Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
THE issuance of the 1880 auto
mobile license tags will be
DELAYED considerably nv the


mobile license tags will bt
delayed considerably by the
a new law, recently enacted
that for the first time makes II
compulsory for every motorist re-
siding in the National Capital tc
exhibit his paid-up in advances
personal property tax on his auto
mobile when applying for the
identification marker.
Only one-half of the receipted
bill will be due this year on Janu-
cry 2. and inaSmuch as the bill is
not due untu then for the first
half of the tax, the issuing of Ii
henSes cannot be commenced un-
Ill then. In the years to follow
she full paid-up bill for the year
will be required. Information as
TO the amount of the bill may be
obtained from the Tax Assessor S
Office, Room l03. on the first floor
Of the District Building.
Concerning 1880 Tags.
In previous years many resi-
dents of the city have failed to
make a declaration of their per-
sonal property as required and
failed also to pay the bill due
them at all. A penalty was i'm
posed, but there was no way of
making the WaShingtonian pay,
and so for a long time he got by,
for the law, in common parlance,
had no teeth" in it, as Is found
to the contrary in both Federal
taxes and real estate taxes.
The present law was enacted
this year to catch up" with this
kind Of delinquentS The law,
however. does not refer to per-
Sonal property outside of automo-
biles-jewelry, drawing bank &C
counts and stocks and bonds not
being included in the requirement
necessary to be paid for obtaining
a license tag.
Anticipating considerable con-
fusion and delay over this new de-
parture, william H. Harland, di-
rector Of traffic, has recommended
to the District Commissioners the
proposal that 1929 license tags be
recognized as good throughout the
month of January. Copies of this
proposal, If approved, and it is
most certain that it will be, will
be forwarded to the automobile
commissioners of the various
States asking their cooperation.
Years previously this order has
been made because of the fact
that the license tags had not been
manufactured on time. This year
the tags will be ready on time, but
other reasons for delay have &C.
Cured as set forth above.
Iowa Circle Lights.
Iowa circle is to become like Du-
pont circle, except that there are
no street car lines encircling it..
Traffic lights were due to be
turned on last week. Because OF
the absence of the railway lines,
no confusion is feared. The lights
will be green for go seconds, which
is said to be sufficient for an auto
mobile to travel all the way
around without being stopped
The overlapping red and amber
will be on for 20 seconds in the
cycle, during which time enough
time is thought to be allowed for
the pedestrians to make their
crossings.
Thomas circle is next in line for
this treatment. Although it is the
scene of street car traffic, no diff
ficulty is expected for vehicular
traffic, as the street cars run their
normal courses and do not go roll
ing OF to the westward as is the
case at Dupont circle. Some OF
the difficulty at Dupont circle is
eliminated by policeman signal
ing the Georgetown-bound street
cars onward on the red light. This
section has not endangered the
safety of the pedestrians who
cross on the overlapping red and
amber lights and has had a ten
dency to do away with much con-
gestion caused by the irregular
method employed by the street
cars in rounding the circle in their
unorthodox fashion.
Plaza Change Planned.
Plans are on foot to change the
center traffic lights on the Capitol
plaza, which, if carried out, will be
approved by the majority of mo-
florists. The director of traffic
has been asked to place a light
signal by the Senate Office Build
ing, it being stated that it is a
DANGEROUS corner. If the present
center fixtures are done away
with, corner lights will be in
stalled which will be Synchronized
with the proposed and requested
nj ouanIn and 2
street northeast.
The tangle that resulted at
Georgia and New Hampshire ave-
nues and Rock Creek Church road,
caused recently by the operation
of traffic lights, is due almost en-
tirely to the loading platform
Saced there by the Public Utilities
Commission, according to Mr.. Har-
land. He has succeeded in getting
the platform moved about six
inches, which Is hardly sufficient,
but with the placing of a binder
on one of the lights, things will
straighten themselves out gradu-
ally, together with the growing
experience Of passing motorists,
he believes.
The situation at Connecticut
avenue and Albemarle street, now
controlled by traffic lights. is said
to be satisfactory. Mr.. Harland
is Of the belief that the former
O-miles-an-hour speed limit can
be restored in the near future.
Census Fatality Reports.
According to late census re-
ports Washington's ratio of traf-