Evening star., 1926-03-30
Whiting Down the Law.

1t has been intimated that another
| remarkable decision will be handed
down in Traffic Court by the same
judge Who ruled that Washington
| pedestrian regulation was null and
void and that the turning reSula lions
ON the automatically controlled streets
! were illegal. This time the Judge has
indicated that in giving his decision
on a speeding case he will rule thai
the ira ffic director has no authority to
reduce the speed limit.
The first decision was made on the
ground that Congress did not give
the director authority To regulate
pedestrians, the second because there
are four lights at each intersection of
the automatically controlled streets,
and the regulation does not specify
which light the motOrist should obey,
and the coming decision that Congress
set the speed limit at twenty-five miles
an hour, which the director has no
authority to reduce.
The traffic act authorizes the traffic
| regulate speeds. etc, in the following
language:
The director is hereby authorized.
beginning so days after the enact
ment of this act: 1D to make reason
able regulations with respect to horns,
lights. muffiers and other equipment,
the speed and parking Of vehicles, the
registration of motor vehicles, the Is
| Of lt.,I-S
permits, etc, etc.
In another section the act provides:
No motor vehicles shall be operated
upon any public highway in the Dis
trict at rate of speed greater than
twenty-five miles an hour, except in
such outlying districts and on such
arterial highways as the director may
designate.
From a study of the act it would
seem that Congress set a ma ximum
speed limit in the congested section,
gave the director authority TO increase
! this limit where conditions permitted
and authorized him TO make reason
able regulations in regard to We
hicles for the safety and welfare of
| the community.
Congress, in passing a general traf-
fic act, could not be expected to delve
into the hundreds of peculiarly local
problems In regard to ira ffic. It's in
tent was TO give the director authority
to deal with these matters with the
approval of the Commissioners.
Last night truck driver was ar
rested for exceeding a fifteen-mile
speed limit on Bladensburg road. The
Judge intimated that tonight when
the corporate counsel presents ar
guments showing that the director has
authority to set such limit, he would
rule that Congress gave the director
no such powers.
If such a ruling is made it is com
suits. Trucks, big and heavy, from one
to five tons of concentrated weight,
will smash over the streets of the city
at TWENTY-FIVE miles an hour. Auto
mobiles will, at twenty-five miles an
hour, pass school children at play
killing and manning the youth of the
city. On the bridges of the District
where SO many fatal accidents have
| occurred, cars will speed at twenty
| two miles an hour.
Slow signs, stop signs, all kinds of
| signs will mean nothing. The auto
mobile at twenty-five miles an hour
! will reign supreme. twenty-five miles
! an hour "or bust will become the slo-
! gan of motorists throughout the city
and the Commissioners. the police and
the ira tic officials will be powerless to
! stop the slaughter.
! That will be the. result of such a
| ruling.