Evening star., 1926-09-30
DESIRES
QUICK PUNISHMENT
Traffic Director, in Annual
Report, Urges Prompt Re-
voking of Permits.

Removal from the new traffic act OF
the provision which enables drivers
whose permits are suspended or can
celed to continue to operate for a pc
riod Of 10 days, pending appeal to the
Commissioners, is urged by Traffic Di
rector NJ. O. Eldridge in his annual re
port, made public today by Commits
sioner Proctor l.. Doughcrty.
The provision is a questionable one
Mr.. Eldridge declared, '1naSmuch as
it has been clearly shown in q num-
Der of cases that the permits should
have been taken up at once pending
appeal, in order TO eliminate from the
streets those drivers who cannot be
safely trusted A man who Is caught
red handed in a drunken condition
should have his permit taken up forth
with.
Mr.. Eldridge pointed out that during
the last fiscal year ending June 80
22S permits were Cancelled on account
of convictions of driving while under
the influence of liquor. During this
same period, he said, 770 arrests were
made for this serious traffic Offense.
jury Trials Delayed.
'In practically every case where
a driver is arrested for driving while
intoxicated he demands and secures
a jury trial" the report added. but
the trials are delayed month after
month on account of the crowded con
dition of the docket.
The enforcement of this section
of the law is SO hedged about with
legal technicalitieS and delays that II
has become we'll night ineffective, and
something should be done to modify
or strengthen II that all persons who
are guilty of this serious offense will
secure swift, just and adequate
punishment"
A suggestion was made by the
traffic director that the Distric,
would be on call for immediate exam
ination of all persons arrested foi
driving while drunk and who woulC
be in a position to testify before
judges or jurieS as to the condition OF
the prisoner at the time he was
brought into the police station or the
court.
Many Escape Punishment"
That many of those who drive
while intoxicated escape just punish
ment Is SHOWN Dy the IaCt tnat the
director, himself the report con
tinued. has observed drunken driv
ers being almost carried into court
who were in such a beastly state OF
intoxication that they were unable
to stand up and plead, and vet these
same men. availing themselves Of theil
constitutional rights have been al
lowed, at a later time, to plead moi
guilty and ask for jury trials
When the trials are held, many
many months later, the juries
have, in the majority Of cases
brought in verdicts Of not guilty
Such a system may be necessary ir
order TO preserve the so-called con
stitutional rights Of the citizen. bu,
it certainly does not tend to insure
the safety of the public or TO create
a wholesome respect for the law"
The report showed that there were
1886 arrests for violation Of the traf
t1c regulations during the year, al
compared with 33.109 the preceding
year. There were 81 persons killed
in traffic accidents during the year, q
decrease Of four under the previous
year. OF the 81 killed, the responsible
ity for the deaths was fixed by cor
oner's juries on the drivers Of the
striking cars in 81 cases, on the per
sons killed In cases, while the re
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