Evening star., 1925-02-14
BALL WILL RENEW
!. TRAFFIC BILL FIGHT
Will Make Effort to Bring
Measure Before Senate
Next Week.

Efforts to obtain action on impor-
tant legislation for the District of
Columbia, particularly the traffic
regulation bill and the school build
ing program bill, will be made next
week by Senator Ball, chairman Of
the District committee, and other
Senators who feel strongly that this
legislation should be enacted.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas
Democratic leader of the Senate, said
today that at the night session. which
will be held Monday in accordance
with announced plans of the Repub-
lican leaders, he would ask unanimous
consent for consideration of the
traffic bill, and the public school bill.
with limit on the length of
speeches.
E The Republican leader. Senator
Curtis, indicated that he would not
oppose the proposal for time to con-
slider District bills
District legislation that has oppo-
sition. including the rent bill. how
ever, will have great difficu culty in get
ting hearing in the Senate before
the close of the present session of
Congress. General legislation of
much Importance is pressing. and
measures which would lead to long
debate with perhaps no results.
The opinion was expressed today
that the traffic bill would have to be
amended and made less drastic Sena-
tor Ball pointed out that he had a
number of amendments himself.
VI q no VT,
last night.
THE Senate has demonstrated that
1t is absolutely incompetent to trans
act any business tonight: L think this
farce ought to be brought to an end
l suggest the absence of a quorum
said Senator Bruce of Maryland
These words, except for the calling
of the roll, which showed only SO
Senators present-10 less than a quo
rum-brousht to close, at 1915
o'clock last night, the session of the
Senate dedicated to District legisla-
tion.
Nothing was accomplished. The first
of the seven bills of Importance to
the National Capital placed on the
calendar for consideration last night,
the traffic regulation bill. was before
the Senate the entire time.
Bill Criticized Sharply.
In vain Senator Ball, chairman of
the District committee; Senator Car
away of Arkansas and other Sena-
tors interested in the legislation
urged that the bill be read paragraph
by paragraph for amendment. The
flood of talk continued unabated
Senator Reed of Missouri and Senator
Stanley of Kentucky were the prin-
cipal critics of the measure, and their
structures occupied most of the time.
which was not taken up by the first
formal reading of the 20-page bill.
After more than an hour had pass
quorum. Obviously. no quroum was
present, as the roll call disclosed, and
there was nothing for the Senate to
do but recess until noon today, as ii
had agreed to do earlier in the even
ing,
Senator Reeds attack upon the
traffic bill was directed particularly
toward that section which declares
that il motor vehicle operated upon
the public highways exceeds 20 miles
per hour, such speed shall be prima
facie evidence that the vehicle is be-
ing operated recklessly, and that the
burden of proof shall be upon the
operator to show the vehicle was not
being operated recklessly
This, Senator Reed insisted. was in
direct violation of the principle that
man is presumed to be innocent un-
til he is proven guilty. He demanded
Continued on Page 4, Column g.