forth.
The Montgomery County Civic
Federation is an organization includ-
ing in its membership delegates from
% municipalities and community or
ganization throughout Montgomery
County, Md.
From a transportation standpoint,
there Is absolutely no necessity what.
ever for such a freight belt line
around the City Of Washington.
Railroads entering Washington are
opposed to the project and state there
is no necessity for the belt line from a
transportation standpoint.
In an effort to determine the
necessity, II any, which exists from
q transportation standpoint for the
proposed belt line. the federation has
elected the views of the several rail.
road systems entering Washington,
with the result that in no case has
any need whatever for the belt line
been disclosed.
Pennsylvania Position.
"On the contrary, Mr.. Samuel Rea
then president Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad System, wrote August 25,
1925:
From the standpoint of the
Pennsylvania Railroad System there
Is no necessity now, or so far as
one can see in the future. for the
construction of an additional line of
transportation between the Southern
Railroads and those running north
of Washington.
For the purpose OF securing tho
best route for all of the railroads
interchangine at the Potomac River.
the Richmond Washington Company
was formed sona 25 wars apo aud