Evening star., 1925-09-15
Declares Present Regulation
Will Prove Costly and
Ineffective.
URGES AUTO TITLE LAW;
SEEKS WIDER POWERS
Suggests Tag Revenues Be Given to
Finance Traffic Bureau
Work.

torist in Washington to have his
operators permit renewed annually
Is the outstanding recommendation Of
Traffic Director Eldridge in his first
annual report, submitted to the Conn
missioners today. Other important
proposals made by the director for i'm
proving conditions are:
Enactment of a title law for auto
mobiles in the District.
Extension of his authority to revoke
and suspend permits, particularly to
enable him to withdraw the permit of
a driver while he is awaiting trial for
a serious offense
A suggestion that the fees collected
for tags and permits, estimated at
1924 900 year, be made available for
use by the traffic directors office to
install automatic signal lights and de-
fray all other expenses of traffic con-
troll. At present these fees go into the
Treasury as part of the city's general
revenue, and the money for the traf-
fc Office is appropriated by Congress
the same as for all other functions.
Would Increase Fund.
This proposal, if adopted. would
place the automobile tag and permit
fees in the same category with the
gasoline tax. which is devoted eXclu-
sively to road building. This plan
would give the director far more
money for traffic control than he re-
ceived from Congress this year.
Director Eldridge told the Commits
sioners that If Congress is un willing
to repeal the clause requiring annual
renewal of all permits, then the exist
ing law should at least be altered to
axao - i'm n thacn
gradually throughout the year instead
of having to handle all of them at one
time in March. On this subject Mr..
Eldridge said:
IF the director of traffic is clothed
with ample authority to suspend and
revoke permits, as requested later on
in this report. it is believed that there
will be no real need for the annual
renewal of all drivers permits. The
time and expense involved in such a
tremendous undertaking could, in my
opinion, be spent to better advantage
in an effort to eliminate from the
streets that relatively small percent
age of drivers who are mentally,
physically or morally unfit to drive
automobiles.
1T is therefore urgently recon-
mended that this section of the traffic
act providing for the annual renewal
If Congress insists that the permits
are to be renewed annually, 1 would
suggest that certain changes be made
in the act pertaining to annual re-
newals as follows:
'The traffic act provides that all
motor vehicle operators permits shall
expire on March 81 each year and
must be renewed at that time. If
this plan is undertaken it will result
,clo Of !
applicants for permits during short
interval of time.
Sees Less Congestion.
by amending the traffic act so as
to cause such permits to be issued at
intervals throughout the year and re-
new such permits as they expire one
year from the date of issue, it would
be possible to serve motorists with a
smaller force of employees, less con-
gestion and more efficiency. This
method is satisfactorily employed in
and Rhode Island.
Under the plan proposed the dates
of expiration of permits could be
staggered by calling in about 500
permits each day. BY following this
method it would be possible to or
ganize a permanent clerical force
which could operate throughout the
year and which would be able to more
carefully examine the applications
than would be the case if they were
issued at one time. 1t will be i'm
possible to undertake this task, how
ever, until adequate funds are pro-
vided for the necessary clerical
assistance"
Mr.. Eldridge said suggestions had
been made to him that all motorists
be required to establish their financial
responsibility by providing themselves
with public liability and property
damage insurance, or indemnity
bonds, to pay for accidents for which
they may be held responsible.
Thinks Move Unwise.
THE consensus among traffic ex-
perts and insurance men is" the traf-
fic director continued, that it would
be unwise to require motorists as a
class to provide themselves with such
insurance or bonds on the ground
that it might have the effect of in
creasing accidents, inasmuch as it
would, to some extent, relieve motor
lists Of responsibility and place it on
the shoulders of the bondsmen or in
surance companies, who wuold pay the
bill.
a substitute plan, which, in my
opinion, would be less Objectionable
and perhaps just as effective, provides
for the suspension of the permit of
any motorist who is unable to satisfy
judgment involving injury to per-
sons or property until such judgment
is satisfied. This would have the ef-
feet of forcing many motorists. tech
nically irresponsible, to settle judg
ments obtained against them and
would doubtless bring about greater
degree of caution on the part of such
persons on account of the possibility
os losing their permits to drive. This
,Ian would not add an unnecessary
burden to the thousands of careful and
conscientious motorists who are never
involved in traffic accidents, but
would have the effect of placing the
responsibility and burden where 1t
belongs
Defers Higher Speeds.
Discussing the establishment of
boulevard stop highways in Washing
ton, Mr.. .Eldridge told the Commits
sioners 1t would be most unwise to
permit a greater maximum speed on
these highways than that which is
fixed in the traffic act" until all the
boulevards are clearly and unmistak-
ably marked and until motorists lea-v
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