Evening star., 1946-07-09
Barnaby Woods Bus
Battle Reopens al
PUG Session Today

Barnaby Woods residents were out
in force again today for the second
round of their battle of the bus
lines"
The first round was staged during
a Public Utilities Commission hear
ing yesterday at the District Build
ing. 1t was stalemate, and James
H. Flanagan, PUG chairman, called
back the feuding suburbanites at 10
O'Clock this morning in an effort to
reach decision.
Made obvious by yesterdays long
and acrimonious session was the
fact that having bus service close at
hand is fine thing provided the
buses don't run by your door. That
is the essence of the Northwest citi-
zens' dispute.
1t all started when the Chevy
Chase Citizens Association, in an
swer to what it considered popular
demand. petitioned the PUG for an
extension Of the existing loop service
between Tenley and Pinehurst cir
'cles, only existing scent fare route
in the District.
Routing Starts Fight.
Everybody seemed happy until the
Barnaby Woods and adjacent Chevy
Chase area residents learned where
the Capital Transit Co. proposed to
route the buses and that it was ask
ing that the nickel fare be dropped
in favor of the standard rate.
Then the feuding began. Those citi-
zens with homes along the proposed
routes started hurting charges ex-
emplified by that of Harry S. Wen
der, 6432 Thirty-first place NV.
Never send a rabbit to market to
buy lettuce"
Heading yesterdays forces In
favor OF the extension was j. Aus
tin Latimer, 3l35 Worthington street
NV, chairman Of the Public Utili-
ties Committee of the Chevy Chase
Citizens Association.
Although Mr.. Latimer is a Barna-
by Woods dweller, he does not reside
on street which would be used by
the proposed new lines. Mr.. Lati-
mer charged the opposition was be-
Jogging the issue He summed up
the matter this way: We all want
the buses to come out there, pro-
vided they run on the other fellows
street,"
Munter Joins Protest.
This drew heated protests from
an imposing array of legal talent
representing those against the new
routes. Besides Mr.. Wender, these
included Godfrey L. Munter, 3637
Patterson street NV, former presi-
dent of the District Bar Association,
and Dean P. Kimball, 6632 Thirty
second place NV.
Mr.. hunters home would be on
one of the proposed lines, as would
those of residents along the Barnaby
Woods stretches of Arcadia and
Barnaby streets and Thirty first
place, whom Mr.. Kimball said he
was representing.
Had the citizens known what was
in prospect, the attorneys declared
many of them might not have signed
petition requesting additional bus
service. They also said they didnt t
like the idea of dropping the five
cent fare, whereupon Mr.. Latimer
came back with the assertion that
anyone opposing the change on the
basis of the fare was camouf1aging
the real issue"
And so it went, for six hours.
Proposed Route Outlined.
Dean j. Locke, staff engineer for
the Capital Transit Co., outlined the
proposed routes, which would be
substituted for the existing MA
route serving the region between
Nebraska and Western avenues and
Connecticut avenue and Aberfoyle
street. He emphasized the company
sought only to do what the citizens
want" as far as the routes were con-
cerned, but pointed out that rising
operating costs warranted raising
the flve-cent fare.
Paul Russell, 3141 Aberfoyle street
NV, managed to say a few good
words for the proposed routes. EX-
planning that he has an invalid wife
he pointed out he found his family's
movements sharply curtailed by hav-
ing bus line no nearer than seven
tenths of a mile.
'The new service would make il
a lot easier for us to get around te
the shopping districts" Mr.. Russell
said. He also felt his family woulo
enjoy more frequent visits from
friends IF they didn't have to walk
so far to see U.S."
Virginia Officer Convicted
H.