Evening star., 1942-03-20
Gives
Data in Plea
.ForWarHousinq
Promises Commuter
Train Increases
If 1t Can Get Projects

The Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission has
presented the House Public Build
ings and Grounds Committee with a
map and statistical data on trans
portation, water, school and sewer
facilities to support its appeal for
Government construction of housing
units for war workers in nearby
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
The information was supplied as
the result Of a hearing before the
committee earlier this week in
which park commission officials tes-
titled that the Maryland counties
provide greater advantages for sup
plying the needs of housing projects
than do the Virginia ones.
Lacy Shaw, member of the Park
and Planning Commission, submit
ted to Chairman Lanham of the
congressional committee data show
ing there are 81 railroad stations in
the two counties from which COM
muter train service is operated. The
average one-way fare to Union Sta
ton from these points is about 7
cents, when such fares are pur-
chased in the 50-trip commuters
ticket rate.
Additional Service Promised.
THE Baltimore g. Ohio will put
additional cars and additional COM
mutation trains on both the Gath
ersburg- Rockville, Kensington-Silver
Spring Takoma Park Washington
route and the Laurel-Beltsville-Col-
lege Park Hyattsville Washington
route" Mr.. Shaw said.
Should the rubber shortage be-
come acute, as Federal officials In
dicate, rail commutation service can
be established through the Bethesda
Chevy Chase Massachusetts, avenue
extended section of suburban Mont
gomery County direct to the west
end of the Mall near the old Naval
Hospital by way of the existing
B. & o. freight belt line"
He said transportation for all
other metropolitan areas cannot be
provided except by buses and private
automobiles.
No single war housing project to
accommodate as many as 200 FAM
lilies has been situated in suburban
Maryland, with the exception Of
Greenbelt, Mr.. Shaw declared.
Montgomery Expands Schools.
Montgomery County is now COM
pleting school facilities to accom-
modate l 500 additional students by
September, he pointed out, although
the normal school population in
crease is 600 a year. He presented
figures to show all other areas, in
cluding Washington, needed from 21
to S. additional schoolrooms.
The Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission is now completing
a new reservoir and dam On the
Patuxent River, which will make
available sufficient water to accom-
modate 125. 900 additional residents,
Mr.. Shaw said. He stated that the
District already has a water short
age problem and supplies water to
Arlington County which has already
received nearly 81 900 900 in Federal
funds to expand its water storage
facilities.
The Maryland area is supplied
with water from two independent
streams whereas, he said, Arlington's
supply would be endangered by a
bomb hit or sabotage along the pipe
line at Key Bridge or Macarthur
boulevard which connects with Dele
carlia Reservoir.
Maryland sewer facilities are being
completed to accommodate an addi-
tional 125 900 residents and the trash
incinerator at Bladensburg for the
suburban sanitary district Is operat-
ing only at so per cent capacity,
according to Mr.. Shaw.