Evening star., 1925-04-28
ELDR|DGE TO BAN
|LAP|DATED AUTO
Peril to Public Seen in Cars
Too Old for Safe Brakes.
Jail for Drunks.

Too many pieces of junk" are run
ming around the streets of Washing
ton under the guise of automobiles.
NJ. o. Eldridge, the new director of
traffic, told a meeting last night of
the North Capitol Citizens Associa
ton in the auditorium of the United
Brethren Church, North Capitol and
r streets.
These menaces are soon to be re-
hahlitated or quickly disappear from
our traffic streams. where they are a
constant menace to pedestrians and
motorists alike" Mr.. Eldridge prom
ised. "Would-be automobiles whose
antiquity precludes the possibility of
safe brakes and assured control have
no place on our streets today"
Although every automobile in
Washington is TO be examined and
obliged to carry headlights that will
Immediately show a child at a mini
mum distance of 200 feet, and vet not
blind" a motorist coming from the
other direction, Congress is also to be
asked to do it's part by giving the city
properly lighted streets, the traffic
chief added
Fatalities After Dark.
More than 90 per cent of our traf
fc deaths" Mr.. Eldridge continued,
8 O'Clock in the evening last year.
That is definite condemnation not only
of the motorists headlight, but also
of our extraordinarily poorly lighted
streets. We must remedy both before
we can go far in the direction of re-
ducing our traffic mortality rate.
Another step will be the elimina-
ton OF drivers who do not know how
TO read. 4 man asked for a drivers
permit just the other day. lie ad-
mitted he could not read. | asked
him how much he made and he an
sWered. Sl4 a day. He was a brick
layer. He is now attending a night
school and soon should qualify for a
drivers permit. How can we expect
man who cannot read TO distinguish
between stop and go on the cross
ing policeman's semaphore.
Director Eldridge also said that
while he intends to enforce the law
giving pedestrians right of way on
cross walks, pedestrians must watch
and obey the crossing policeman's
semaphore just as the motorist is
forced to do. A declaration from Mr..
EldridGe that no mercy is TO be shown
the drunken driver, that mandatory
Jail sentences were 10 be given them
indiscriminately brought prolonged
applause from the crowded audi
torium.
Zihlman Is Appla uded.
Representative Zihlman, who is 10
be chairman Of the House District
committee at the nest session Of Con
Sress and was introd dced as the next
mayor OF Washington" declared that
every request made upon Congress by
the citizens OF Washington is TO be
given the fullest consideration. lie
declared his belief i'll the present sys-
TEN Df government here. but added
that he believed Washington should
be given ample opportunity to have a
fun voice before the bureau of the
budget.
An effort to have the city pay for
the resurfacing of all streets out of
the fund obtained through the 2-cent
tax on gasoline, and not put on the
shoulders of abutting property own
ers, is to be made by the North Cap
itol Citizens Association. A crossing
policeman for the intersection of
Rhode Island avenue and North Cap
itol street is also to be sought. vii
liam G. Henderson was confirmed for
the Citizens Advisory Council