Evening star., 1921-10-23
SEEK WAY TO END
STREET SLAUGHTER
Oyster Will Call Conference
in Effort to Combat Traf-
fic Casualties.
DRASTIC STEPS URGED
Consider Severe Punishment to
End Increasing Care
lessness.
DRASTIC STEPS URGED

Seven deaths in the District this
tmonth from traffic accidents caused
Commissioner James F:s Oyster last
night to decide to call conference
OF officials and citizens in the next
'f9W4Ays to see if an afco-oper4xfvs baAn
can be devised to prevent the slaugh-
ter of persons upon the streets of the
Capital. --a
District officials are aroused as
never before over an apparently
growing carelessness on the part of
both drivers of machines and pedes-
trians and drastic steps are in con-
temptation to compel stricter observ-
employing vigorous means, however.
Commissioner Oyster desires to have
the advice Of citizens in the matter,
and he will invite to the safety con-
ference chairmen of the public safety
committees of the Board of Trade,
ganizations. The conference prob
ably will be held before the end of
the present week.
It became known last night that the
program which is under consideration
by District officials is to make vigor-
Gus campaign against persons con-
victed for the second time of violating
provisions of the traffic regulations.
In the second and third offense cases
in which Jail sentences can be i'm
posed, it is proposed to go the limit
in an effort to put the violators behind
bars.
Corporation Counsel Francis H
Stephens said last night conditions
have reached a point where apparent
iy they cannot be remedied except
through the imposing Of the severest
penalties prescribed for violations of
the traffic regulations. 1t is going to
take some Occoquan sentences, he
said, to make the streets of Washington
safer for travel.
Must BE Always Watchful.
I'm the meantime" said the cor
poration counsel, "the only safe
course for any person crossing a
street to follow is to consider that
the next minute may be his last on
earth and that only the greatest care
fulness will save him from instant
DEATH"
Commissioner Oyster has had the
police department on its toes in an
effort to compel respect for the traffic
laws. Innumerable arrests have been
made. Fines have been the usual
punishment. The Commissioner, it is
expected, will tell tho citizens con-
ference that Jail sentences must be
substituted for fines in fragrant cases
before any material relief can be
looked for.
Numerous Intoxicated Drivers.
Numerous instances Of drivers OF
automobiles in traffic accidents being
under the influence of liquor. have
been reported during the past few
weeks" Mai. Gessford. Superintendent
Of police, said last night. = "And a
drunken man driving in. an automo-
bile is. far more dangerous than man
With q gun IN his pocket" - -------
Mai. Gessford said he thought all
drivers OF vehicles convicted Of driv.
ing while under the influence co1
liquor. especially In cases Of accidents
should receive the maximum penalty
Many More Cases.
TT is the policy Of the police de.
partment to require $500 collateral in
all such cases. The question Of pun
ishment is up to the courts"
Statistics in the police traffic bureau
indicate the number Of traffic accidents
this month win show an increase Of ap'
| proximately sixty over last month, fig
ures to date showing an average Of
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