Evening star., 1921-10-20
D. c. HEADS WILLING
TQARB|TRATERUL
AGAINST PARKING
Commissioners Take Open
Stand as Complaints Con-
tinue to Flood Office.
PUBLIC HEARING GRANTED
TO SETTLE CONTROVERSY
Municipal Authorities Ready to
Make Regulations Most Bene-
fetal to General Public.


Make Regulations Most Bene-
fetal to General Public.
The District Commissioners are ready
to arbitrate the new parking rule.
which continued today to draw COM
plants to the District building and the
trade and commercial organizations of
the Capital.
A public hearing on the question will
be granted. If a less drastic and more
SDracticL pIaE for relieving traffic con-
sestion can be worked out it undoubt-
edly will be adopted in lieu Of the
amendment approved by the Commits
sioners Tuesday.
These assurances were given today
by Commissioner Oyster, who pointed
out that the sole aim of the municipal
authorities is to solve the parking prob
lem in a way that will be most bene-
fetal to the general public He said the
date for the public hearing probably
will be selected at tomorrow's board
meeting.
Practical solution Seen.
Officials of the Chamber of Com
merce, Board of Trade and Merchants
and Manufacturers Association eX-
pressed qualification over the Com
fliSSloHeT 1HSy Ue-
lieve suggestions will be made at the
hearing which will offer, practical
solution of L problem generally ad-
mitted to be one of the most difficult
ever faced by the District officials.
The Chamber of Commerce has
made the parking matter the order of
special business at meeting of its
police and fire ommittee Monday
afternoon at 2 o'clock.
The Board of Trade will give spe-
cial consideration to the subject at
meeting of it's executive committee.
which also will meet Monday, at l
pm.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Association already has appointed u
committee to register it's protest with
the Commissioners against the new
regulation.
Time for Consideration.
Inasmuch as the amendment does not
become operative for thirty days, the
Commissioners will have plenty of
time to consider suggestions for gov
erning parking and amend their
thought to be advisable.
It was made plain at the District
building today that the Commission
ers' have no uarrel with the pubic
on the traffic score. If the public
doesn't like what has been offered
and caif suggest something better 1t
will get it.
On one point the Commissioners and
the complainants generally are agreed
that present conditions are i1toler-
able and something drastic will have
to be done to effect an improvement.
The Commissioners realize that they
took a drastic step when they decid
to prohibit parking in front of
entrances to buildings in the con-
gested section.
AntagOnism Brings Surprise.
Commissioner Oyster said today
that the parking of vehicles in front
of entrances to buildings had brought
such volume of protests to the Dis
trict building that it seemed practi-
cally the entire business interests of
the city wanted regulation under
which the blocking of entrances
would be stopped The regulation
passed Tuesday was thought to meet
a general demand for relief. That it
failed to meet with the appreciation
of business naturally caused surprise
in the District building.
Bankers, hotel men. store proprie-
tors and representatives of other
business interests in large numbers.
it is stated, have asked the Commits
sioners for special reservation un-
der which they could keep the N
frances to their own particular places
of business open. No special favors
We're shown. When the number of
complaints finally reached the point
where it was indicated business gen.
orally wanted the entrances to build
ings protected against curb parking.
the rule of Tuesday was adopted, de-
signed to give general relief
The United States government had
asked for a special dispensation un-
der the existing regulation, it de-
veloped today. Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon requested the Com
missioners to keep the space in front
of the entrance to the building at
1412-1414 Pennsylvania avenue open.
This building is occupied by the divi-
sion of printing and stationery and
the distribution office of the Treasury.
Evidence before the Commissioners
was conclusive that the present regu-
lations have worked hardship in a
great many cases, and that was why
It was decided to take hold of the
situation with firm hand, Commits
sioner Oyster said. He added there
was no likelihood of the existing
Comm issioners will not assume an
arbitrary attitude concerning the
amended regulations and will adopt
some other plan If a more satisfactory
one is suggested, he said.
Several communications concerning
the new traffic rule were received by
the Commissioners today. Commits
sioner oyster said he and his col
leagues would be glad to receive sug.-
gestions on the subject and would
give consideration to every plan pre-
Sented
John S. Mills of 1905 9Th street
northwest wrote the. District heads
suggesting that, in view of the con-
gested traffic conditions. underground
garages should be constructed along
Pennsylvania avenue.
Suggestions Made.
From Prof H. NJ. Paul. u. S. N, re-
tired. the Commissioners received
suggestion that parking at an angle
of As degrees be permitted on prac-
tically all streets, in lieu of parallel
marking, which, he said, takes up
space unnecessarily,
A protest against the "all-day. park
err was voiced by E. Joseph Aronoff
of CAT E street northeast. He urged
strict enforcement of the time limits
on parking.
President Albert Schulteis of the
Chamber of Commerce. stated that
numerous communications regarding
the traffic rule were received by the
chamber today. Some of them were
favorable to the Commissioners ac-
tion, he said.
According to Secretary Columbus of
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, practically all the COM
munications received by that organi-
cation are opposed to the new amend
ment. The Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association today addressed a
letter to it's members asking them to
express heir views on the rule.
TT is the consensus of opinion"
states the letter, that this regulation
is in absolute disregard of the rights.
interests and everyday welfare Of the
public. and certainly its application
would work great hardship on busi-
ness"