Evening star., 1926-10-08
Maj. HeSSe Finds Traffic Con-
geStion Drops Greatly Just
After 9 O'Clock.
MATTER TO BE PUT
UP TO SCHOOL HEADS
A. A. A. Offers Full Facilities to
Form Student Patrols to
Guide Children.

patrol at the Thomson School, Twelfth
and l. streets. was moving forward to-
day at Il rate which indicated that
Monday morning would find Il dozen
pupils on special duty at danger
points near the school to protect
schoolmates from needless and care
less risks in traffic-laden streets. a
still more sweeping project in the in
terest Of safety for school children
was crystallizlng in the form Of sug
gestions to push back the hour for
school openings to Il time after the
big 9 o'clock rush.
Impetus was given to this project
by a survey made this morning by
Maj. Hesse, chief of police. at the
Thomson School which has been
designated a model experimental post
for this work in the District. Maj.
Hesse went on the scene sometime be-
fore 9 o'clock.
He watched traffic jam Twelfth
street and l. street In a steadily flow
ing torrent while school children
trudged across the perilous traffic
lanes to srrive before the 9 o'clock
bell. Almost as the bell was sounding.
bringing the: children into classes. it
seemed as tff%ugh a magic hand had
touched the sSaffic stream and dis
solved 1t by 81 so so per cent.
Congestion is Reduced.
The streets that had been filed
with traffic a few minutes before the
children entered the school, became
perceptibly less congested. The fun
damental risks to school children had
been more than cut in half on the
streets. But by this time the children
had no need for the street crossings;
they were in school
The proposal for starting school at
915 or $50, when children would not
be subjected to the riske Of the traffic
rush of Washington going to its 9
o'clock desk, was breaches few days
ago to several persons efter Star
representative noticed the fact that
traffic dwindled Significantly after
o'clock-starting hour for many
businesses In Washington.
Charles X. Finckel, principal Of the
Thomson School. cognizant at first
hand with the situation, was in favor
of 1t, If 1t could be worked out sue
cessfully. NJ. o. Eldridge, director of
traffic, expressed a favorable re-
action to the suggestion. Following
his survey this morning. Maj. Hesse
feels inclined to view the proposal
with favor IL the plan will not dis
arrange routine in the homes. Mr..
Finckel has taken it up with members
of the parent-teacher organization
Of the schools and announced today
an enthusiastic reception of the idea
by the representatives of those direct
ly in control of children of that
vicinity.
Up to Board of Education.
Supt. F.. w. Ballou OF the school
system reserved comment, when the
proposal was brOached to him, since
the time of opening and closing
schools Is in the hands of the Board
of Education.
Mr.. Eldridge and Maj. Hesse. with
others, are to take the matter up for
discussion, with q view to approach
ing the Board of Education with the
proposition as to whether a universal
setting back of school hours through
out the city would be advisable.
Insignia and equipment for the
members of the SchOolboy Patrol
have been placed at the disposal of
the schools by the American Auto
mobile Association. 1t was announced
today.
A letter from c. p. Clark, assistant
general manager Of the A. A. A, to
Chairman Ben w. Murch Of the COM
mittee on school safety stated:
"The unfortunate accident which
resulted in the death of Freddie Gross
kurth, q pupil Of the Gage School,
appears. from press reports, to have
revived an interest in the establish
ment of the Schoolboy Patrol system
in Washington.
Offers Full Facilities.
I'VE wish to take this opportunity
to again extend to your committee
the entire facilities Of this OrganiZa-
ton, together with badges. arm bands
or other insignia necessary Tor ldentl-
fication, safety posters or such other
material as your committee might re-
quire to successfully establish a def
mite safety program in the schools OF
Washington.
May we further invite your atten-
ton to the fact that since the intro
duction of the schoolboy patrol system
in Chicago similar systems have been
established in Detroit. Cleveland, Gin
cinnati, Akron and Milwaukee. Salt
Lake City is at present perfecting an
organization 10 be known as the
Junior Traffic Police, with detectives
the same as those of schoolboy patrols
in other cities.
I'm Chicago. where the system
operates with over 5000 schOOlbOy
patrolmen, the fatalities to children
through automobile accidents were de-
creased IA per cent in 1925 over 1921.
while the death rate of adults from
the same cause increased over that
four-year period AZ per cent. We feel
the schoolbOy patrol and other safety
measures should be given full credit
for this remarkable decrease Of fatal
accidents to children.
MAY we further suggest that if the
schoolboy patrol Is to be established
in Washington the fullest cooperation
should be manifested between school
authorities. police department. the
office of the director of traffic and the
motorists of this city. To insure this
cooperation we would suggest that a
committee of representatives of these
groups be formed to establish and
maintain the schoolbOy patrol sys-
tenn"