Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-24
DELEGATIONS URGE
/. / IMPROVED ROADS
Large Group Goes to Upper
Marlboro to Reiterate
Request.
BY GEORGE PORTER.
staf1 Correspondent OF The Star.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md, April "a
.-Reiterating their requests before the
Prince Georges County Commissioners,
sitting yesterday as road board, four
large delegations urged the conStruc-
ton, this year, of as many lateral roads.
No definite action was taken on the re-
quests yesterday, but the commissioners
themselves arranged to confer with
the State Roads Commission in Balti-
more tomorrow morning. by which time
it is expected they may have decided
whether any of the roads requested
will be recommended this year.
The county leaders and State Roads
Commission will confer on the IL roads
already recommended. At the confer
ence 1t is expected to be definitely
learned whether the engineers will be
able to follow all of the commissioners
recommendations as to which roads
should be built Of concrete and which
Of gravel.
Different Roads Suggested.
Evidence that the citizens of the adj
Joining towns of Branchville. Berwyn
and Berwyn Heights have been unable
to reach an agreement as to which road
should be built between the Baltimore
Boulevard and the Edmonston road was
seen in the appearance before the board
OF two large delegations asking that
this link be made over different routes,
although the two roads suggested are
less than 500 yards apart.
One of them, numbering about 200
men and women, packed the Office of
the commissioners and staged an en-
thusiastic demonstration in favor of
the Branchville route as the first Sec
ton in a lateral road from the Mont
linz IN oil h0
Defense Highway.
Maj. Ralph Case, spokesman of the
delegation, explained to the commits
sioners that the group urged the road
be built from Glendale to the head of
the Edmonston road, thence along the
Brenchville road to the Baltimore
Boulevard and from there through the
Metzerott road to the Montgomery
County line where it would connect
with the road leading into Silver Spring.
Regarded as BEST Road"
Using the term "belt road" in describ-
Ing this route, the spokesman claimed it
was desirable as one benefiting all of
northern Prince Georges County, rather
than few communities. Referring
directly to the conflicting requests of
the residents of Berwyn, Maj. Case said,
the suggested improvement there is
really street Improvements and does not
come within the meaning of the lateral
road law as we understand it."
Concluding his address, Case SUBJ
mitted four petitions containing 382
signatures, and accentuated the size OF
the gathering before the commissioners
by having them raise their hands as a
sign of approval of the proposition he
had outlined.
County Commissioner William A. Du-
vail Of Branchville was then called upon
for an expression of opinion. He de-
clared that, believing the route would
serve the greatest number of persons, he
was unqualif1edly in favor of the
Branchville road improvement.
Petition Presented.
A petition containing 1913 signatures
was presented by a delegation from
Berwyn and Berwyn Heights, who
again urged that the Baltimore Boule-
ward and the Edmonston road be con-
nected through Central, Waugh and
Washington avenues.
Charles F. Worden, one of its spokes-
men, declared that in urging this i'm
provement the citizens were asking for
the betterment Of one of the most heav-
lily travelled roads in the county outside
Of an incorporated town. There are 10
SCOreS, cnurcn, railroad SCaJlOn,
post office, telephone exchange and 26
dwellings on Central avenue, he pointed
out, adding that 1.-The merchants there
have been politely told by some of Their
former customers that they now stay
away and deal elsewhere because of the
bad condition of the road"
Berwyn Road Urged.
G. p. Bickford, who also spoke, told
the commissioners that movement for
a through road from Silver Spring to
Glendale was recognized by the men,
bers of the delegation, but maintained
that the route through Berwyn tiled
up with this proposition as well as any
that could be found.
Completion of two miles of road con-
Meeting the terminus of the thorough
fare at the north of the University of
Maryland to the Riggs road was asked
by the first delegation appearing before
the board, while group of citizens
from Suitland, headed by Attorney Le-
roy Humphrey, repeated request that
the road from Silver Hill to District
Heights be made concrete.
The board voted to limit a county
franchise granted last week to the Con-
soiidated Gas, Electric Light & Power
Co. Of Baltimore to the Laurel district.