Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-13
HEADLIGHTS IN D. c.
REPORTED BETTER
Frank A. PIN Tells Dealers
Conditions Here Surpass
us
Those Elsewhere.
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.
Automobile Editor of The Star

Automobile Edltof OF Ine ota1
The next time you are out driving
after dark and the blazing beam OF
the other fellows cockeyed headlight
hits you square in the eyes with
binding effect, don't become ruined
about IL, but just be happy that you
are not in San Francisco, ST. Paul,
Baltimore or any city other than your
own National Capital,
While few local motorists seem to
realize it, according to opinions heard
expressed on all sides, Washington
has less of the glazing headlight evil
than any city in the United States.
Here machines glide through the
night, passing each other on streets
and highways. under illumination
conditions that are both mellow and
enhancing compared with the situa-
ton elsewhere.
That, in substance, was what Frank
A. PIN Of the educational division of
the Illuminating Engineering Society
told a group of automobile dealers
last night in the presence of Traffic
Director NJ o. Eldridge, Col. /. c.
Moller, Assistant Director and In
spector Z. w. Brown of the Traffic
Bureau.
Officials Are Pleased.
The occasion was the regular
monthly meeting of the Washington
Automotive Trade Association in the
City Club.
While 1t was rather warm even
ing. Mr.. PIN almost knocked his audi
ence cold when he, without an indica.
ton Of jest and in all seriousness,
conditions. Mr.. PIN said his conclu-
Gions were based on observations and
Investigations in virtually every large
city in the country.
The combined radiance that sprung
UP in the eyes of the traffic officials
Immediately following Mr.. PINS state
ment flooded the meeting room with
an effulgent glow such as the City
Club never had known. 1t was far in
excess of the regulation 21-candle.
power, and accompanied by real
bushes.
81 am exceedingly happy to know"
declared Director Eldridge. the beam
in his own lamps widening more and
more. that our local headlight regu-
lations and method of gaining COM
pliance has been so successful
Previous to Mr.. Pins address Mr..
Eldridge outlined what his depart
ment is doing to correct the glaring
headlight evil. He said that the driver
of every car found with out-of-focus
lights is given a ticket and told to go
to the Traffic Bureau for inspection
and adjustment. Failure to do this
means that the p1otorist will later get
6. ticket sending him to Traffic Court.
Mr.. Eldridge said that of all the
cars sent to the traffic bureau for in
spectiop, not more than per cent
are found At. About Is per cent, the
director said, are easily put into good
condition by simple adjustments. The
remaining "a per cent have. to 60
back to repair shops or service sta.
tons for the correction of serious de-
6ects.
I'VE have one police officer who
does nothing else but patrol the
streets looking for headlights not in
keeping with the regulations" de.
clared Mr.. Eldridge with meaning
full shaking Of his index finger at the
audience, apparently to emphasize
the Importance 1tifea department at
taches to the misdirected beam evil
~ wondered said Mr.. PIN, speak
ing later, ''how come that so many
headlights here seem to be within the
law and so free from menace to other
motorists
Illustrates His Discourse.
During the course of his address,
Mr.. PIN outlined the history of motor
vehicle illumination and threw on a
screen the effect of many lenses now
declared illegal. He gave the dealers
expert advice on how to detect and
adjust out-of- focus lights and how to
prepare simple testing apparatus.
He also urged the dealers and ga.
ragemen to join intellectually in a
campaign to correct the glazing head
light evil, declaring that with little
effort and possibly large profit they
could have every pair of head lamps
in the territory in adjustment all the
time. This, he pointed out, also would
be a distinct service to the car owners
a. well as the community at large.
To the motoring public general
Nv Mr.. PIN offered the suggestion
that once the headlights have been
competently adjusted, the motorlst
have painted focus line or place a
mark of any sort across his private
garage and each night when driving
in observe whether the head lights
strike the same spot from the same
distance. When they fail to do this
it is again time to have them ad.
tusted.
The speaker declared that to get
almost 100 per cent headlight adjust
ment only willingness to learn and
willingness to do would be necessary
on the part of the garage men and
service stations.
Indifference Is Common.
Mr.. PIN intimated that during his
travels he found too much indiffer-
ence on the part of the men who
could be helpful, and a great lack OF
knowledge of headlight function and
adjustment on the part of men who
were supposed to know the work.
During his talk to the dealers Di
rector Eldridge referred to a number
of complaints received in his ONCE
against automobile noises. While these
noises in large measure are due, he
said, to muffler cut-outs, investiga
ton on his part revealed that in the
main they are due to heavy motor
trucks passing over bad streets.
our streets at present" Mr.. Ed
ridge said, "are in a deplorable con
dition and T am sure when they are
repaired that the noise nuisance viii
be reduced materially.
The director urged the dealers tc
give attention to the muffier cutout
problem as related particularly Il
motor trucks H.
Col. Moller, who was called upor
by the dealers to- answer a number
Of questions in regard to registration
cards and, the issuance of dealer tags
gave the automotive men something
to think about when he told then
quite unexpectedly that there hac
been many complaints about the mis-
use of dealer tags, and that unles:
the practice is stopped the dealer:
may suffer a sharp curtailment o.
this privilege.
Dealer tags, Col. Moller said. arr
issued only to dealers for Legitimate
use in connection with transien
salesroom cars, but that they ar,
being too widely used by statesmen