The Washington herald., 1911-03-13

were attempted, and the authority by
regulation, while IL might be construed
as reasonable, would no doubt be defed
and taken into the courts.
1T is the opinion of the police that the
| crossing at intersecting streets should be
| defined for pedestrian purposes in order
to give the pedestrians while crossing
| the right of way as against the vehicle.
| 1t has been held by some legal minds
| that while this would be effective, the
! pedestrian would have the first right of
| way to cross a street or avenue in any
| square as well to the restricting OF an
| approaching vehicle.
Great delay, and at times danger, has
attended the congestion of people in the
street at intersecting street railway
| crossings, where changes are made from
one car to another, where the police are
required to bring teams to a walk and at
time give them safe conduct through
the crowds that gather there.
1T is questioned If it n not a viola
ton of law for the pedestrian to be in
waiting upon the streets rather than the
sidewalks
Must Buy own Steeds.
This condition is in evidence happily,
at only four or five functions within the
| business section, and policemen mounted
on horses have been used to aid in keep
points, they being operated as a minia-
ture traffic squad, but when the freez-
| ing weather comes on and the roadways
become slippery, these officers have met
with injuries to themselves and the ami
mails they ride by reason of the fact that
| their horses fall, no matter how we'll shod
! and ridden. and for that reason it has
been necessary to take them of the
. ,-s-,sz
for, unfortunately. the police Of Washing
ton who are mounted on horses must
purchase the same from their own scanty
earnings, and replace injured animals
from their own resources.
The department from time to time
! has recommended that these horses
should be owned by the government. as
is the case in large municipalities. but
so far it has not been deemed expedient
by Congress to make the change. The
responsibility placed upon the mounted
men of the police force to the end that
| they must make an investment of 500 or
$500 for a horse to ride, without additional
salary attaching thereto, at once suggests
deplorable unreasonableness.
Rules Almost Identical
Il have for the past two or three years
conferred from time TO time with William
p Emo who is an authority on traffic
regulations as presented in various cities
in this country and the Old World. and
with few exceptions those suggested by
him. while not reading alike. are of the
same effect as those now prevailing Mr
Emo made an elaborate study of condi-
tiOns in Paris, and I had the honor and
privilege to afford him introduction to
The police authorities of that city, and he
IS u
the subject, and he and agree that OBJ
servation Of the rules of the road can
only he brought about by education
There is greater amount of ig-
n"TanCe among drivers in this juris-
dlction. perhaps. than anywhere else
and while this department has had dis
trlhuted thousands Of circulars bearing
upon the subject of rules of the road
furnishing employers Of drivers and
drivers themselves with these tracts.
there has not been noticeable that i'm
provement which would come from
generally intelligent class performing
this character of service. II also is
unreasonable to expect that by the
mere placing in hand and the reading
Of regulations of any kind that the per
son would proceed to put them into
practice of his own free will and ac-
cord. 1t would be like the parent plac-
ing schoolbooks in the hand NJ the
child to study WITHOUT having teacher
to instruct.
Enforcement the Puzzle.
The matter then resolves itself into
this. that the police officers of the com
munity must be the instructors. and
the same old worn. tattered PROPOSE
ton comes up again where are you
going 10 get an adequate number of
men to enforce these regulations s
you would like to have them enforced.
when you take into consideration Penn
sylVRnia avenue and its intersections.
? street, G street. Fourteenth street.
Sixteenth street. and the numerous cir
Clcs should have at least thirty or forty
men assigned to this particular class
Of work. and that the force of the
District has not been increased for the
past five or six years. but a hundred
men only are doing patrol service there
in throughout the daytime, the whole
matter presents itself very much in
the nature of problem
However. the rules will be made as
complete as recommendation from this
department from time to time will per
NIT Of approval. but that there are diff
fcuIties to be cOntended with is man
ifest."
Mai. Judson NoncommittaI.
Engineer Commissioner Judson said
last night that the Emo regulations
were before the Commissioners for
consideration. He could not tell when
action would be taken on them. but
it is expected that within the week
definite course Of action will be de-
Cided upon.
When told that Maj. Sylvester had
defended the present system, and claim
ed they were with few exceptions
identical with Mr.. Eno's plans, Maj.
JudsOn had nothing TO say.
Ocean Steamships.
New York March l2-ArriFed out: Niagara at
Havre.
Sailed from foreign ports: Lusitania from Queens
town; Lapland. from Dover; George Washington,