Evening star., 1953-02-27
Officials 10 Ask
Mcke|dintoHd|l
Road Raising
Peace Cross Area
Meeting Decides on
Pleo to Governor

reo 70 governor
Maryland mayors and town
Oouncilmen in the Peace Cross
area are asking for a meeting
next week with Gov. McKeldin in
an attempt to have the State
executive rescind his directive
to the State Roads Commission
to raise roadways around Peace
Cross.
The action was taken last
night at meeting of town rep
resentatives and residents in the
Cottage City f1rehouse. The
meeting was called by several
residents in the vicinity who con-
tend the road-raising project
will help only traffice but will
do nothing toward. eliminating
flood conditions on their prop
erty after rains. Many say the
project will make conditions even
worse.
The primary purpose of the
meeting was to ask towns to ap-
point delegates to an overall"
committee on flood control.
However, upon the motion of
Melvin Howes, commissioner Of
Cottage City, the group unani-
mously agreed to send an official
delegation to Annapolis next
week.
Early Plea Urged.
Most residents felt that the
earlier the Governor was shown
the problem, the more chance
there would be for the road-rais-
ing project to be rescinded. For
nation Of the overall committee
will continue. This groups ac-
tions will depend on next weeks
meeting with the Governor.
Mr. Howes. who will lead the
delegation to Annapolis, said an
appointment with Gov. McKeldin
will be requested next Thursday
through Prince Georges County
State Senator John Raymond
Fletcher and Delegate John
Frank Lillard, jr., both Repub-
licans.
The General Assembly yester-
day completed passage "a reso-
luton introduced by Senator
Fletcher. calling on the Federal
Government to appropriate funds
for flood control work at the
Peace Cross.
Mr.. Lillard, a pronounced op-
ponent Of the road-raising plan.
heartily Endorsed the action. He
emphasized that the delegation
Should make it perfectly clear
to the Governor how wide an
area is flooded each time Peace
Cross submerges.
Wide Area Covered.
He said many persons are
under the impression that flood
ed areas are only those through
which cars are unable to pass.
Rains cause flooded Easements
and property as far away as
Edmonston. Hyattsville and Cot
tage CITY. he said.
He told the 160 persons as
Sembled last night he plans to
introduce, in the General AS
sembly next week, a bill request
ing appropriations from the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, the Maryland-N Ma
tional Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and the State
Roads Commission for dredging
tributaries into the Anacostia
River. He estimated the project
would cost about $350.000.
Permission Forecast.
The Roads Commission has
said before its only concern is
with roads and not dredging.
Mr.. Lillard said, however, the
commission has a contingent
fund, which probably could be
used in dredging the tributaries.
The Federal Government has
control Of tidewater operations,
but Mr.. Lillard said he believes
permission for a dredging prof.
ect could be obtained.
The operation would eliminate
almost 95 per cent Of the food
problems. Mr.. Lillard said. He
added that the proposed Army
Engineers plan for dredging the
Anacostia River probably will be-
gin sometime during the present
administration.
Mr.. Lillard described the $780,
600 road-raising project as a
waste of taxpayers money. He
explained that the project would
In no way tie in with the engi-
neers' program, estimated at
ah0IIt ala naiI1i0n