Evening star., 1943-07-21
County 10 Ask
B. & 0. 10 Shift
Housing Project
Protest by Group Of
Edmonston Residents
Is Received

The Prince Georges County Com
missioners today planned to request
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to
move its temporary housing project
for about 60 colored laborers, now
located in Edmonston, to some other
area.
Approximately so residents of the
town, led by Mayor Gibson l.. Moore,
appeared before the commissioners
at their meeting yesterday in Upper
Marlboro in protest against election
OF the temporary steel barracks.
An ordinance permitting the rail-
road to erect the barracks was
passed by the board about two weeks
ago after the B. & O. explained that
the Workmen, employed on a new
freight spur near Edmonston, could
not be hauled to their work from
Washington each day. Part of the
barracks already has been built.
If the railroad refuses either to
find another location for the project
or to abandon it entirely, the COM
missioners promised to hold another
hearing at II am. Tuesday in the
Upper Marlboro Courthouse at
which officials of the line will be
present.
$50 Sign Petition.
Mayor Moore presented a petition
signed by 1870 residents of the town,
while Walter j. Roth submitted a
petition bearing the signatures Of
l02 residents of that portion of
Hyattsville adjacent to the project.
Both petitions vigorously opposed
erection of the housing facilities on
the grounds that they would lower
surrounding property values and
create racial friction.
While admitting that the B. & o.
has said only so or 10 colored work.
ers would occupy the barracks,
which would be guarded by rail-
road police, Mayor Moore predicted
that when the project is completed,
approximately 200 laborers will be
jammed together. constituting a
menace to health and public
safety"
Mrs. Pearl Boone, county school
teacher, said the railroad does not
plan to provide any recreational
facilities for the laborers.
Several women in the delegation
said they would have to leave their
present jobs, which require them to
work at night.
Harold R. Manning, a town coun-
Gilman, asked what right the COM
missioners had to pass such an or
dinance without first consulting
Edmonston officials.
This brought reply from Viii.
liam A. Carson, chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners,
that the board did not have to con-
suit any one" in matters.
He pointed out that at present.
in case of wreck, the railroad
loses as much as seven or eight
hours in rounding up repairmen and
taking them out to the scene of the
accident.
Erection of a centrally located
barracks for railroad laborers is of
vital necessity to the war effort" he
declared.
After County Sanitary Engineer
G. l.. Wood told the board that sew
eral communities in the county are
without garbage and trash collec-
tloa, Mr.. Carson wrote the WASH
lngton Suburban Sanitary Com
mission to obtain its views on i'm.
provement of such condition.
b Trash Fire Ban Approved.
Mr. Wood explained that garbage
and trash in the various communi-
ties affected are now permitted to
accumulate on private property and
are disposed of on vacant lots and
along roadways.
This situation, ne added, is a re-
suit of the failure of private COL
lectors to renew their contracts with
residents of the communities.
The board approved an ordinance
forbidding county residents to set
fires for the burning of trash or for
any other purpose during the period
beginning one-half hour after sunset
until one-half hour after sunrise.
Approval of the ordinance was
recommended by J. Robert Sher-
wood, county civilian defense di-
! rector.
Mrs. Josephine Evans, Ardmore,
was appointed clerk in the Trial
Magistrates Court in Hyattsville,
while Francis J. Murray. Brandy
wine. was named deputy forest
warden for the county.