The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-06-22
With The
.AIibi Artists
Beautiful Lights May
Mean New Cut in Tax
payers Rolls
Works Await Funds
BY DONALD McDOUGALL


It seems to be toss.up wheth-
err the new traffic lights will be
Installed on Sixteenth street or
in some other locality where they.
viii be of a larger practicable
benefit, and where a larger num-,
Der OF ordinary citizens viii see
them, and learn how they OPP
crate.
A good many people, including
the Alibi Man, believe that Six
tenth street is not the best place
for a tryout of the system.
There's no street car traffic to
speak of, there's no hurrying
delivery trucks shooting around
corners, there's no pre-occupied
business men stepping absent
mindediy off the curb on the
way to lunch, there's no crowds
of shoppers Fastening across the
street to the loading platform, as
happens further downtown.
There may be weightier reasons
why the lights should go on Six
teenth street firSt, but IL there
are the director doesn't let US in
on the secret, asking only that
the public cooperate with him.
How can we cooperate unless we
know what it's ell about? Co
operation with secret diplomacy
is a difficult thing to get right.
We're not surprised that Inspec4
tor Headley, with thirty unblem-
ished years of service to the Dis
trict, fell down on the job. We
can't do it either.
We can't root for lights on Six
teenth street when we believe they
should go on Fourteenth or r.
Ard we've never kept quiet about
thing We considered important
since we were minute and u
half old.
But IL Sixteenth street must be
selected for the experiment the
final choice of arrangement is the
best the director has made. 1t
will add noticeable comedy touch
far preferable to the danger Of
the first selection or the grue-
someness OF the second.
Those sawed-off lamp posts,
posed conspicuous1y at each inter-
section OF the spacious thorough
fare can't possibly fab to remind
us, in reverse, OF the gigantic
lighthouses In q particularly small
piece of water Unanswered by
the lady in yellow curlpapers in
Pickwick, only as there are to
be four of them in a group they'll
naturally be four times as funny.
But we must hurry up and get
our laughing done before tax day
rolls around. Because when we
realize that we're lpaying the
price OF four lights, when one lie
enough, the touch will be more
noticeable thaMathe comedy.
Last January the city of Cleve-
land, Ohio, sent a committee to
investigate traffic conditions in
various cities. After a two
weeks trip, including New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Atlantic
City, Syracuse. Buffalo, Detroit
and Chicago, the committee, con-
sisting of Jacob Grauk, chief Of
police; r. H. Galley, secretary OF
the Cleveland Automobile Club;
L. L. Jewell, secretary Of the
clubs traffic board, and repre-
sentatives of the Cleveland news
papers, reported, with regard to
signals:
''The type Of signal light sus-
pended by cable at the center OF
the street intersection, with red,
green, and amber lights facing
traffic in four directions, should
be determined upon Is the stand
ard. This should be done I'M
meiateIy i'm the interest of uni
fOrmity. This form OF light Is
considered preferable to the light
suspended on an arm at each OF
the four corner curb lines, be-
cause of greater visibility from
every angle; beause it is easier
for drivers to watch the light
at intersections ahead; because 1t
is less likely to be confused at
night with other lights along the
curb lines; and because 1t is
cheaper to install"
When so many necessary works
are being delayed for lack OF
funds-bathing beach, bridges, re-
surfacing of streets police court
building, recorder of deeds Of
fice,. to mention a few-and with
hundreds of Woodworking, effici-
ent employees in every municipal
department underpaid anywhere
from 20 to so per cent, why
should we spend money for four
times as many signal lights as
are required?