Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-14
A.'A.A. TO RESUME
SCHOOLBOY PATROL
Head OF D. c. Division Ex.
plains Many Services of
Organization.

AS part of the safety and comnnu-
nifty betterment program of the Amer
lean Automobile Association, George e.
Keneipp, manager Of the District of
Columbia division of the A. A. A.,
today explained to Rotarians Just what
the civic services are that his club
is prepared to render to all of the
citizens of Washington motorists and
pedestrians, members and non members
alike. = ~
The time is passed when motor
clubs can properly content themselves
with rendering only those services
combining their activities solely to their
members" said Keneipp What the
division Is trying to do Is to work
toward a vision OF q greater. safer and
happier Washington, and 1t Is trying
to play its part in community bet
terment Just as q worthwhile public
spirited citizen would do. 1t is our
feeling that We, as an association. can
do what our members as individuals
can not do. and that when we per-
form a civic service We are acting for
all Of our membership.
To Start Safety Work.
"In a short time now our safety work
among the schools Of the city will start
again. Last year by our schoolboy
patrol. which had personnel Of over
$500; by our safety lesson sheets sent
to all the graded schools of the city; by
our monthly safety posters. also supplied
to all schools, and by our mass meetings
and demonstrations We, through the
authority Of the Board Of Education,
were able to reach over $4,000 children
with lessons of safety.
Cites Service Efforts.
"Our glass patrol service. which goes
anywhere in the city on call from any
one to clean up broken glass from the
streets; our highway patrol car. con-
stantly moving around to render free
drst-aid of nearly any nature to all
in Washington: our hit-and-run award
of 500 to any one who succeeds in
bringing to Justice one of those coward
ly criminals who has left his helpless
victim manned or dying; our efforts
in connection with the Federal auto
excise tax; our struggles against the
Virginia half fee system; cur warfare
on the "speed-trap" evil; our sponsor
ship and fight for the safety respons-
Utility bill, which will, when generally
adopted. do much to remove the ire
sponsible driver from the streets-all
these are instances of what mean by
services for civic betterment.
= "Of course, we perform numerous
services for our members alone Us per
cent of whom are women) and this is
not long exist. am not going to bore
you with a recital Of our 10000 annual
emergency calls. Of the 800 tours plan
ned daily in our touring bureau. of our
circulating library. Of the 500 private
cars we shipped abroad this year for
members, of. our theater and airline
ticket bureau. Perhaps you do not know
that We plan fishing and hunting trips
and stock streams for members
Fights for Uniform Code.
what want to show you though is
that our fight for uniform traffic legis-
lation. which bears the Endorsement of
President Hoover, and which of late
has stressed the left-hand turn, is but
one of our numerous and diverse activ-
tiles. They run the whole gamut of
human existence.
1T was not SO long ago that the
wife Of a member phoned one night at
about 10 o'clock so say policeman
was at the door with a warrant for
her arrest on q manslaughter charge
that her husband was out of the city
and she alone with small child. Our
attorney went at once, arranged her
bail and the next day attended the
coroner's hearing, where the woman
was cleared since the accident was
clearly not her fault. But few nights
later in came a call from the wife OF
another member She had just reached
home with very sick baby; it was Bit
ter cold and there was no coal in the
house. No coalyards were open and she
called on us for q solution. We sent
out some bags Of coal from our ONCE
building and built the fire. The mother
said this saved her child's life. men,
ton these to show to you that life In
our office is far from drab affair"