Evening star., 1921-10-19
NEW PARKING RULE
DENOUNCEDBYD.C.
BUSINESS LEADERS
Commissioners Amazed to
Find More Criticism Than
Praise for Move.
M. AND NJ. ASSOCIATION
SEEKS PUBLIC HEARING
Flood Of Objections Already Re.
ceived-R. N. Harper in
Favor of Step.

Anticipating expressions Of ap-
proval from Washington business men
over the change made in the parking
regulation prohibiting parking in
front Of entrances to business places
in the congested section. the District
Commissioners today received criti-
cism principally from the interests
which it had expected would be bene-
flied by the order.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Association early voiced a protest and
sent a communication to the Commits
sioners requesting a hearing on tue
question. At the headquarters OF the
orga nization il was said an almoS.
continuous volume of objections tro'
business houses 10 the new rule pou .
ed in during the day.
Commissioners Surprised.
While the Commissioners had e,
pected the traffic amendment woul"
meet with criticism in many quar-
ters, they were surprised at W
attitude taken by the busines ;
interests. These interests have pro.
tested vigorously over the conoiton&
created by the existing regulation,
the Commissioners said They nave
maintained that their business was
being seriously menaced through th'
blocking Of the approaches to the
buildings The Commi ssioners real
lied there was much justice IN tne
conpIaints, and yesterdays action IN
amending the regulation was taken
TO relieve what they considered
hardship upon business.
Sentiment had not crystalllzed
sufficiently today to indicate wnether
business would line up solidly In op-
position to the order.
coht
Chamber Of Commerce described the
present situation as ''intolerable. ont
said he had not given sufficient study TO
the change ordered by the Commission
ers to reach a conclusion as to whether
It would better conditions.
President Bradley Of the Board OF
Trade made a similar statement. The
rule. he stated, is a drastic one. and ne
was not prepared to say that he believed
il offered the best solution OF the PROP
lem.
Harper Praises Iden.
| Robert N. Harper. president OF tne
District National Bank, said that the
amendment. while drastic, is step
| in the right direction.
.It may require some minor changes
that will be indicated after 1t has been
tried out" said Mr.. Harper. but De-
lieve 1t will greatly improve present con-
ditions. which are making the transac-
tion of business difficult"
President King of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association
named a committee to present the or
ganization's protest to the Commis-
! sioners 1t is composed of Gen. Anton
Stephan, chairman; George 5. DE
Neale. o. ]. De Moll and Leo Baum.
The committee lost no time In franz
ing it's protest. which follows:
Merchants Frame Protest.
The daily newspapers announce
that the Commissioners have promui-
gated regulation abolishing the
parking of automobiles in the down.
town section.
THE Merchants and Manufacturers
Association desires to express its
keen sense of the disappointment az
the sweeping manner in which the
Commissioners have handled this all
important question OF traffic.
"The committee. of which Vice Presi-
dent Anton Stephan is chairman.
realizes that this is indeed a prob
lem, the solution of which, however.
! cannot be found in regulation
which would absolutely prohibit the
parking Of cars at any period of the
twenty-four hours. regardless of wind
or weather and the density OF trafiic.
Enough Regulation Already.
1T is the opinion of the committee
that there is sufficient regulation at
the present time TO meet the trafnc
problem of the District of Columbia,
providing the same is enforced.
1T would appear as If the lack OF
enforcement Is due to an insuficiency
in our police department
"Whatever the cause, a remedy
should be found at once.
1.-The veritable storm of protest that
is being set up in Washington today
as result of this sweeping ruling OF
the Commissioners Will. no doubt,
reach you from other quarters.
But. in any event. the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association wants
to be heard on this question. and re-
spectfully requests the privilege of
conference at the early convenience
of the Commissioners"
Reason for Drastic Move.
The amendment adopted yesterday
is in line with the Commissioners
policy, it was stated at the District
building today. to improve traffic con-
ditions through experimental steps.
The first of these steps was taken
shortly after the present civilian
Commissioners were inducted into Of
flee, when an order was passed pro-
hibiting center parking in Pennsyl
vania avenue north Of the street car
tracks. Commissioner Oyster an
nounced at the time his intention TO
| clean up" Pennsylvania avenue and
develop 1t for traffic rather than
storage purposes.
Later center parking on Pennsyl-
vania avenue south Of the street cars
was abolished. the order putting this
change into effect sIpulating conditions
under which curb rusa.ng would be
permitted. The immediate res"lt of
this amendment was an increas. =
curb parking. Hotels, banks, stores
and other business houses suddenly
found the entrances to the structures
occupied by them blocked by cars park
ed at the curb. Protests began to
reach the Commissioners by the score.
Full Probe Of Complaints.
The Commissioners gave attentive
ear to these complaints and admitted
that the regulation might have to be
amended in order to preserve the rights
of the complainants. They announced.
however. that. 1t would be their policy