Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-04
KENSINGTON GRADE.
HEARING STORMY.
Delegation Before Roads
Commission Engages in
Verbal Tits.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY,
staff Correspondent OF The Star.

Surroundings supercharged with acri-
nony, the Maryland State Roads Com
mission for more than two hours yes
terday at its Offices here sought to get
the opinions of citizens OF kenSington
on the location of a structure which
would eliminate the present dangerous
railroad grade crossing
Although the members of the COM
mission said that they had obtained
two very good suggestions which they
would take under consideration, never
theless, they were obtained with diff
Guilty and only after a series of per-
Eonal, verbal clashes between residents
of the town appearing at the hearing.
There We're constant Interruptions, fol-
lowing innuendoeS thrown out that town
officials and others had concealed in
formation or had Used ulterior methods
In dealing with the situation.
Not few times during the hearing
there were outburstS of what might be
termed roWdyism. when personalities
were injected, followed by cries of
Lets throw him out" stop him."
"Shut him off" and like expressions
while the commission members looked
on aghast. Such actions brought forth
a statement from Mayor Lucien B.
Ernest of KenSington that he was sorry
the commission had gotten the idea
that 1t was fighting community.
Senator Voices Objection.
At one point in the hearing State
Senator Eugene Jones OF KenSington
protested against a personal attack on
him launched by Harry M. Martin OF
Kensington and told the commission
that If 1t permitted the speaker to go
on in this vein. he would Withdraw
from the meeting.
After considerable of this form of pro-
Cedure, Howard Bruce, associate MEM
Der of the commission, brought the
hearing suddenly to an end, when he
said that heated argument was evident
and the hearing was making no prog
ress under such conditions. He eX-
planned that the commission wanted to
hold hearing i'll the town as soon as
all of the plans were ready. He told
the audience that he thought the I'M
derpaSS proposed east of the railroad
station had great Disadvantages. How
ever, he pointed out that the commission
had dealt with such problems before
and that it would try to please as many
as possible, and that it was the desire
of that body to place the crossing where
1t would hurt the minimum number
Pleading that the commission not
consider selfish interests i'll coming To
a conclusion as to the location. B. H.
Warner, lr, asked the body to do that
which would be of the most benefit to
the town of KenSington as a whole.
Saying he favored an underpass east of
the railroad station, Mr. Warner said
1t should be reached by a new road
starting at the present Jones Mill road
and running direct to the underpaSs. He
told the commission he would gladly
dedicate the land for such a road from
West Chevy Chase to the railroad tracks
in Kensington. a distance Of approx
mately 5000 feet and for any width
the State Roads Commission deemed
necessary. Answering the charge that
real estate interests were behind one
of the projects, he praised these men,
said they showed vision However, he
opposed the direct extension of Connec-
ticut avenue. on the ground that it was
already congested in the town of Ken
sington.
Present Crossing Drawings.
Detailed drawings for an approach to
an overhead crossing were presented by
A. c. Warthen, builder, of Kensington.
He proposed to make a gradual curve
from the terminus of Connecticut ave-
nue., which would involve the purchase
of one lot and the part of another. HS
asserted that the overhead crossing as
proposed by the commission would Gre
ate dangerous corner at the intersec-
bAO1A Va oAdOE1lobulB 4Od0 anu AlCllO-
polttan avenue because of an additional
hazard to school children. The COM
mission was told by Mr. Warthen that
his plan would be from $4,000 to
$4,000 cheaper than any other and
contended that his plan was more prac-
teal than any yet presented.
Opposition to the overhead crossing
was opposed by B. A. Hammond. be-
cause, he said, it would damage a large
number of property owners, including
himself, who bought property i'll the
belief that the crossing and station
would be left where it is.
At this point occurred the three
cornered controversy between Senator
Jones. Mr.. Martin and Chairman Uhl
OF the commission Martin started out
to tell the real inside story and to
give the real reasons" for the OPPOSE
ton to the overhead crossing. He said
The main opposition was Senator Jones.
who, he said. every one knows wants a
medicinal subway to carry the traffic
past his house"
Stop! Throw him out! We want
none of that!' filled the air from all
directions of the room, when Senator
Jones announced that he personally OBJ
Jected to the attack and told the COM
mission that if 1t was permitted he
would leave the room and withdraw
from the hearing.
Chairman Uhl then advised Mr.. Mar
I'm that the commission was not inter-
eSted in personalities but wanted tie
views Of the speakers on the two propo-
sltions, and asked him to confile his
remarks to them
Mr.. Martin replied that he would do
that. but he thought the commission
should have before it The motives and
reasons for the opposition.
Mr.. Bruce said that the commission
would determine the reasons for itself.
Stress Traffic Need.
r. d. Mckenney, who said he had
his country home in Kensington. told
the commission that he concurred in
what Mr. Warner had said. He pointed
out that traffic through the town was
increasing and there was a need more
or less for a parallel through lane He
said that The traffic going To Rockville
should use Connecticut avenue. and that
The other traffic should use Prince
George or St. Paul street, and have an
overhead or underpaSS at either of their
functions with the railroad track.
Any underpaSS that is erected, he
commended, could be SO lighted and po-
tliced SO that the people could have no
fears about using it. He said that uu-
EderpaSSeS were being put in everywhere
HE believed. he said. that the underpaSS
twas the solution of the problem and
lit should be as nearly III the direct line
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS