Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07

| tHtIe appear 10 DC CHtlltlN loo many
"ha houses" and the motor car
owner who wants smart, efficient,
| fIrst-class service seemingly is not
catered 10.
Many declare that what is needed
is higher type of establishment,
| where the fastldlous car owner who
is willing to pay can garage his car
and have it turned back TO him
spickand- span IN appearance, clean
inside and out, water III the radiator,
air in the tires and all instructions Ill
regard to gas and oil carried out re-
ligiously.
As to tourists. there is a growing
feeling among them that their "for
eign' license plate identifies them to
the garage man as individuals who
won't be back. anyhow, with the
result that their cars get as little
consideration as possible
With complaints of this character
being heard on all sides, it is obvious
that the garage that can prove itself
to be thoroughly efficient in every
respect is on the cNc of reaping
financial harvest. Certainly there
must be hundreds of cases where
service can be improved with respect
to local and tourist trade
! Progress is profit to the garage
man, as TO every other merchandise
~
| Spotlights having come back into
general vogue. motor car owners who
are planning tours that carry them
through several States should &C
! quaint themselves with the regula-
tions applying TO this type of auxil-
larry lamp. In this connection it may
be said that all States permit the use
Of such lights, although in the case
OF five very definite restrictions are
imposed.
New Jersey has the most rigorous
limitation on spotlights, for under its
motor vehicle regulations these de-
vices may he used only for the pur-
pose of reading road signs and street
Virginia imposes the restriction
that all such lights are prohibited un-
less they are designed so as TO pre-
vent glare. This regulation, of
course, is met by virtually all spot
lights. and if the lens itself is not
sufficient for the purpose of over
coming binding rays. it is possible
so to focus the light that it will come
within the law.
New Mexico. South Carolina and
Texas require that spotlights be ex-
tinguished when approaching other
vehicles, the laws of the first two
specifying that this must be done
when within 500 and 800 feet. respec-
lively, of the oncoming car No
distance is specified in the Texas
regulation.
Many other States have resula
tons applying to spotlights. but. in
the main, they concern the fact that
the rays must be so directed as not
to prove dangerous to other highway
users. Thus, the motorist planning
tour may regard himself as within
the law if he uses his spotlight with
reasonable degree of discretion, ex-
cept in the FIVE States mentioned
which have their special require
ments regarding such illumination
devices.
How good roads bring an entirely
new viewpoint in the matter of dis
tances could not be displayed to bet
ter advantage than has been brought
forth with the opening of the Rich
| mond- Washington highway. Balti-
more tor years has been considered
RI, =.
one of the suburbs. and vice versa.
Richmond was thought by most
Washington motorists as a spot far
removed, although it is only 40
miles away by the new road. With
the opening of the highway. however,
Richmond suddenly becomes lust
around the corner. Had that road
been opened 10 years ago Washing
ton Richmond trips now probably
would be quite as frequent as Wash
ington- Baltimore and WASHINGTON
Philadelphia Jumps. Just c1ose-at-
hand illustration of what good roads
really mean.
A short stretch of highway in the
District which is being made increas-
lngly dangerous by a heavy concen-
tration of traffic and not little reck-
less speeding is Bradley lane between
Connecticut and Wisconsin avenues.
PARTICULARLY at certain hours of the
evening IS this street especially taz-
ardous to negotiate Then binding
headlights. long line of cars. broken
now and then by some thouehtless
motorist seeking to pass his fellows
tor no good reason at all, and the
narrow road, combine to make the
drive one traught with real danger
unless exceptional care is exercised.
kisid enforcement of the regulations
on bradley lane is absolutely essen
tiai IN the interest of safety
Every cloud has silver lining. and
similarly, every silver lining is hiding
a dark cloud somewhere. For in.
stance, Connecticut ayenu. Is h.;ns
paved from Calvert street north Ia
cathedral avenue. It long has needed
IT. and motorists are happy to wit
ness the Improvement in the making
| Thousands of cars use this strret
daily, and now these streams of ira fic
are being diverted through Woodlcv
! place, Just one block cast Of Con-
hecticut avenue. The result already
IS to be seen in growing ruts here
and there IN the hitherto impeccable
surface of Woodley place. 1t begins
70 look as though when Connecticut
avenue is completed. repairs on the
splendid detour viii be in order.
v
An improvement which is rather
emphatically needed, and one which
would meet with the approval of
every motorist in Washington would
| be the widening of the road u,h;cL