Evening star., 1934-12-07
HEARING ON NIGHT
PARK|NGBAN FINDS
OPINIONS CONFLICT
Business and Motorist
Groups Generally In.
dorSe Plan.
HEAD OF CITIZENS BODY
SAYS RULE NOT NEEDED
Commissioner Hazen Takes Stand
Move Is Necessary to Avoid
Traffic Tie-ups.

The proposed prohibition against
all-night parking on SO miles of ar
terial highways from December Is to
March l. was alternately indorsed and
denounced today at public hearing
before the District Commissioners.
Approval was given the plan by rep
resentatives of group of business and
motorist organiza tions. including the
Board Of Trade. Merchants and Man
ufacturers' Association, American Au-
tomobile Association and District
Trucking Association.
The chief opposition came from
James G. Yaden president Of the
Federation Of Citizens Associations.
Who called the plan too far-reaching"
and doubted its wisdom. Yaden ex-
pressed his views as an individual and
not those of the federation, which is
TO consider the proposed ban at q
special meeting December Is.
40 Attend Hearing.
The hearing was attended by nearly
two score business and civic leaders,
officials OF Washington newspapers
and citizens. At the outset Commits
sioner Hazen declared the question
was whether parking on the main
arteries should be prohibited. incon-
veniencing 7,400 motorists, or whether
the traffic arteries were to be kept
open during lnclement weather for
the accommodation of 100000
We have to eliminate parking"
Hazen said, "or else meet the criti-
cism that comes with every traffic
tie-up when it SHOWS"
Traffic Director Van Duzer said SO
per cent OF the cars which now park
on the streets which would be effect
ed by the ban could be parked on side
streets within one square. and per
cent more could find parking space
within two blocks, leaving only 4 per
cent, or about 325 vehicles. to be
parked more than two blocks from
their present parking places.
Yaden Asks Action Be Delayed.
Yaden told the Commissioners he
believed rigid enforcement Of existing
traffic regulations would make un-
necessary large part of the proposed
program. He urged the Commission
ers to. defer action until more civic
organizations have had an opportunity
10 express their views.
Arthur Sundlun of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association in
dorsed the proposed ban in principle
and said he believed it would aid ma
terially in removing snow and keeping
the streets involved open
American Automobile Association,
while indorsing the plan in principle,
said 1t should be made more flexible
and that serious consideration should
be given to the parking problems in
the congested residential sections.
where existing parking facilities were
inadequate.
Business Men Object.
Arthur Clarendon Smith. represent
ing the Federation of Business Men,
registered that organizations objection
TO the plan on the ground it would
work hardship on the smaller mer-
chant. Personally. however. he said.
he believed that eventually a parking
ban would have to come
Wallace Robinson, chairman of the
Traffic Committee of the Board of
Trade, approved the plan and pointed
out that his group regarded it as an
aid to snow removal and not as an
entering wedge to permanent prohi-
bition against parking.
The plan was described bv George
Beasley Of the Federation of Civic As
sociations as "a step in the right di-
rection as an emergency measure"
He pointed out. however. that his or
ganization had not passed on the
proposal.
Weather Record Cited.
Opposition was voiced by w. r.
Sunny. who cited Weather Bureau
statistics showing that since 1926 there
had been only nine snowfalls in Wash
ington in excess of inches. If the
prohibition is put into effect, he said,
the date should be advanced beyond
December is.
George Adams Howard, automobile
editor of The Evening Star, Endorsed
the plan but Frank Sartwell, repre-
senting the Washington Times, said
there already iS enough confusion"
about the traffic situation without
promulgating any more regulations.
William A. Roberts, peoples counsel,
approved the plan because. he said, it
would facilitate the movement of
street cars and motor busses. He
told the Commissioners, however, that
steps should be taken to provide pub
lie garages.