Evening star., 1926-03-26
Measure, Endangering Great
er D. c., Once Passed,
Taken From Senate.
HEARING BY SENATE
C0EMITTEE TOMORROW
Forces Striving to Save $125, ,000,-
600 Residential Property Will
Cite Their Case.

The House today approved a resO-
luton offered by Chairman Zihlman
of the House District committee call
ing for a return from the Senate Of
the bill authorizing erection Of a
bridge and approaches across the Po-
tomac River between Montgomery
County. Md. and Fairfax County, Va.
Chairman Dennison of the subcom-
mittee which reported this bill to the
House acquiesced in the request of
Mr.. Zihlman.
This bridge is an essential part of
borough belt line railroad project. and
the legislation was fathered by Rep
resentative Newton of Missouri.
1t provides that the Washington
and Loughborough Co.. a corporation
organized and existing under the laws
of the State of Virginia, and its sue
cessors and assigns is authorized TO
construct, maintain and operate this
bridge and approaches at point suit
able to the interests of navigation
within one-half mile northwest of the
northwest line of the District of Co
lumbia, in accordance with the pro
visions of an act entitled ito regu
late the construction of bridges over
reserves the right to alter. amend or
repeal the act.
Passed on March l..
This bill was passed by the House
under unanimous consent on March /,
when Representative Zihlman was not
in the legislative chamber.
The measure is opposed by the busi-
ness associations and many civic as
sociations in Washington, as we'll as
by residents of suburban Maryland
and Virginia territory, it being re-
garded as a distinct menace to plans
for greater Washington and TO $l25,-
900 900 worth Of established residen-
tial property in the Maryland and
Virginia suburbs. Large railroads.
shippers and others using available
facilities likewise are arrayed agains'
the measure.
Lines Drawn for SkirInish.
Lines are being fast drawn today for
another skirnish tomorrow at the
Capitol between the opponents and
the proponents of the proposed bridge
A subcommittee of the Senate COM
merce committee will hold a public
hearing on the bill. The subcommittee
is headed by Senator Hiram Bingham
of Connecticut, and the other mem
bers are Senator James Couzens OF
Michigan and Senator Morris Shep-
pard of Texas. The hearing will he
held at 10 o'clock in the commerce
committee room in the Capitol.
The multitudes of citizenry of th@
metropolitan district of Washington.
who, through their organizations,
have expressed the fears of menace To
their homes and have expressed unani-
nous opposition to the project. are
marshaling their forces to appear to-
morrow and present reasons why such
a railroad should not be allowed In
gain a foothold in what will be part
of the Capital City of the future. and
which now is developing into a great
residential suburb.
No Reason for Line.
Those who have been following the
proposition from its inception. includ-
ing many big business organizations
in the Capital. point out. and will 50
tell the committee at the hearing
that there is no reason for the es
tablishnent of such belt line or
terminal on the very edge of the city.
and certainly no demand for it eN
cept from the interests supporting II.
1t is not needed. they say. for tie Of
ficient movement of freight into and
out or through the Capital City, or
around it between the north and
south, as present railroad facilities
amply provide for this.
Discussion of the project with mill
itary engineers shows they scoff at
the claim that such a bridge and belt
line is needed as a military adjunct.
pointing out that it will not materi-
ally assist in the movement of freight
in time of war. 1t is pointed out that
the present railroad bridge across
the Potomac is sufficient to meet
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