Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-11
Chamber of Commerce Would
Enforce Street Regulations.
SPECIAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Matter Now in Hands of Two Special
Committees.
VIEWS OF MAJ. SYLVESTER
superintendent of Police Declares
District Commissioners Should
Be Given Authority.

Inc proper enforcement Of street traffic
regulations in Washington is to be made
the subject of campaign by the Cham
Der OF Commerce. The matter has beer
referred to two committees, one a specia
committee authorized at last nights
meeting of the chamber, and the other
the committee on law and legislation. Mr.
Sinclair, the chairman Of the latter COM
mittee, said today that he would appoint
subcommittee this week to get down to
work on the question of better enforce
ment of the regulations at the street
crossings.
The great difficulty In the enforcement
Of traffic regulations in Washington lies,
in the opinion of many. not in the trahc
regulations-a new set modelled after the
by the superintendent of police-but in
the laws which are behind those regula-
lions. With the authority to regulate
the street cars vested In the interstate
over other vehicles In the streets vested
In the Commissioners and the police de-
partment there is constantly a conflict
and misunderstanding as to duties, it is
said.
Sylvester Points Out Difficulty.
Maj. Sylvester In letter to the Chamber
involved, and recommends that a law
be enacted placing the control of the
street car companies in the District Com
missioners. His letter says in part:
AT intersecting streets, where the
street cars cross. the police have no con-
troll over these cars, they being under
the supervision Of the interstate COM
merce commission. and running on sched-
ules established by that body, the police
being authorized in the name of the COM
missioners to swear out warrants for
violating the United States statutes rel
alive to speed only.
This being so, a policeman would
hold up his hand or attempt to stop the
running Of a car at a crossing at his
peril. This question has been fully gone
into by me and the matters embodied in
a report relating to traffic regulations,
now in the hands of the District Commits
sioners.
Troubles Of Crossing Police.
1.-THE members Of the regular force
stationed at crossings, so far as they
are able, enforce the police regulation
rules of the road, hold in check vehicles
going north and south or east and west
allowing them to pass alternately al
crossings where there is congestion. but
as I have stated. the intersection OF
the street car proposition in a large meas.
ure destroys the carrying into effect OF
the regulations relating to vehicles as ar
oficer might direct vehicles to proceed
at one time and a street car motormau
crossing their path might proceed at the
same time without direction from the
policeman.
THE control Of the street car COM
panies should be vested in the Commits
sioners, as are other matters, and must
be before there can ever be an expedi-
tious regulation of traffic in this jurisdic-
ton. Our streets are wider than those
of any other city In the country, and at
closely congested corners it Is necessary
to locate two police officers at busy times,
but. owing to the limited number Of men
at command, this cannot always be done.
THE street railway crossing policemen
are paid by the railway companies for
their services, and in the act creating
them are authorized to give their greatest
attention to the railway companies OPP
Grating cars; but the placing Of these
cars under the interstate commerce COM
mission in a measure nullifies the former
law"