Evening star., 1923-12-12
From Yesterdays $50 Edition Of The Star.
TRAFFIC CONFUSION
LAID TO INFLUENCE
Emo Says "Higher-ups" Block
Reforms in Street Pro-
cedure Here.

Charging that local civic authorities
have for years shown themselves
blind to traffic requirements, William
Phelps Emo, noted traffic expert. ap-
peared before the Senate committee
investigating Washington traffic at
the sessions yesterday afternoon.
Political combinations and rings"
said Mr. Emo, "in a city where pol
tiles are supposed not to have undue
influence, should be eliminated and SO
far as traffic is concerned they can
be and Will be when the citizens real
ize what traffic suffering they are re-
sponslble for, as well as commercial
injury to the city.
Place of Police.
THE activities of the police in
traffic should be confined to instruc-
tion of and assistance to. the public
and enforcement when needed. The
traffic squad should be under the
control Of an inspector of police
II have no fault to find with our
metropolitan police force. Their per-
sonnel Is admirable--as fine a body of
men as cam be found in any city.
are TO be repre- ssed and handicapped on
every side BY the unfortunate combina-
ton OF power that seems to hold sway
show at their best. You must look for
the hidden influence controlling them If
you desire to find out the real trouble" i"
Concrete Proposals.
Several concrete recommendations
on the engineering part of the traffic
problem were made by Mr.. Emo
Among these Were: To imme diateIy
round off the corners of the side
walks on a scientific radius, instead
of retaining the rule of thumb round
ed-off corners. which are a menace
TO traflc; widening of streets so that
the proportion OF sidewalk width to
roadway width in congested sections
date installation of additional paint
ed lines. traffic signs and dummy
cops. and the placing of the street
lighting problem In the hands of the
bureau OF standards for investiga-
tion with view to imme ediate I'm
proyements in street illumination.
Mr.. Emo said that one-way streets
had been found useful on narrow thor
oughfares In practically every city, but
that Washington streets, In his opinion.
Were wide enough for two-way traffic
He told the committee that one-way
streets should be set apart only after
careful study
Senator Ball questioned Emo on
the suggestion that 18th street be
widened from forty to eighty feet
and 18th streets he kept one way
in opposite directions. The witness
said that he thought this plan might
work out.
On the proposed elimination of the
left-hand turn he said that eimina-
tion OF this kind caused more trouble
than II saved.
Mr.. Emo said that neither drivers
or walkers here knew the traffic reg
ulations and never would know them
in their present confused form He
suggested a concise traffic booklet:
and education of pedestrians and
drivers
In December. 1922" said Mr.. Emo.
"a committee of nine on traffic was
appointed by the District Commits
sioners. but unfortunately its COM
position was such as to make IL
foregone conclusion that IL could not
be successful. and on February the
chairman of this committee resigned.
having found il impossible to bring
about effective results with the com
bination then in power Conditions
have continued to become steadily
worse. until It is believed that the
people are thoroughly disgusted at
the unnecessary number of accidents
and deaths constantly occurring.
"A plan based on long experience
was formulated at the time the COM
mittee was appointed by the chair
man setting forth the necessary
measures to be adopted to bring about
effective traffic regulation. 1t is a
pity that a matter of Importance to
our city should be allowed to longer
continue, not only because methods
already tried and proven would elimi-
nate most of the trouble in Washing
ton, but because Washington, If 1t
had a really good system, would fur
nish an example to the rest of the
country instead OF being a death trap.
The committee will convene again
this afternoon to take further testi-
mony