Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-02
BY HOWARD S. FISK.

80. y the event of the passage OF the
Hill introduced in the House by
Representative Ben johnson, pro-
viding that the street railway
crossing policemen be MADE MEM
-. of the metropolitan police FORCE
.bc District, it will enable the DIS
-s, officials to make such changes IN
,crsonnel as are deemed necessary
- the present time the men are m
-,,o,+ in a way, of the regular
-,-ica force and in reality are en-
,5,.yes of the various railway COM
raries Under the provisions of the
hin the major and superintendent OF
noIic. will have supervision OF the
men and use his discretion when IL
,o,,,,s 70 nracing men on duty at the
crossings in the downtown section OF the
city.
Rv giving this authority to the SUI
nerintendeut of police it will enaoie
him +, organize a regular traffic squad
and once organized the men can pe
drilled and instructed in the handling
Of traffic and become proficient IN 'ne
art Until that time arrives it viii pc
"a difficult matter to standardize the
handling of traffic and movement Oh
vehicles in the busy centerS.
hill and are anxious that it become
law at the present session OF Con
eress Major Raymond Pullman su
perintendent of police. is also deSlrous
Of lis passage. inasmuch as it VIII give
him an opportunity to rearrange tns
traffic men and give the puonc Iuti
benefits of "A regularly organized tIal-
fl, squad similar to those in operation
in other cities.
Under the new act it is provided
that the men shall be entitled to all
imnlunities now possessed by the mem
beers of the metropolitan polce force.
These special policemen, as they are
termed. are to he subject TO the same
rules and regulations and to the same
discipliue as other members OF the po-
lice force. it being the intent OF the
bill that they shall be placed on the
same footing so far as period OF ser'-
ics. and classification are concerned
In determining the classes to which
he policemen may be assigned, they
IRE to be given credit for the time they
haze served in their present positions
T-, same as the present members OF
a. force one of the important fea-
.....s Of the bill is the authority given
o.. superintendent of police, in his
dis. elton. to substitute other members
81 me force for special policemen at
1r.. street railway crossings and inter-
ss-. IONS. During the periods OF sub
s. ution the special policemen are to
5lcrIorm whatever service may be as
med to them ny the
with the formation of a regular "traf-
nc squad the National Capital would
hen be in line with similar bodies in
other cities, whose entire time would
be consumed in the directing of traf-
fic and the preventing of accidents in
the busy sections of the city.
Another feature, which might follow
later. is the organization of a "traf-
fic bureau" where all matters pertain
ing to traffic, such as accidents, COM
plants. suggestions, etc. could be ham
died Bureaus of this character have
been organized in many of the large
cities and have been successful. Ar
officer is placed in command of the
bureau and in handling all traffic mat
tiers through one channel, the other
section of the police force is relieved
of this field of work. AS it is now
practically each precinct-and there
are eleven of them-and police head
quarters. controls traffic problems as
they arise from time to time. With a
central bureau the various precincts
would be relieved Of this work.
Maj Pullman has studied traffic con-
ditions in other cities and 1t is his
desire that in the very near future his
plans will be carried out. The con-
solidation of the railway crossing
policemen with the regular force is the
first step in this direction. The traffic
squad in many Of the cities Is composed
of the cream of the force. The men are
picked from the standpoint Of efficiency,
statue, tact and experience.