Evening star., 1934-05-03
AUTO PARKING BAN
SHARPLY DEBATED
AT SPECIAL PROBE
Joint Delegation of Business
Interests Offers SUBJ
stitute Plan.
COMMISSIONERS DELAY
DECISION ON DISPUTE
Several Persons Unexpectedly
Come to Defense of
Prohibition.

More than SO persons attended the
| session. the majority of whom were
on record in opposition to the down.
town parking restrictions. Several in
the audience, however, arose unex-
pectedly to champion the parking ban.
declaring the results have proved
beneficial to the general public.
The hearing was marked by fire.
quent debates and several times Com
missioner Melvin c. Hazen. who pre-
sided, raped sharply for order. The
hearing was still in progress at noon.
but Hazen said the Commissioners
would reach no decision Immediately
and that arguments made at the
hearing would be reviewed by the city
heads.
Groups Oppose Plan.
A unified front against the restric-
tion was presented by representatives
of the Merchants & Manufacturers
Association, Chamber Of Commerce.
Board of Trade and the Seventh
Street Business Mems Association.
This joint delegation urged the adop-
ton of a number of substitute propo-
sails. These include:
A return to the one-hour parking
rule on the three streets and the
extension of such a plan throughout
the area from Fifth to Fifteenth
streets and from K street to Penn
Sylvania avenue
A ban against parking between 8
and $50 am. and from to 6 pm
on these streets.
Abandonment of the present private
shipping entrance spaces set aside for
downtown establishments and the
substitution of a l00-foot shipping
entrance space in each block to be
used Jointly by merchants in such
blocks.
Rigid enforcement Of parking regu-
lations and a campaign for legisla-
ton for the "inpounding" Of auto
mobiles parked overtime.
The merchants proposed also that
| during the suggested no-parking
hours merchants be permitted to park
vehicles handling heavy merchandise.
Arthur j. Sundlun, spokesman for
the Joint Committee of the trade
bodies, submitted summary of ques-
tionnaires sent by the trade groups
to merchants in the downtown section,
showing a majority of the merchants
found the parking ban had seriously
reduced business. He argued the re-
striction was discriminatory.
Sundlun and other spokesmen de-
clared If the rule were perpetuated it
could result only in a decentraliza-
ton of Washington business, causing
a definite damage to the value of
downtown real estate.
Sundlun and others argued that
not only were customers of downtown
, stores giving their business to other
firms, but damage was being caused
also by the psychology of the situ-
alton He said it is a matter of
simple psychology that people shop
where other people are shopping.
Jelleff Stresses Point.
The same point was made by Cecil
Kaufman, president of the Seventh
Street Business Mems Association, and
Frank R. Jelleff, prominent F street
merchant.
Robert j. Cottrell, executive secre-
tary of the Board of Trade, contended
the Commissioners should look at the
matter as an economic problem
Commissioner George E. Allen in
| terrupted the protests against the ban
with the remark: Commissioner
Hazen, suggest we hear from those
on the other side of this question
These people are breaking my heart" I"
Shortly afterward. strong support
for continuation of the ban was voiced
by Guilford S. Jameson, representing
| the Lincoln Park Citizens Associa-
ton. He characterized the rule as
lone of the most constructive steps"
ever taken by District traffic authori-
lies for the benefit Of the public at
large
Jameson expressed doubt if any
appreciable amount of F street busi-
ness comes from customers who in
the past have been able to park their
cars on that street. He contended
as much as 80 per cent of F street
business come from customers who
travel to the stores by foot
Arthur Briscoe, 2429 First street,
who said he had been a taxpayer in
Washington for 45 years, also cham
pioned the parking order. Since the
rule has been in effect, he said, F
street lis beautiful to behold"
At the request of the Commissioners,
William A. Van Duzer, traffic direc-
tor, was called to present reasons for
F., adoption of the order.
The hearing ended at 1:30, after
more than three hours of argument.
Officials Support Ban.
Strong arguments in favor of the
| no-parking rule were voiced by Will
| liam A. Van Duzer, traffic director;
Maj. Ernest w. Brown, superintendent
of police; Inspector B. A. Lamb of the
Traffic Bureau, George Graham,
chairman Of the Streets and Avenues
Committee of the Board of Trade;
Edwin S. Hege, representing the
Chevy Chase Citizens Association; a
representative of the Mid City Cit
| izens Association and spokesman
| for the Lincoln Park Citizens As
sociatior.
Hege pointedly questioned declara-
! tions by the merchants that they had
| suffered loss of business since the ban
was adopted. He said sufficient time
had not elapsed for any one to note
definitely the effect.
Trial Asked by Graham.
Graham, taking a different posi-
| ton from that of the Board of Trade
| as whole, said the new rule should
be given a sufficient trial. Urging
the Commissioners to stick by their
present experiment, he said, IF you
don't do it now you will have to