Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-09
Senators Ask District Heads
and Protesting Body to
Get Together.
PROPOSAL is TO CREATE
VEHICLE DEPARTMENT
Compliments Fear New Bill Would
Restrict Commission Power.
Will Consider It Further.

The bill to coordinate control of
traffic in the District in new depart
ment of vehicles and traffic, which was
rewritten at conference last night,
was outlined by District officials to a
Senate subcommittee today, but action
was put off until next week when it de-
veloped that the Public Utilities Com
mission found itself unwilling to agree
to the redraft.
Harleigh Hartman of the Public Util-
tiles Commission expressed the willing
ness of the Utilities Board to cooperate
in bringing about legislation for CO.
ordinated traffic control, but said this
commission could not approve the re-
written measure because of a fear it
would hamper the commission in reg
ulating public utility operations.
Corporation Counsel Bride and Assist
ant Corporation Counsel Roberts ex-
pressed belief that the redraft gave am
pie protection to the powers of the IT'LL
tiles Commission.
Senators Suggest Later Report.
Senators Kean, Republican, New Jer-
sey, and King, Democrat, Utah, sug-
gested that the utility commissioners
and representatives of the District Com
nlissioners get together and try to iron
out their differences over the method OF
handling problems that relate both to
traffic and utilities and report back next
week.
Mr.. Roberts testified the redraft was
worked out with view to overcoming
objections voiced at a hearing before
the House subcommittee yesterday. The
revision was completed after midnight
and submitted to the Utilities Commits
sion at O'Clock this morning. Mr..
Hartman said his commission had ap-
proved the former bill, but. could not
accept the language of the redraft
without further consultation.
An essential feature of the redraft is
that 1t contains specific provision for
the setting up of the new department.
of vehicles and traffic. 1t was the IN
tention of the Commissioners to create
such a department under the old bill,
but that intention was not stated d.
rectly The new bill says that this de-
partment, under the direction of the
Commissioners, would issue and revoke
drivers permits. would register and
title motor vehicles, would make traffic
studies and plans. install and maintain
traffic signals, and such other matters
as may be determined by the Commits
sioners The present Office of traffic
director would be abolished and the
Commissioners would appoint director
of vehicles and traffic as head OF the
new department.
Minimum Penalties Hit.
Another important change in the re-
draft is the striking out OF minimum
penalties for certain serious traffic Of
lenses, leaving in the law the maximum
penalties. Mr.. Roberts explained that
by having only the maximum penalties
written into the law, the judges would
have wider discretion.
He said it was felt that more con-
victionS could be obtained in this way,
because with high minimum penalties
written into the law juries sometimes
hesitate in reaching verdict. This
plan transfers more power with regard
to the size of the penalty from the
Juries to the judges.
To handle matters which have
close relation, both to traffic control
by the commissioners and public utility
control by the Utilities Commission, the
bill provides for joint board composed
of the commissioners and the Utilities
Commission to reach a final decision.
On such questions either commission
could ask to have a disputed matter
acted on in joint session.
Engineer Commissioner Is Arbiter.
Commissioner Crosby pointed out to
the Senators that the Board of Com
missioners and the Utilities Commission
are organized alike, in that each is
composed of two civilian commissioners,
with the Engineer Commissioner as the
third member of both boards.
This, he said, tended toward a CO.
ordination and would make the En-
gipeer Commissioner the final arbiter
if the other Commissioners on each
board could not agree.
DR.. George Havenner and Edwin S.
Hege of the Federation of Citizens As
sociations and A. j. Driscoll of the Mid
city association attended the hearing,
but most of the session was taken up
with the explanation of the new bill by
various city officials.
Chairman Kean will fix the date later
for the next meeting.