Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-08
Columbia Heights Citizens
Appeal for More Police

The Columbia Heights Citizens Asso-
citation took action with respect to the
situation, appointing a committee OF five
to urge upon Congress, the District Com
missioners and the police department the
necessity for more police, following the
adoption of a resolution introduced by j.
Clinton Hiatt. The strong language of
this resolution, declaring that recent as
saults on women in the streets of the
city have made it unsafe for women to
walk on the streets alone after dark, was
objected to as being perhaps too severe,
but the association as body would have
no temporiZing and insisted that the
statement should not be denied or min
imized.
This action was taken at the monthly
meeting of the association, in st, Ste
phen's Hall, following a considerable de-
pate, during which w. b. Todd attempt
ed to have passed a substitute resolution
less detailed in character, inasmuch as
Mr.. Hiatts resolution tod just how many
police were needed, and Mr.. Todd and
other members thought it undesirable tC
go into that phase OF the question. Mr..
Hiatt explained that he had been In con
sultation with the police department or
the needs of the Columbia Heights sec
ton, and had obtained from this source
his estimate that at least eight more
policemen were NEEDED in that commu-
nifty His resolution having been passed,
and William r. Harr, Judge {. S.
Bundy. George &. Gertman and DR.. Ben
jamin +. Gibbs were named as the COM
mittee to endeavor to obtain additional
police. The association, In the resolu-
ton, pledged its individual and united
efforts before Congress to assist the Of
ficials of the District in procuring the
necessary appropriation legislation
Take Up Traffic Matters.
A lively debate resulted from an at
tempt by DIR. Gibbs to have the associa-
ton approve the new traffic regulations
promulgated by the District Commission
ers. The fight centered about the pro-
vision of the regulations which requires
automobile drivers on street car line
streets to halt their machines fifteen feet
from d street car loading or unloading
passengers on narrow streets and to pass
such cars on wide streets by at least fif-
teen feet. DIR. Gibbs interjected his pro-
posed approval during consideration OF
resolutions introduced at the last session
of the association by G.. G.. Lancaster,
which called upon the District Commits
sioners to limit speed of automobiles ON
business streets and streets having street
car tracks to eight miles an hour.
There was so much disagreement be-
tween owners and drivers of automobiles
who were present and non-owners of
machines, who declared themselves to be
more in favor Of safeguarding pedestrians
than of seeing that Automobiles got
what they wanted, that DR.. Gibbs reso-
luton, introduced last night. and that OF
Mr.. Lancaster, coming over from the last
meeting, were both laid on the table.
Sreaking from the point of view of the
automobile driver. Thomas Edwards, jr.,
characterized the proposed new traffic
regulations as impractical. He said he
has driven a car for nine years and was
convinced that the new regulations will
block traffic He instanced Detroit,
which, he said, has more automobiles
than any other city of the size in the
country, where Automobiles are required
to pass street cars by but eight feet
That, he said. is plenty of room. Penn
sylvania avenue. he declared, is the only
street in the city wide enough for the
fifteen-foot rule, with the possible eXcep-
ton of 18th street south of FLORIDA
avenue.
He said traffic blocking would be
brought about by the self-evident fact
that if automobiles were obliged to stop
every time they came to car loading
or unloading, on narrow streets. all other
vehicles behind them would be obliged
to stop. Consequently, he added, there
will be blocks by wagons, carriages and
trucks. behind automobiles. all over the
city on narrow streets.