Evening star., 1953-03-29
|$5,25O,OOO Program
Is Drafted 10 End
Peace Cross Floods
By Gene Goodwin
Stor StoH Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 28.-A new
and strongly-backed plan to
eliminate flood waters at the
Bladensburg Peace Cross was
revealed here today.
It calls for Federal, State and
county cooperation and an out
lay of $5,250;000.
State Senator John Raymond
Fletcher, Republican, of Prince
Georges, who disclosed the plan,
said it was worked out with Re-
preventative Small. Republican,
of Maryland, Gov. McKeldin and
Representatives of the agencies
involved
Budget Funds Assured.
Mr.. Fletcher said he and Mr..
Small have been assured by the
Federal Budget Bureau that 81
million will be put in the budget
for the next fiscal year to allow
the Army engineers to put part
of their much-diScussed Ana
costa River flood control pro-
gram into effect.
The Senator said he would
introduce legislation in the
General Assembly Monday to
make it mandatory for the State
and county to appropriate up to
$4.250.000 for flood control if
Congress approves the 81 mil
lion Federal expenditure.
The. $5.250,00O total, the
Senator said, will enable the
Army engineers to dredge and
relocate the Anacostia Channel
near the Peace Cross and build
sufficient dikes to hold back "all
but the most abnormal" food
waters.
The State Roads Commission
would have to put up SIS mil
lion as its share. It would be
used to relocate the highways at
the Peace Cross intersection be-
cause the course of the stream
will be changed. It also would go
for rebuilding the two bridges
on U. S. Highway l on both sides
of the Peace Cross.
Gov. McKeldin last Sunday de-
cided to delay the proposed rails
ing of roads at the Peace Cross
until it became clear what flood
control action the Federal Gov
ernment contemplated. If the
Small plan is put into
effect, the road raising project
would be superfluous.
Under the Senator's legislation,
the Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission would be re-
quired to spend up to $75O,0OO,
mostly for relocating utilities.
The Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
would appropriate up to $780,
900, mostly for acquisition of
land. The Prince Georges Com
missioners would have to spend
up to $1.5 million as the coun-
try's contribution to the overall
plan.
Mr.. Fletcher said all the
agencies involved have agreed to
the program in discussions over
the last several weeks.
He told reporters special taxes
undoubtedly will have to be
levied by the Sanitary and Plan
ming Commission and the county
to finance the mandatory appro-
priations.
Part of Overall Plan.
The food control plan con-
templated would be only part of
the overall Anacostia River pro-
gram long advocated by Army
engineers.
But it will be the basic part,
and none of it will have to be
done over if the Federal Gov
ernment ever wishes to put the
entire program into operation"
Mr.. Fletcher said.
The engineers will dredge and
dixie the river only in the Peace
Cross area, under the Fletcher
Small proposal, instead of all
the way into the District as the
overall program originally con-
templated. The dikes have been
cut down in size, the Senator
said, and the proposed yacht
basin at Bladensburg has been
eliminated.
Mr.. Fletcher expressed conf
dence that Congress will be will
ing to appropriate 81 million if
it knows that the Maryland Leg
islature has provided $4,250, 900.