Evening star., 1934-12-02

curing Cne COlQ ana SNOW OF W
hardShips of this move proposed
would fall upon repair men ane
as yet no opposition has come fr
The councils proposal supported
by William A. Van Duzer, director of
traffic, merely raises the question
whether the streets of the National
Capital are to be made more safe for
the majority or are they to remain as
they are for the convenience of the
minority.
Washington has been slow to keep
pace with other large or even smaller
cities in taking care of its parking
problems, Is it possible that our
high fatality and accident rate here
could DC due to that factor?
Congested parking areas on narrow
or greatly Travelled streets cannot be
conducive to safety. Even on the
wide highways of many States signs
will be found preventing parking. If
the driver must stop, he must re-
course to the roads leading off the
main arteries. Safety never should
be dependent upon convenience. 1t
should be made obligatory.
Rush Hour Traffic Aid.
The proposed restriction on certain
streets between and am. would
aid considerably the morning rush.
hour traffic. Those designated streets
would permit two or more lanes of
travel What an aid to the relief of
congestion that would be! Not only
would a greater number of motorists
benefit, but a great number of pedes-
trians would be helped also. One
could not walk out from behind a
parked car if there were none exist
ent. So many accidents result from
that practice that even partial elm
ination of that cause is to be consld-
cred.
The question of snow removal is
another view to be thought over. On
some of the most heavily travelled
streets the snow remains for days
because the removers cannot get at it..
This causes hardships to many car
owners in getting up to their en-
frances days after the snow has been
removed elsewhere. Street cleaners
cannot come back every few minutes
to see If the car blocking their work
has been removed Before it is re-
moved the snow is frozen often and
the labor is doubled.
The elimination of parking as pro-
posed by the council is one of the fair
est plans on that subject yet to be
evolved. Convenience of some must
give way to the safety of far greater
number.
Road Builders Plans.
Return to State road building funds
of gasoline tax and motor vehicles
license fees, now being diverted to
emergency relief and other purposes,
will be sought by the American Road
Builders Association during its thirty
second annual convention and high
way exhibit here, January % to 25, in
elusive.
Highway officials declare that vari-
Gus States are now diverting about
100000, 900 year from gasoline tax
and motor vehicle license fees to other
uses, and if this program is continued
road improvements will be jeopardized
and ultimately these States will be
preparations for highways.
The general theme of the conven-
ton will be: Continuation of an ade
quate highway program; use OF high
way revenues for highway purposes
only. and continuation of Federal ap-
preparations for highways.
The convention will draw to Wash
ington approximately 5000 of the
hi Of
ficials. engineers, contractors and man
ufacturerS.
One of the features will be an ex-
hibit of the latest developments in
equipment and materials. More than
100 exhibits are expected to be on dis
play.
Two general sessions of the conven-
ton will deal with subjects Of vital in
terest to the highway industry. In
addition there will be meetings of the
county officials division, city officials
division, highway contractors division
and engineers and officials division
for consideration of problems directly
applicable to these groups.
Aside from the general and di-
visional sessions, there also will be
several committee meetings, and
social program that includes a PAN
American reception and a gala BAN
quet that will bring the convention to
q close.
Capt H. C. Whitehurst, president
of the association and director of
highways for the District of Columbia,
points out that the coming convention
will be of special importance because
the theme will include the foundation
of the activities of the future high
way program based upon the econom-
les of the highway situation in the
country at the present time and. fur
ther, because the highway construc-
ton program is playing such an i'm
portant part in the national recovery
program.
Factory Auto Sales.
Factory sales of automobiles were
brought up to a total of 2,517,084 for
the first 10 months of the year by
the total of 1872, ,488, as reported by the
Bureau of the Census of the Depart
ment of Commerce. October's figures
showed slight decline from those of
September and were practically the
same as those reported for October,
1888. The grand total for 1888 was
1,92o,o57.
On daily average basis the dollar
volume of retail financing of new
passenger automobiles shows an in
crease of IL per cent for the month
of October as compared with October,
1888, and an increase of 139 per cent
as compared with October, 1882, ac-
cording to preliminary estimates re-
leased by the Department of Com
merce. AS compared with Septem-
ber there was decrease Of about
ii per cent.
The aggregate volume for the first
10 months of this year was so per
cent above the first 10 months of 1888
and 81 per cent higher than the cor
resnondinp neriod of 1929