Evening star., 1948-09-11
State Campaign
To Cut Pollution
Pledged byLane'
Emphasis to Be Put :.
On Upper Potomac
Area, Meeting Told
By jones R. Birchfieid
Stor SiuH cosrespondent

l ~ vvANS 1SAAs3 hSSPSs
The State of Maryland was pledged
today to an active campaign to re-
duce pollution in the upper Potomac
River. a..
Addressing the seventh annual
meeting Of the Interstate Commis-
sion on the Potomac River Basin
here last night, Gov. Lane outlined
a State policy for pollution abate-
ment that will give special emphasis
to the upper Potomac area, recog-
nized as pollution sorespot in the
basin.
He pledged cooperation with
West Virginia In a program in the
area where the two States join and
called on industries and municipal
ties in the basin for active support
of the anti-pollutiop campaign.
1--WE must first make study Of
the upper river" the Governor said,
80 that we may know and recognize
our problems.
I'VE then will ask all of our peo-
pie, industries, municipalities and
private individuals, to cooperate in
a program that will bring about
improvements in the area"
Praises CO. Operation.
Praising the cooperative spirit
that now exists between Maryland
and West Virginia in the upper
basin, Gov. Lane said he hoped the
time soon will come when an equal
degree of cooperation will exist
between the Free State and Virginia
in the lower basin.
It should like" he continued, "to
see the day when Virginia and
Maryland will treat the Chesapeake
Bay and it's tributaries as a single
biological unit. I believe that time
soon will come and that we can
then launch a program to save the
valuable seafood resources for future
generations.
Referring jokingly to the compact
of 1785 between Virginia and Mary
land as "horse trade for the pur-
pose of stopping piracy" the Gov
ernor said he was sorry the COM
pact also had not applied to under
water movement" such as fish.
AS 1t is, he explained, Virginia
received fishing rights for an agree
ment not to molest Maryland sur
face shipping-a protection Mary
land received four years later with
the ratification of the Constitution.
Refers to Bridge.
"She has been fishing in Maryland
waters ever SINCE" the Governor
said, land now we hope to be able
to save the few oysters still remain
ing in the lower Potomac"
Governor Lane also referred to
the proposed Chesapeake Bay
bridge, stating that shipping au-
thorities in the bay had assured him
the span would impede the move
ment of craft in the Baltimore port.
There has been lot of loose and
dishonest talk about the injury to
Baltimore shipping by the bridge" ;"
the Governor said, "and I am glad
to have the word Of experts on this
matter. If it is my last act as Gov
ernor Of Maryland, ! am going to
build this bridge"
L. Harold Sothorn, State Senator
from Prince Georges County and
former commission chairman, de-
scribed the interstate group last
night as the greatest lesson In
democracy in the world today"
No Police Rights.
The work and accomplishments
of the commission, Senator Sothorn
said, stem from the desires of the
people in the member States.
THE commission has no police
powef," he pointed out. "It has no
rights of force or coercion. 1t can
only use persuasion"
At closing sessions today, the
commission will hear report from
West Virginia officials on a pro-
gram for the Potomac area. It is
also expected to receive recon-
mendations from its land use COM
mittee concerning a watershed pro-
gram to reduce pollution from
erosion. !
1t is also expected that recon-
mendations concerning the future
purity Of the river in the Washing
ton area will be made by special
group studying the river above Key
Bridge.