Evening star., 1926-10-13
BOARD Of TRADE
ARGUES PARKING
Committee Opposes Many
Limited Areas-HeId to
Have Exceeded Authority.

A parliamentary battle which re-
suited in excluding any questioning
of Traffic Eldridge's authority in re-
gard to certain parking practices and
any recommendation in relation to
traffic from the streets and avenues
g committee report featured the first
Fall meeting of the Washington Board
Of Trade at the Willard Hotel last
hight.
George c. Shinn, chairman OF the
streets and avenues committee or the
board, included in his report several
recommendations in regard to the
downtown parking problem, one OF
which was to take some steps TO pre-
vent the withdrawal of parking spaces
from the public highway by private
firms and organizations.
Pointing out that there are 1OO,OOU
cars on the streets, Mr.. Shinn deplored
the fact that banks, churches. large
and small stores, clubs and theaters
were being granted the right to with
draw an abnormal amount OF parking
areas from the y reefs, further adding
to the parking problem.
There are hundreds of such cases.
he said. He particularly pointed out
that these spaces, such as in front OF
churches and theaters, are reserved
even when business and services are
not being conducted. The report ques-
toned Mr.. Eldridge's right to with
draw these spaces from the public
highways for private concerns.
Eldridge UphoIds Stand.
Traffic Director Eldridge imme-
diatelv after the reading of the report
ilmped to his feet and requested to
sneak. He admitted that 403 such no.
parking permits have been granted.
He also declared that churches, etc,
were supposed to withdraw the signs
after services Mr.. Eldridge, however,
said that these permits were given
close study by him and were necessary
for the conduct of business and that
SO per cent of the requests for private
no-parking signs were turned down.
He agreed with that part OF the COM
mittee'S report recommending the re-
moval of the public comfort station
at Fifteenth and II streets. He said
that rs accidents have occurred at
that spot.
Edward F. Colladay, past president
of the board and a member of the
local Republican national committee,
rose and spoke against the report,
stating that the streets and avenues
committee had exceeded its authority
TN discussing traffic. Edwin F. Brand
enburg. general counsel for the board,
also supported Mr.. Colladay. and Odell
s. Smith, chairman of the public order
committee, declared that the au-
thority of the traffic director should
not be questioned, and that no Dis
trict public official should be criti-
Cized at a board meeting unless he
had done something very wrong.
The result of the discussion was
that all reference to trafnc was
stricken from the report, which was
then adopted.
Air Mail Discussed.
Warren /. Glover, Second Assistant
Postmaster General, in speaking on
the air mail service. outlined to the
members of the board the growth of
the service since it's inception in 1918.
Since that time, he declared, air mail
pilots have flown 14.760,000 miles and
carried 276,000,000 pieces of mail. The
fiscal year 1925-26 showed that the
service carried 100000, and flew
2,774,0 900 miles.
Mr.. Glover said that the Post Office
Department was now spending 1885,
OO0.0 900 annually and would soon be
spending 81 1000, 100000 to properly
take care of the United States postal
affairs.
Committee reports on industries. by
G. Philips Hill, chairman; bridges,
George w. Offutt. chairman; mem
bership, William w. Ross, chairman;
sewerage, Asa E. Phillips, chairman,
and public utilities and transporta-
ton, Jesse Adkins, chairman.
A number of the past presidents of
the board made short talks. The
past presidents attending were John
Joy Edison, Walter Brown, Edward
F. Colladay, Arthur G. Moses and
Samuel Prescott.
Entertainment by the boards quar-
tet, consisting Of w. E. Braith-
waite. Paul G.. Ledig, Raymond G..
Moore and John Chandler Smith and