Evening star., 1927-12-05

would eliminate the meLnOu HOW eli.
| ployed, which gives no assurance OF
accuracy, and would provide me-
chanical system whereby the messages
are written or typed at headquarters
and simultaneously reproduced at all
stations.
Director of Traffic.
Compared with previous years, traf'
| fic accidents in Washington during
, the fiscal year ended June 80, 1927
continued to show improvement, not
withstanding the increase in the mum
Der of cars and new drivers.
Traffic fatalities amounted to rs
| as compared with 80 during 1926 and
Sc during 1925.
There were SOIL traffic accidents
! as compared with S,049 during 1926
and 1878 during 1925. Thus it ap.
pears that during the past few years
there has been a steady and consistent
! decrease not only in the number OF
traffic fatalities, but also in the mum.
ber of traffic accidents.
| twenty-five per cent of the fatali-
| ties and % per cent of the accidents
were children under Ia years of age.
| "The chief causes of motor-vehicle
accidents, as based on the past years
experience, are as follows: Reckless
| driving. careless driving and walking
pedestrians crossing street not al
| crosSwalks and stepping from behind
parked cars, motorists failing to yield
right of way, driving under influence
| of liquor, loss of control of vehicle
and skidding. playing in street, back.
| ing and turning in street without Civ
| ing proper signal, pedestrians intoXi-
| Gated. cutting in, and defective brakes
| and steering gear.
Ar,; tal -, l.
| report, the peak hours for accidents
continue to be between 4 and pm.
| This corresponds with the afternoon
peak hours of traffic.
"A study of the years accidents indi-
| Gates that the majority occurred dur
ing daylight, when the weather was
clear and the road surface dry. About
one-fifth of all accidents occurred on
wet asphalt pavements and about one
third of all accidents occurred at
night.
Electric Traffic Signals.
During the year just closed the
electric traffic signal light system has
been considerably extended.
"A total of 80 signals were placed in
operation, which brings the total num-
ber up to 1853.
Five flashing beacon safety zone
signals We're also installed. Four of
these are located on Connecticut ave-
nue. between X and Dupont circle,
while one is located at Columbia road
and Eighteenth street.
THE results of the traffic-light in
stallation continue to be marked by a
steady decrease in the number of acci-
dents on the streets or intersections
controlled by these lights.
mo fatalities have occurred on the
streets or at the intersections where
signal lights have been placed and the
number of accidents is very much less
than at the same intersections during
previous years, and is very much less
than on parallel streets where there
are no traffic lights.
1.-THE estimated fire loss during the
year amounted to s675,379. This is a
decrease of $593,575 from the amount
of loss experienced in 1926. 1t is in
deed gratifying to the Commissioners
to be able to report such a material
lessening of damage from fire.
'"The number of alarms of fire re-
ceived during the year, 3,088, likewise
represents a reduction, the number be-
ing $50 less than the 1926 figure. False
alarms increased, 379 being recorded.
prevention work has been con-
tinued with unabated vigilance, and
many improvements, especially in the
handling and storage of flammables,
have been accomplished; 174,152 fire
prevention inspections were made dur
ing the year.
Building Operations.
1.-THE estimated value of building oper-
ations during the year was $40 .776,S65.
a decrease of $13,S22, AIS as compared
with the figure given for the fiscal year
1926 Of $63.599 ,280. Building operations
for the fiscal year of 1926 were consid-
cred abnormal, and operations during
the past fiscal year, $40 9,776,S65, as
compared with the fiscal year of 1924,
$39 ,403,207, which is considered nor
NAL, shows an increase, of $10,373,65S.
"The number of permits issued was
1878 as against 11.574 last year, an
insignificant decrease of ZIG. Business
were 75S in 1926 The number of
apartments was 109 as against 173.
and that of dwellings was 2,477 as COM
pared with Abs for the previous year.
The total number of new buildings
was 3,2s5 in 1927 as compared with
5,066 in 1923.
'The number of permits for the erec-
ton of signs numbered 2,0S3 de-
crease of only us compared with the
figure given last year.
Street Lighting.
"There are 24,973 public lamps of
all kinds in the avenues, streets. al
leys, etc, under the jurisdiction of the
Commissioners of the District of CO.
lumbia. OF these, II, 1856 are gas and
1887 electric; of the gas lamps TO-
040 are single-burner mantle, 773 are
double.burner mantle, and 323 are
small fiat flame, for designation pur-
poses; of the electric 906 are mag
netite arc, 1855 are incandescent,
ranging from 60 to 1000 candlepower
each (57 per cent of 60 and 100), and
316 are incandescent of about 10
candlepower, for designation
There was net increase during
the year of 1857 lamps.
1.-The increase in aggregate candle
power Of the street-Hghting system
under the jurisdiction of the Commits
sioners is from approximately 2,S44,-
900 to approximately 4,36S,000, about
So per cent. The increase in an
nual charges is. however, less than
25 per cent.
Sewerage and Sewage Disposal.
1.-THE length of sewers constructed
during the year was 26.91 miles. In
Guiding the sewage disposal system
the total length of main and pipe
sewers on June 80, 1927, was 90S.49
xxe1 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
18E~k ~s4<<~~x<<~ss
it