Evening star., 1920-03-07
WILLIAM P, RAYNER
REPLIES TO CRITIC
OF TRAFFIC RULE
Defends Board Of Trade
Committees Suggestions
to Senate Subcommittee.

William Pearce Rayner of the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso-
citation. who helped draw up the plans
for new traffic regulations for the
District, recently submitted to the
Senate subcommittee investigating
traffic conditions in the District by
the public traffic committee of the
Washington Board of Trade. in reply
to an article that appeared in last
Sundays automobile section of The
Star. wherein the feasibility of one of
the new rules was criticised, has writ
ten the following:
In the early days Of the automo-
bile the proud owner disguised him
self with a leather cap. with visor.
huge goggles and rarely omitted
gloves with enormous leather gaunt
let's
in the hearts of the innocent bystand
er or excite the resentment Of The
irate farmer. who would drive steadily
on in the middle of the road rather
than give way TO one of the red
devil wagons.
Things have changed greatly. The
farmer of today drives his own auto
mobile and courteously observes ,the
rules of the road.
The pedestrian of yesterday sits
at the steering wheel today. The pc
destrian of today will drive tomor-
row.
I'm the short space of day the
same man frequently drives an auto
mobile. rides on street car and
walks for many blocks through the
city
ReIeEated to the Past.
"The day lis past when the auto
mobile operator should frighten and
take advantage of pedestrians simply
in many cities where the pedestrian
deliberately takes his time in the
streets and finds apparent enjoyment
in glaring at any one in an automO-
BILE and 'bawling out the chauffeur
with Why dontcha blow your horn"
if he omits to blow. and Who you
blowing at?' if he should sound q
warning.
There should be a spirit of give
and take on all sides, and it was in
that spirit that the recent recon-
mendations Of the public order COM
mittee of the Board Of Trade were
developed.
THE same set of suggestions on
traffic was adopted by the Washing
ton Automotive Trade Association,
comprising over 80 per cent OF the
motor car dealers. motor truck deal
automotive insurance agents OF the
District of Columbia. men whose
business requires them to use the
streets for many more miles every
day than the average motorist or
citizen.
IN spite of the fact that the sug-
gcstions placed many restrictions on
motorists they were adopted because
the idea of safety for the whole puo-
lie was uppermost.
The new regulations suggested
were especially planned to make the
streets !norn safe for pedestrians.
THE traffic committees Of tire local
organizations have found a fine spirit
of cooperation on the part OF Capt
Headley and his traffic men. Their
minds have been and are open 70 rea-
son, and Capt Headley in particular
is extremely painstaking in making
traffic studies in this and other citi"'.
Replies to Criticism.
"Iu The Star of last Sunday an
article appeared strongly criticising
the suggestions made to change the
present method Of making turn Of
a vehicle around traffic ofncer at
street intersections regulated by
traffic officer.
I'm the interest of pedestrians-not in
the interest Of motorists Pedestrians.
under the present system OF turning
corners, have to cross at street inter-
sections hit or miss. any way they
can get across.
"It would be manifestly unfair to
seek laws compelling pedestrians TO
cross at street intersections and then
make no provision of reserved space
or reserved time in which they may
CROSS
.'The senator heading the subcom-
mittee which is considering traffic
laws for the District of Columbia has
at least one letter from a man who
writes that he prefers always to cross
streets in the middle of the block
because 1t is safer to do 20 than at n
street intersection.
"vhe present method Of turning cor
nag a3mel., having vehicles abou: