Evening star., 1926-03-28
metropolitan districts surrounding
the City of Washington; and
Damage to Capital.

the City of Washington; and
Damage to Capital.
Whereas the Nations Capital,
the pride of the Nation itself, is pow
erless to prevent this encroachment
and encirclement by enterprises
which they forbade in their own
midst unless the petition of these
promoters is refused, the District of
Columbia, originally ceded by the
State of Maryland for the Nations
Capital, and which has been wonder
fully developed as such, cannot help
itself. It's future rests In your
hands. Unless this petition for right
to operate under charters is denied,
it will bring down upon our State a
nation wide and deserved condemna-
ton. Our Governor has placed the
State of Maryland on record as four
square behind the plan to develop the
parking system of our Common
wealth. If his pledge is to be carried
out and the honor of the State OF
Maryland Is to remain unsullied, we
must not permit his pledge to be
broken and the Nations Capital to
be seriously injured"
The Montgomery County Civic
Federation which filed the brief rep
resenting % of the largest commu-
nifty organizations skirting the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and which would
be vitally affected by the belt line
railroad project, at it's latest meet
ing passed a resolution of censure,
a copy of which was filed.
Typical Resolution.
The brief included a number of res
hx, nk~l~ nfxr n md
official bodies of Montgomery County
protesting the proposed belt line,
typical of which is the one adopted by
the town of Somerset, which follows:
1.-The mayor and council of the
town Of Somerset, Montgomery Coun-
ty, Md, and the undersigned tax
payers and citizens of the same, here
by protest against the issuance of
an order permitting and approving
the exercise by the Washington and
Loughborough Belt Line and Term
inal Co of it's alleged franchises,
rights and privileges; and in support
of such protest 1t calls the attention
of your commission to the following
facts:
Somerset is an incorporated town
extending from Wisconsin avenue to
the River road east of the branch line
Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The southwest corner of the town is
adjacent to the present LOughborough
development and the entire western
boundary Of the town, and much of
the southern boundary Of the town,
are contiguous to territory which will
be used in the proposed development.
1t is even possible that the proponents
Of this development contemplate the
extension Of the development within
the town limits.
THE town of Somerset is strictly
residential development. The town
has now, and long has had in force an
ordinance prohibiting the conduct of
any business within the town. Nearly
all the residents of the town own their
homes and have recently been to
heavy expense in the Improvement of
their streets and in the laying of new
water mains and sewers. The region
is one of great natural beauty, with
good passenger transportation facili-
ties, and is rapidly growing. The sur
rounding area, which includes the
towns of Chevy Chase, Friendship,
DrummOnd. Bradley Hills, Deland and
Edgemoor, is quite extensively devel-
oped as residential communities, and
it Is inevitable that the development
Of an extensive commercial center at
Loughborough and the building of an
additional railroad will work serious
and irreparable injury 20 your petit
TONERS and to all other home owners
in the same region.
Not Industrial Area.
Contrary to the statement made
in the petition filed on behalf of the
Washington and Loughborough Belt
Line and Terminal Co., virtually no
part of the region to be traversed by
the proposed railroad is of an indus
trial character. At Loughborough
there are a few oil storage tanks and
small quarry. These are amply
served by the existing Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad branch. At Bethesda
and at Chevy Chase there are small
coal yards and yards connected with
the building supply industry. These
are adequate for local purposes and
are adequately served by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad. There is no
existing demand for additional facili-
ties, and those offered by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad are ample
for any probable future development
and are capable of extension if the
need shall arise.
There is being started a much
needed plan to unity and coordinate
the development of that area in Mary.
land which is contiguous to the Dis
trict of Columbia. This involves a
recognition Of the fact that the region
is residential in character and that
it's harmonious development is i'm
portant. The fact that the District
of Columbia does not tolerate, develop
ments such as are proposed in the
petition of the Washington and