The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-17
WASHINGTON
TRAFFICC0DE
COMPLICATED
Enforcement Hinges Upon
Interpretation by Police
Officials Stewart In
terviews Shipstead
ny CHARLES p. STEWART

III NhAKI.c.S J.. SlEV is"A
Washington--Wa Washington has now
probably the most complicated traf-
fc code in the country.
The original idea was to make the
capital Americas model in the hand
ling of automobiles nice place for
c,!,crs and Il paradise for those
who walk.
Unfortunately the codes compilers
put TOO much into 1t, In an effort
to make it cover everything. lhey
also followed 1ne congressional
method. in including numerous reg
ulations which either mean nothing
at all or else mean two or three OH.
ferent and conflicting things, until
they're interpreted
The trouble is, the "interpreta-
tons" differ and conflict, too.
An autoist, interpreting" rule
one way, is pinched by a copper who
"interprets' it otherwise. The judge
with an interpretation all his own
simultaneously bawls out the cop.
for the latter's interpretation and
soaks the prisoner for his.
Taking his lesson to heart, the au-
toist starts out next morning, full in
the faith that he knows what's what
only to be run in presently for do
ing exactly what he was fined for
not doing the day before, the tricky
regulation having been "re-lnter-
preted" by some still higher authori.
ty overnight and now implying
something that neither the autoist
the cop nor the traffic judge had
thought Of before.
If anybody imagines this doesn't
cause confusion, let him visit Wash
ington and see.
Just to illustrate-Traffic Direc.
tor Eldridge was caught breaking
one of his own traffic regulations
which was interpreted" by some.
body else as meaning what Eldridge
didn't intend it to mean. and had te
pay fine. Eldridge was called on
to revoke his own brothers drivers
license, and might have had to do it
but it turned out to be a Maryland
instead Of District Of Columbia Ii.
cense, so he hadn't the necessary
jurisdiction.
At the present rate, one out OF
every four Washington autoists will
have been arrested by the end OF
the year, and the rates increasing
fast. The regulators are GO
ing after pedestrians next. and II
they do to- them what they've done
to the autoists, the only wey OF
getting around Washington will b.
by plane.
Senator Henrik Shipstead of
Minnesota, the lone Farmer-Labol
MEMBER Of the upper house Of Con
! gress, is one of the few personally
very interesting men among the ma
| tional lawmakers, and in my judg
ment one Of the ablest and mos
| sincere.
| He has ideas, which few of tn
| others have, and expresses them,
which almost none Of the others do
They talk, to be sure, bot they
don't say anything. Shipsteat
| does.
But don't believe he ever wa
cut out for politician. There
isn't enough flapdoodle about hin
not any, in fact. And he doesn'
speck respectfully enough of the
great masses of people who cas-
votes.
Public opinion" Shipstead tOlt
me one day, "is like the wind, veer
ing and shifting constantly, Away
turning the wheel of the cleve
politicians mill.
'The miller doesn't care which
way the wind blows. He's fixe,
up whirligig contrivance which
turns as the wind changes. Fror
east or west, from north or south
or from any point in between
fills his sails, just the same. An
always it grinds grist for his mill.
| This isn't very flattering to tn
politician, but at least it gives hir
credit for some sense. OF publ
opinion it's positively contemptu
Gus. l doubt if man can say sue
things and get away with it,
| in politics.