Evening star., 1916-01-01
MOTORING.

the United States Supreme Court when
| it upheld the Maryland automobile
| license law. compelling District motor
| lists to display Identification tags in
! that state. During the year a num-
| ber of indictments were rendered and
arrests made for Joy riding in stolen
automobiles. The number of motor
| cars stolen during the year was large
| In nearly every instance, however. the
| police recovered the cars and restored
them to owners. One of the most i'm
| portant problems receiving the atten-
| ton of the District authorities was the
subject of traffic. Parking spaces in
| the center of streets were established
! on Vermont avenue between II and l
streets northwest, New York avenue
between 18th and 14th streets, Penn
sylvania avenue between 9Th and 18th
streets northwest and on + street be-
tween 14th and 18th streets northwest
In connection with this method of
parking vehicles. merchants on New
York and Pennsylvania avenues pro-
| tested against a new ruling prohibit
ing vehicles from stopping at the curb
in front of their places of business
longer than to permit passengers to
aiisht or enter vehicles. 1t was claim
ed that this worked hardship on the
| merchants SO affected.
The order was suspended the day
after it went into effect and two
weeks grace was allowed. In the
meantime the merchants have the mat
ter under advisement, and unless the
order Is rescinded it is possible the
courts will be appealed to. The in
stallation of new traffic signals was a
feature of the year. The crossing
M ionp
one blast for north and south traffic;
two whistles for east and west traffic.
Several "go-go" semaphores were in
stalled and are now being tested by
the police department. II these prove
satisfactory all of the crossings in the
| business center of the city will be
provided with this equipment. Stand
ing spaces for passengers on street car
| lines have been painted on several of
| the main thoroughfares, with view
| to reducing the number of accidents
caused by persons being struck by
passing vehicles.
| The Safety First Association of this
| city has been active during the past
year. The association issued a safety
| first book in the, early part of the
year. The headlight regulation was en-
| forced during the year, and following
an appeal on the use of DINNERS on mo-
| tor cars the local courts rendered an
| opinion that DINNERS, when not daz-
zling or binding, were permissible.
| The National Capital Motor Cycle
| Club held motor show at one Of the
| local theaters and conducted hill
! climb in the fall. The Washington Mo-
| tor Cycle Club also elected officers for
| the ensuing year. w. F. Baker and r.
| A. O'Brien, two local boys, journeyed
! to San Francisco and return on mo-
tor cycle without accident. Several
meetings were held of the Automobile
| Trade Association of Washington. d. C.
| and officers were elected. Robert II.
Martin, secretary of the association and
manager of the Washington branch of
! the Buick Motor Company, resigned to
accept a position in Atlanta, Ga. II. A.
| Jenks. manager of the Washington
| branch of the Locomo obile Company of
| America and member of the same as
sociation. was transferred to the Phila-
delphia branch.
| The New York Washington automo-
| bile record was broken by David s.
Hendrick in six-cylinder Franklin
| touring car, accompanied by official OBJ
servers, negotiating the 242 miles in
9 hours 9 minutes, the former record
being held by Samuel A. Luttrell of
this city in a Packard, in 1911. in IL
hours Al minutes. Ed. B. Terry, in
six-cylinder Apperson touring car, low
cred the Franklin record in the late
summer, covering the same course in
hours 81 minutes. II. A. jerks. in
siN-cylinder Locomobile, broke the
Washington Richmond record, held by
-
This record was later broken by Sam
uel A. Luttrell. in twelve-cyli2der
| Packard touring car. covering the l40
miles in hours 50 minutes. All of the
records were broken without miShaps
in each instance
A number of Washington motorists
journeyed to Philadelphia and thence
to Atlantic City in an endurance run,
yer cups Automobile races were held
at Benning, witnessed by 10000 per-
sons.
The Retail Merchants Association of
ter's trip to Maryland, Virginia and
West Virginia. Twenty-Five motor cars
participated in the event. the first of
its kind ever held in this section of
Washington We're presented by local
merchants. The representatives of the
Retail Merchants Association. Cham
Der of Commerce. Washington Board
of Trade and Lincoln Highway Asso
cia tion journeyed to Philadelphia and
selected points where two large signs
are to be erected with view to guild
ing motorists to washington over the
detour from Philadelphia to Washing
ton and thence to Gettysburg. Pa.
scenario is being prepared in connec-
tion with the highway and will be pro-
duced in movie form at an early date
Representatives of the same organiZa-
tions recently made trip in motor
cars over the road from Washington
to Frederick sburg, Va, with a view
to raising funds with which to COM
plete the twelve miles of bad roadway
which connects the National Capital
with Richmond, Va. The cost will be |
about $4,000 and funds have already |
been raised and temporary repairs be- |
ing made.
During the year number of tests of |
motor trucks of various types were /
demonstrated before officials of the |
federal government, United States |
Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The |
Washington section of the Electric We
hicle Association of America proved |
active in electrical circles during the |
year, in the early summer the second |
annual socia bility run of the associa
ton being held. A feature of electrical |
prosperity week was parade of cleo
trical and gasoline vehicles and trucks
to the number of 200, arranged by the
same association. L. S. NARROW. first
chairman of the Washington section.
died during the year. Several of the To-
cal hospitals were provided with new
motor-driven ambulances of the latest
type while several new motor driven
pieces OF fire apparatus were installed |
in the District of columbia fire de-
partment.
A tollgate was erected in Fairfax
county, Va, near Vienna, and with the
completion of new macadamiZed roads
the county authorities announced their
intention of erecting more. The Alex
andria county authorities threatened
to retaliate by esta blishing gates where
the new roads connected up with the