Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-21
REMOVAL OF FUND
Tres TAKOMA PARK
Citizens to Protest Cutting
Out Appropriation to ELM
mate Grade Crossing.

Indignant over the action of the
House subcommittee on appropriations
in removing an item Of $211 900 in the
1891 District appropriation bill for
elimination of the treacherous Chestnut
street grade crossing over the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad tracks, the Ia
koma Park Chamber of Commerce and
other organizations in that community
are planning a series of protest meet
ings, it was disclosed today by Walter
Prichard of the North Takoma I'M
provement Club, which will hold q
meeting tonight
The plan for removing the grade
crossing contemplated the construction
of an underpass at Fern street, and was
stricken out Of the appropriation bill,
according to Prichard, with the mere
explanation of Representative Simmons,
chairman of the subcommittee, that
"the project is not necessary at this
time"
Urged for Long Time.
cit should be known that the building
of this viaduct to carry the tracks of
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at this
point has been discussed and pleaded
for for some 10 years back" declared
Prichard 1T has been urged by all the
various citizens associations in the To-
cality, both in Maryland and the Dis
trict, as well as by the Chamber of
Commerce Of Takoma Park, the COM
miSSioners of Montgomery County and
the mayor and city council of Takoma
Park, Md. The two latter bodies have
notified the District authorities of their
willingness to defray their share of the
expense for the project.
There exists complete harmony as to
the precise location and the main plans
therefor. The fatal accident last No
vember at the said crossing, when two
residents of Washington were killed
outright by train and the third hope
leSsly crippled and is yet in the hos
pital, has served to unity divergent
views that existed, and at the sacrifice
of all personal interests.
"The Chestnut street grade crossing is
the only existing unprotected crossing in
the National Capital where fatalities
have occurred yet In spite of this fact
the chairman of the aforesaid appro-
priations committee sees ut to state that
the expenditure of the money requested
tc eradicate the damnable and danger
Gus situation is not necessary at this
time, although at the same time sane
ton and recommend to Congress, the
governing body, the appropriation of
$l45,000 for enlarging highway bridge
already built elsewhere over a railroad,
that is, at Monroe street northeast,
Brookland, D. c., and which bridge al
ready serves as comparatively safe
channel of traffic in that locality.
Wants Item Restored.
'The explanation offered by the chair
man of the subcommittee on District
appropriations as to the Fern Chestnut
street undertaking can only be surmiSed
by the interested public. The only OBJ
jections in the past are those that have
been heard from a few taxpayers In
washington, who have SelfiShly stated
that the Fern street project would be
of greater benefit to the Maryland resi-
dents just across the line, the former
not noticing that traffic passes both
ways, nor that the District of Columbia
is not separate division Intentionally
to the adjacent States Of the Union,
whose 100000 lump sum is annually
appropriated to at least care for, in part,
the District highway system.
las to the probability of amending
the District appropriations bill as re-
ported, 1t is difficult to believe that Con-
greSS will not carefully consider the needs
for the $211 900 in question which was
approved by the bureau of the budget
and take Steps to restore the item so
arbitrarily stricken out"