Evening star., 1933-04-06
PROBE TO Be ASKED
. ON D. c. BOUNDARY
Bride Will Request Funds of
Congress to Decide Vir-
ginia Row.

Recommendation that Congress be
asked to provide funds for investiga-
ton to determine finally the ownership
OF land on the Virginia side of the Po-
tomac River up to the old high-water
mark. If the District Commissioners
decide to assume Jurisdiction over the
territory, has been drafted by Corpora
ton Counsel w. w. Bride.
While investigation might well show
the District has title to the area, Mr..
Bride believes insufficient facts now
are available to warrant a determine
tion by the District to exercise juris-
diction there.
Until the matter is definitely settled
by judicial decision or by a special
boundary commission as suggested by
Representative Smith of Virginia, the
Commissioners should adhere to the
policy of the last 100 years, under
which the District has not exercised
jurisdiction over the territory, the cor
poration counsel said.
The question has arisen again over
an application Of gasoline station
operator for permit from the District
to run a a.station in the disputed area.
Holds Facts Inadequate.
Mr. Bride ruled that under facts now
In possession of the District 1t would be
utterly impossible" to substantiate the
view that "all the land north and east
of the south and west high-water mark
of Reaches Run, including the channel
of that run and the riparian lands un-
derlying it to the west and south OF
Alexanders Island. constitutes part OF
the District of Columbia.
Almost hundred years have elapsed
since that portion Of the District OF Co
lumbia was retroceded to the State OF
Virginia" he states. 1T may well be true
that thorough investigation would re-
veal such conclusion to be fact, but
to take a position of such defnitenesS
upon present available data, and after
a contrary position has been assumed
for almost century, would be fruitless.
would stir up a resentment In our
neighboring State of Virginia, involving
almost interminable litigation and may
not be justified.
Thorough Probe Needed.
If the Commissioners determine
that the question should be decided by
the courts, the desires Of Congress
should be obtained and If it Is deter
mined to pursue the question further
by attempting to set aside the Juris-
diction now actually exercised by the
State OF Virginia, funds SHOULD be
asked for a most thorough investiga-
tion of the facts.
"A most careful study, involving
many questions. will be necessary and
it may take many months and possibly
several years before any real basic
facts can be obtained and determi-
nation reached"
A different slant on the question was
taken by the Public Utilities Commis-
sion about a year ago in following an
J opinion by William A. Roberts, commits
sion counsel, which was approved by
Vernon E. West, principal assistant
| corporation counsel, while he was act
,, ing as commission counsel in the alb
sence from the city of Mr.. Bride. II
was said there was misunderstanding
as to Mr.. Brides views at that time.
In that case the Utilities Commits
sion ordered the Potomac Electric
Power Co. to place certain Of its power
| lines underground to eliminate haz-
ard to flying. The power company
| complied with that order