Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-10
HOUSE COMMITTEE
TO BACK ELDR|DGE
Blanton Measure May Be Put
at Head of Calendar for
Next D. c. Day.

Determination of the House District
committee to give Traffic Director Ed
ridge authority to revoke automobile
drivers permits and otherwise stiffen
up administra ton and enforcement of
the traffic laws was shown today when
the House District committee made
the Blanton bill an order of special
business for the next meeting, and
advanced the hour for the meeting to
10 o'clock. with the intention of MAX
ing this bill head the calendar for
the next District day in the House.
Representative Thomas L. Blanton
Democrat of Texas. announced that
he is in sympathy with the Zihlnan
bill introduced yesterday for abolition
of the four grade crossings. but he
pointed out that every year only five
persons are killed at grade crossings.
while about 100 are killed each wear
IN Washington by automobiles.
Authority Held Urgent.
Traffic conditions are such that
authority must be given to the traffic
directors. he said. declaring that the
District Commissioners disa greed with
some of the provisions Of his bill but
that he is willing to accept every
suggestion made by the Commission
ers. One of the most important is
that the traffic director should be
subject to the Police Department.
Representative Gibson. Republican. of
Vermont said that there could be no
efficient traffic enforcement under
divided authority
Mr.. Blanton told the committee of
several glaring cases of traffic viola
tors. in which the traffic director is
powerless TO revoke the drivers license
until he is brought to trial and con
victed. One man has been arrested
Is times. he said. Two years ago a
bootlegCer killed A charwoman in the
House Office Building and has been
arrested time and time again since
then, but never brought to trial.
Last Year Provision.
Attention was called in the com
mittee to the fact that when the
traffic law was put through last year
the House had included provision
which would care for such a condition.
hut this was stricken out by one
Senator and on that very evening the
Senator himself was struck and in
iured by an automobile while standing
in a safety zone. Mr.. Blanton said he
could not say that this was not Just
retribution.
Representative Charles l.. UnderhilI.
Republican. of Massachusetts. also
discussed the elimination of this pro.
vision from the bill last year and
spoke forcefully of the. need for
greater authority to be vested in the
traffic director
Mr.. Gibson said literally thousands
of men who are on the shady side
of the law. criminals, are driving here
who could not obtain licenses in other
States" He put the record of some
of these individuals in the hearing
last year.
To Consider Measure.
The committee. by a formal vote,
instructed the subcommittee which is
considering the Blanton bill to report
ii to the full committee at the meet
ing next Wednesday with all of the
changes recommended by the District
Commissioners, and the committee
voted to meet at 10 o'clock to con-
slider this measure.
Mr.. Blanton notified the committee
that he is having prepared a bill
which will do away with monopoly by
one taXicab company of space at
Union Station and will stop the hotels
H'nntinnoI on ral,,~,,