The Washington times., 1924-12-17
WILL HEl ?
CLEAR
TANGLE:
Joint Congress Committee
Votes to Send for Dr. Harris
and Judge Cobb

Summoning Of two New York
city traffic experts to Washing
ton to make study Of conditions
here and lend their assistance
was voted today at the third joint
meeting Of the Senate and House
District Committees, which are
drafting a model traffic bill for
the District.
The experts are Doctor John A..
Harris, deputy police commits
sioner of New York city, and
Judge Bruce Cobb.
Copeland Suggestion.
Action by the Joint Committee,
in requesting the two experts to
come to the National Capital vas
taken at the suggestion of Senator
Royal Copeland of New York. He
said that DIR. Harris had assisted
in the remedying of traffic condi.
tons, not only in American cities,
but all over Europe also, and he
was satisfied that he would help
Washington out of it's traffic
troubles.
The experts will appear before the
next meeting of the Joint Commit
tee which was set today by Senator
Ball, for January 5.
Colonel A. B. Barber, Director of
the National Conference on Street
and Highway Safety, conducted by
Secretary of Commerce Hoover, APP
{vAn sn6 hnR tfAAp "
and told the members what the ma
tion-wide conference had adopted in
the way of traffic regulations.
Committee Headed Right"
Colonel Barber said that he had
looked over carefully the tentative
bill on which the joint committee
is working on and declared you
are headed in the right direction.
He emphasized the fact that the
conference had determined that
the States should lay down board
traffic principals and leave to the
municipalities, the working out of
details.
Encouraged by Colonel BARRIERS
recommendation of the establish
ment in Washington Of arterial
traffic highways, Chairman Ball
gave notice that he would put a
provision in the bin which would
compel the District Commissioners
to designate such highways in
Washington.
Chairman Ball said he had urged
the Commissioners more than a year
ago to designate arterial highways,
but that they had paid no attention
to him, and he was in favor Of ccm-
pelling action along this line.
IS Miles an Hour Limit.
Colonel Barber told the committee
that thirty-five miles an hour would
be a reasonable speed in certain
parts of the District. He said that
he believed thirty or thirty.five miles
an hour would be q reasonable speed
on Connecticut avenue from the Zoo
to Chevy Chase.
At this point Senator Copeland
pointed out that liberal speed in
uncongested portions of the city
did not constitute reckless driving,
and it was shown in New York city
that 1t was slow automobiles, not
| fast ones, which caused accidents.
Much of the discussion was con-
fined to the advisability of setting
certain speed limits or leaving such
speed limits out and placing re-
sponsibility in the hands of the
motorists. Senator Jones was EN-.
phatic in stating that he believed
that the burden of proof should be
put on the motorist.
Too Many Rules, Claim.
Another point which was dis
cussed at length was the tendency
to adopt a multiplicity OF regula
tons resulting in confusion and
causing of accidents rather than
avoiding them.
Senator Stanfield and Congress-
man GAbert of Kentucky both con-
tended that /, IL motorists were per.
mitted to use their common sense
and not abide by arbitrary minor
traffic regulations they would get
along better.
Today's meeting was the best at.
tended Of any of the three meetings
yet held. 1t Was decided that mas
much as most Of the members would
leave Washington over the holidays
that the meetings would be suspend
ed until January 5, when the two
New York experts will have had an
opportunity to observe conditions
here and appear before the joint
~s,f,1y1niffeo 5Ht