Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-13
READY TO ENFORCE
!. coming IN COUNTY
Prince Georges Commission
ers Authorize Board to
Begin Functioning.
BY GEORGE PORTER,

Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md, March 10.
Having last month settled their points
of disagreement with the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and agreed to administer the
coming ordinance which they had
previously adopted, the Prince Georges
County commissioners yesterday paved
the way for the full functioning of the
coming laws by authorizing the Board
Of zoning Appeal of Prince Georges
County TO begin functioning and dis
pose OF the cases now pending before IT,.
The Board of Zoning Appeal was
created to handle non-conformity prof.
ects arising in the county. Last July
when the county commissioners declined
to administer the coming ordinance for
fear Of civil liability. they ordered the
Board OF zoning Appeal not to hear or
dispose Of any more cases.
Cases Ready for Hearing.
At that time two cases were ready
for decision and have been pending up
to the present time. There are also
said to be several other cases ready for
hearing.
The commissioners went over the
school budget with the Board OF Edu-
cation and Supt. of Schools Nicholas
Orem. who was asked to explain only
those items which showed an increase
In the estimates for the coming year.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was
stated the school budget probably would
be approved as submitted.
M. Hampton Magruder, counsel to the
board. was instructed to call the at
tention of the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission to the provision in
its charter requiring 1t to restore
q roadway to its original condition after
laying sewer or water main.
Citizens Make Protest.
This action was taken after hearing
large delegation of citizens from
Bervyn and Branchville complain of
water mains and sewers in their
streets by the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission.
The Berwyn- Branchville delegation
appeared before the commissioners
yesterday as result of a mass meet
ing in the Branchville firehouse last
Friday night held to endeavor to COM
pei the Sanitary Commission to fill
in excavations which. it were claimed,
were permitted to remain open unreal
sonable lengths OF time, endangering
citizens.
William A. Duvall of Branchville was
appointed chairman at the mass meet
ing and helped present the citizens
cause to the board of commissioners
yesterday
Object to Digging Methods.
Although emphasizing the fact that
they very much desire the water mains
installed. spokesman for the delegation
criticized the methods in which the
necessary digging was carried out. They
contended that the bitches were dug
In such way as to cave in. causing
holes in the streets three times as
large as necessary. 1t also was said
the contractors for the Sanitary Com
mission failed to live up to their prom
ise to residents that the individual sec
tions of sewer and water mains would
be filled in as soon as completed.
1t was reported that several persons
had fallen into the bitches, that the
holes filled with water, causing con-
slant danger to school children, and
often hindered the fire apparatus.
Ss-. Fire Engine Became Mired.
One day last week, Mr.. Duvall de-
clarsd, the Branchville fire engine be-
came mired in one of the bitches while
responding to an alarm. with the result
that a large barn was completely burn
ed. Another member of the delegation
claimed some of the bitches had been
left untitled since last Christmas
The Branchville road. on which is To-
Gated the fire house. school and a
church. was particularly complained of
as being impossible because of the
bitches,