Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-22
BAD AT CROSSINGS
Charge Regarding the Traffic
Conditions in Washington.
DEMAND MADE FOR REMEDY
Members of Commerce Committee
Criticise Law Enforcement.
POLICE SHOULD HAVE CONTROL
Interstate Commerce Commission
Comply With Regulations.

The District authorities We're severely
criticised on the ground that they have
failed to enforce the traffic regulations in
the streets of the National Capital at a
meeting of the committee on law and
legislation of the Chamber of Commerce
yesterday afternoon.
IF we drove about the streets of Bos-
ton as carelessly as we do about the
streets of Washington we'd be shot de-
clared L. ID. V. Burr. a member of the
committee.
j. NJ Stoddard. who has given the sub
ject of traffic regulation much study. de-
clared that he had visited cities abroad
and many i'm this country, but that in
none of them were the traffic regulations
so poorly enforced as i'm Washington.
Declare for Strict Enforcement.
In order to remedy the conditions here
the committee went on record for
stricter enforcement of the traffic reg
ulations. resolution was adopted re-
questing the interstate commerce COM
mission, which by law has supervision
of the street railways of the District
to place the control of the street cars at
street crossings in the hands OF the
police.
This course was urgently recommended
by Police Chief Sylvester in a letter ad-
dressed to the committee. He points out
that the police have no authority to reg
ulate the street traffic at crossings be-
cause the power in such matters is at
present vested in the interstate COM
merce commission.
The resolution adopted by the commit
tee was as follows:
THE committee on law and legislation
of the Chamber of Commerce recon-
mends to the board of directors of the
Chamber of Commerce that the inter-
Estate commerce commission be request
ed to amend the regulations for the OPP
Grafton Of street cars in the District OF
Columbia SO as to require all motormen
whenever any street is congested or over
crowded at any crossing of street cal
lines, to observe and conform to all rea.
politan police force engaged in regulating
the travel and movement of vehicles a.
any such crossing
Rap at Crossings Policemen.
The crossing police came i'm for theil
share of criticism at the hands of mem
bers of the committee. Mr.. Burr de
clared that these crossing police Id
nothing and make little or no attemp
to regulate traffic. p j. Ryan, attorney
for the Central Labor Union. pointed
out that the crossing policemen, while
they are under the District Commission
ers and superintendent of police as mem
bers OF the police force, are paid by the
street railways.
I'm every case which has come to my
attention." said Mr.. Ryan, in which d
citizen has been run down or some wagon
has collided with d street car at these
crossings the crossing policemen ap-
pearng witnesses Iavor the railway
companies
Mr.. Stoddard suggested to the commit
tee that the automobilists and carriage
drivers in Washington violate the II attic
regulations far more often than do the
street cars, and he suggested that the
chamber recommend that the police en-
force the regulations on all occasions and
that a campaign of education be started
to show what these regulations really
are.