Evening star., 1926-04-03
BELT LINE SCHEME
GETS HARD BLOW
Senate's Hands Off Until
|. C. C. Rules on Question
able Need of Project.

Represe entatives Of business and
civic interests of the District Of Co
lumhia. Of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties. Md, and Of Airing
ton County. Va. have expressed ella
ton over the action of the Senate
committee on commerce in taking the
stand that all bridge bills first must
ne passed upon by the Interstate Com
merce Commission. for this stand
vitally affects the proposal OF the
Washington and Loughborough Belt
Line and Terminal Co. To erect
a railroad bli idee across the Potomac
River lust above Chain Bridge as
part of the proposed belt line skirt
ing the National Capital. but lust
across the line in Maryland and Nir'
Sinia.
II the project is not forever killed by
the action Of the commission. the ac-
ton of the Senate committee viii Sc
riousiv impede its progress. as doubt
has been EXPRESSED that the Interstate
Commerce Commission can complete
it's study of the scheme in time Tor
action at the current session oil con
-ress. Even should the Commerce
Commission find no objection TO the
legislation il is exceedingly question
able that il ever could run the gaunt-
let in Congress. Past decisions of the
Commerce Commission in belt line
ca seS. however. cause opponents OF
the line to believe that the fatal blow
will he struck by the commission
itself.
New Policy Announced.
co,ator Hiram Bingham of Con
necticut vest erday announced to the
Senate a new policy in the matter OF
rhe consideration of bridge bills COM
ing before his subcommittee on
bridges Of the Senate committee on
commerce.
II ask unanimous consent. out OF
order" said Senator Bingham. on the
floor vest erday, ito make an lnfor"
NAL report from the committee on
commerce with regard to the new pol
icy on bridges. in so far as TO say
that Senators who are interested IN
bridge bills concerning railroad
bridges would he interested to know
that # is the opinion of the commit
Tee that before A bill granting the
consent of Congress for the conStruc-
tion of railroad bridge over a nav
igable stream should he reported by
the committee the proponents OF the
measure should be q railroad com
pany now in existence. with proper
charter, with proposal approved by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
for an additional line which would
concern a bridge. or else they should
bring to the committee q statement
showing that the Interstate Com
merce Commission has considered the
new railroad proposed and approved
Of it. and that before 1t can be con-
structed the bridge must necessarily
be approved by Congress"
This new policy, it is understood.
is a direct out growth of the efforts
of the Ioughborough belt line propo-
nents to get authority for the bridge
for their proposed line. it having been
shown at the hearing on the meas
ure last Saturday that the line was
not one in existence. but that all II
had was a charter from the Corpora
tion Commission of Virginia. Sen
ator Bingham also pointed out that
the application should he railroad
now in existence.
Railroads Oppose Move.
AS matter of fact, representatives
of the big railroads now in existence,
and whom It was suggested by the
proponents would use the proposed
line, have put their roads on record
as being unalterably opposed to the
proposed bridge and its consequent
belt line development as being de
velopment not needed or required
under any circumstances around the
National Capital.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. it is said, has been most slow
in the past TO approve belt line de-
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