Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
ME motoring public of Wash
i1gton, and interested pc
deStrianS. too. are awaiting

TIME motoring public of Wash
i1gton, and interested Pc
destrians, too, are awaiting
the final report of the Traf-
f1c Committee appointed by the
District Commissioners to make 9
thorough Study of the traffic
situation and recommendations
as well. Much benefit is expected
to result from the findings of the
membership, which is composed
of men of high caliber and re-
sponsibility. This report, in its
final analysis, is due around the
LIST of October.
RumorS of it's work are rife
around the National Capital these
days. Half-baked conceptions
are being handed around without
authority or even good taste. The
present work of the committee is
strictly confidential and nothing
is to be gained by incompleted
utteranceS.
Traffic Office Disturbed.
For some reason or other the Of
fee of the director of traffic is
quite disturbed these days. To the
director and the assistant direc-
tor all work of the committee is
known, and they are voting mem
bers of some Of the subcommit-
tees. But there is Semblance of
illustration evidenced, and all that
one can gather is that they can
not be pleased with the turn af-
fairs are taking.
These rumorS, idle gossip, and
OftentimeS erroneous statements,
that are permeating certain quar-
tiers OF the city, cannot be at
tributed to them, for they deny it..
The director, William H. Harland,
and the assistant director, NJ o.
Eldridge, even deny knowledge of
a great many more happenings.
Some of these II don't remem-
berS" can only be because they
want to emphasize that they are
not giving anything out, not even
in confidence to their own
friends.
Sometime back, Mr.. Eldridge
admitted talking about one of
the subjects being considered by
a subcommittee of which he was
a member. It was something
about the rotary turn and plans
for it's adjustment. But al
though Mr.. Eldridge was talking
to a newspaper man he did not
suppose that the representative of
the fourth estate was even con-
sidering using the story. He did
not tell the man not to use it, but
then again he did not think the
reporter of the press was doing
anything more than just carry
ing on a conversation with him.
True the story was uSed-but then
Mr.. Eldridge was surprised, and
every one was surprised, except
the newspaper man who got the
story.
Ali Different Now.
But it Is all different now. Mr..
Harland says he has talked to no
newspaper man about the work.
ings Of the Traffic Committee
since the Traffic Bureau and Of
fee of the director of traffic
moved into the new quarters in
the Walker Building. Mr.. Harland
qualified his declaration with the
statement that he had not dis
cussed the matter with any news
paper man In the new quarters.
Mr.. Eldridge says the same. He
even forgot for a minute that he
was on the subcommittee in
question. He quickly corrected
that error and said the meetings
were confidential.
n %Y.f6 f..
Harland deny being the source of
any leak.
At any rate, all will be known
In October. Until then it is really
not necessary that anything be
known. Confusion, or more con-
fusion, might result, and to no
purpose.
All that any one should know
Is that a committee is at work
trying to make Washington'S traf-
nc ordinances uniform for the
safety and happiness of all con-
cerned.
The need for uniform vehicle
legislation in the different States.
which was brought out by the
third National Conference on
Street and Highway Safety, with
emphasis on the enactment of
drivers license laws and the pre-
vention of reckless and dangerous
drying on the streets and roads,
is stressed by the newspapers of
the United States in recent edi-
torials dealing with the automo-
bile traffic situation.
Enk~I:kS~- =. IT q No.
The report of the Division of
Vital Statistics of the Bureau of
the Census for the four weeks
ending August 8 shows that for
the first time since last December
the number of deaths from auto
mobile accidents in rs of the
larger cities of the country fell
below the number for the same
four weeks in 1929.
During the four weeks ending
August 9, 1880, 10 large cities in
the United States reported 621
deaths from automobile acct
dents. This number compares
with $50 deAGhs during the four
weeks ending August 10, 1929.
Most of these deaths were the re-
suit of accidents which occurred
within the corporate limits of the
city, although some accidents oc-
Cured outside of the city limits.
The death rate for this year. it
is indicated in the report, has not
increased since the middle of
June, and has had a downward
swing since the middle of July,
falling below the number of
deaths from the same cause In the
same period last year. From Feb
1uarv tn June this wear there was