The Washington herald., 1911-03-13

Vigorously QtlSIIQlIIS IIl6 pISSCLLI
system Of traffic regulations in the
District, and declaring that they will
compare favorably with those of
any other community in the United
States, and are lar superior to the
traffic regulations in a majority of
cities, Maj. Richard Sylvester, chief
of police, Yesterday broke a long
silence on the subject.
SAME AS NEW YORK.
He said the proposed new rcgula-
tions. PROMULGATED by William ?. Emo,
who has drafted and put into effect
systems in New York City and Paris.
were practically the same as those
now prevailing in Washington. MI.
Emo, at tte request of the Board Of
Trade submitted to Mai. sylvester for
recommendation 4 comprehensive plan
for traffic regulation. as presented by
various cities in America and Europe.
Maj sylvester further alleges that
If a perfect system were installed in
the District it could not hc enforced
without additional mon.
The police officers OF the community
must he the Instructors the major
said. and the same old worn. tattered
proposition ,omes UP. Where are you
going to get an adequate number Of
men to enforce these regulations as
they should be enforcedc"
Encounter Many Difficulties.
The District Of Columbia regula-
tions for traffic Of all kinds will com
pare favorably." said Mai. Sylvester to
a Washington Herald reporter yester-
day. with those Of any other communi-
" in the United States. and are far
superior to many Of them, vet ther"
are numerous features which might
be improved upon and rules which
might be adopted. which would make
them. as a whole, better than those Of
any other jurisdiction in the land. and.
while the cities of Washington and
Georgetown are intcrwovon with
broad streets and avenue. we'll paved
and lighted, for that one reason. and
the absence Of commerciaIism. there
is a minimum Of vehiruIar cong, stiOn.
BE this so. however, Their, is no reason
why he code of regulations for move
m"nts Of vehicles. a. well as PERSONS
should not be an example for other
communities to profit by.
IT should not be- forgotten that in
building uD the r.l1-- ,f the road as they
exist to-day tho authorities have oncoun-
tered from time To- time adverse court
decisions and rulings which have neCes-
sari.v made the problem d difficult one
10 obtain m every detail as should he
required For instance. II must he borne
in mind t'tt ~ 1il- the streets and ave
nuos "t th' TTsrri-t Of Columbia are
under tho super> ist"n "f the Commission
frs. the park and r'.~' ryalio-s and the
T0adWavS throI-hout them are under the
sIperint'udp ut ne Superintendent Of
Public Buildings and Grounds. and one
authority cannot eX,r. Use supervision over
- the other without cooperative reE1Ila-
tiOnS are obtained.
Federal Law in Force.
There exists today United States
statuJe-not a cEuIation-soverning the
speed of motor vehicles throughout the
Dist-:ct Of Columbia and this law diff
ferentiates between the parks. streets
and various intersections 1t was passed
some years ago, but in the meantime
conditions have SO changed with regard
to traffic that it should be modified in
some way so as to meet them. To tnat
end the Commissioners forwarded to
Congress early in the last session a
proposition looking TO the nuIlifcation
of the existing law and the passage of
an act whereby the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia might establish by
regulations the speed Of ali vehicles in
the different parts of the jurisdiction as
might be prompted by the progress and
changes OF surroundings since the GnaC.-
ment OF the present law. The passage
OF the proposition is one TO be urged.
Another situation. peculiarly one that
belongs to the District Of Columbia, is
that the street railway cars cannot be
made subject in any way to regulations
by the Commissioners. for it has been
held by the courts that everything per-
tanning to their operation from a physi-
cal, as we'll as other standpoints. is with
in the Jurisdiction Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Court Action Invited.
There are no specifications in the
cruelty to animals law. as it exists and
at the same time what would constitute
offenses in detail cannot generally be
made under the District of Columbia po-
lice regulations, but would require Con-
EressionaI action, as well as the regu-