Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-03
D. c. HEADS REPORT.
SETS NEW POLICY.
Commissioners Make Few
Recommendations of Their
Own in Annual Review.

The District Commissioners today
transmitted their annual report to Con-
gress without making any special recon-
mendations of their own, thus establish
ing new policy.
The report contains only extracts and
occasional comment on the reports of
the heads of the various municipal
agencies, which were made public last
Summer at the time they were sub
mitted to the Commissioners. And only
in few instances were the recon-
mendations of the department heads al
lowed to remain as the recommended
tions of the Commissioners. The rea-
son for this change in policy was not
disclosed.
Traffic Act Revision Urged.
Traffic Director Harland's request for
modification Of the traffic act was the
principal recommendation of the de-
partment heads that went to Congress
as recommendation of the Commits
sioners. The traffic director urged,
among other things. an amendment
which would allow the police court a
greater degree of discretion in impos-
ing sentences for first offense driving
while intoxicated, second offense reck-
less driving and third offense speeding.
A jail sentence Is now compulsory for
all third offenseS of speeding. even
though these offenses are or 10 years
apart, and the traffic department has
found that 1t is difficult to secure con-
victions on third offenses because iuries
and judges apparently feel that COM
pulSory jail sentence in some cases is
too severe. Harland urged that the
speeding be limited to offenSes COM
mitted within a period of a year, and
that on flrst-offenSe driving while in
toxicated and Second-offense reckless
driving it should be left to the discre-
tion of the court whether the defendant
is to be sent to jail or fined, but that
in all subsequent cases the jail SEN
tences should apply
The Commissioners confined their
comment entirely to the report made
by Maj. Edwin B. Hesse, superintendent
Of police, outlining the activities of the
Police Department in the 1927-1928 fis-
cal year. At the beginning of the Po-
lice Departments statistical table they
added the following:
Dry Enforcement Praised.
"It is most gratifying to the Com
missioners to note that the Police De-
partment has in no measure relaxed in
its efforts to bring about the fullest pos
sible measure of enforcement of the
various liquor laws"
Referring to the report of the Public
Library, the Commissioners declared
that "the past year shows progress in
the improved quarters for the Chevy
Chase and Tenley sub-branches and in
the establishment of sub-branch in
the Eastern High School and in the
provision for sub-branch in the Con-
duit Road School upon its transfer to
the new Francis Scott Key School.
1.-THE library trustees in their report
comment on the salutary results of the
reclassification legislation, including the
WEIGH amendatory act and the effect
of the provisions for increments in the
reduction of staff turnover, in the rails
ing of standards for appointment and
promotion and the resulting improve
ment in service. The library has
through these improvements been able
to secure specialists in the literature of
various fields of knowledge who are
meeting with real understanding the
reading problem of inquiries. Advisers
are available in the fields of history,
biography, pedagogy, literature. fine
arts, technical and children's litera-
ture."