Evening star., 1934-06-02
Important Local Legislation.

Senate disposal Of the alley-clear-
ance bill, now awaiting the Presi-
dents signature, leaves the bill au-
thorizing a loan from the P. w. A.
and the so-called safety-responsibility
bill as the two most important local
measures to be disposed of by this
Congress. There is hope that both
will receive favorable action. The
P. w. A. loan bill comes up in the
House early next week under a spe-
cial rule, and in addition to
the backing of the powerful Rules
Committee-which in effect de-
cides administration legislative policy
In the House-has the indorse-
ment of many members who are
anxious to remove the discrimina-
ton against the District which, at
present, denies the local community,
alone of all the cities in the country
the right to borrow for necessary
local projects.
The safety-responsibility bill, which
has passed the House, will probably
be reported within a day or so from
the Senate committee, which may
modify its provisions to the extent OF
leaving with the Commissioners dis
cretionary authority to restore per-
mits to drivers who have not met
court judgments. AS passed by the
House, the driver who does not meet
court judgments loses his permit auto
matically and cannot regain it until
the judgment has been paid. After
conviction for certain traffic offenses,
however, and after a judgment has
been rendered against driver for
damages, the permit will not be re-
issued under any condition until the
driver has assumed financial RESPONSE
bility, through liability insurance.
This measure, its proponents have
emphasized, is similar to protective
legislation in existence in many of the
States. 1t should have the effect of
removing the reckless, irresponsible
drivers from the streets. In effect, it
assumes that all drivers are safe
drivers until they demonstrate other
wise, and then, before driving again,
they must be in position to compen-
safe those whom they injure. The
bill was accompanied, in the House,
by a companion measure which would
have required taxicab drivers to as
sumo financial liability for the acci-
dents they cause. This measure was
defeated, not out of any sympathy
with the helpless public of this COM
munity, but on the strength Of the
curious argument that it is better to
have financially irresponsible drivers
of public carriers, such as taxicabs,
;njure ordinary citizens during the
course of the year than to run the
risk of forcing some of the irreSpon-
sible drivers out of business.
While the safety-responsibility law
will apply to the sacred taxicab
drivers, along with the ordinary run
of people, and while it may deprive
some reckless drivers of taxicabs of
their driving permits, it will not reach
the owners of cabs who now follow
the vicious practice of renting them
and exploiting cheap labor without
let or hindrance. Taxicabs are now
involved in from twenty to twenty-five
per cent of the accidents in Washing
ton. Under the safety-responsibility
bill, the drivers, and not the owners
of taxicabs, will lose their permits in
case of conviction Of some traffic
offenses or in case of inability to meet
court judgments.
The safety-responsibility bill itself,
however, has been needed here for
many years. Its passage by this Con-
gress should contribute to safer driv-
ing. Senator Kings extraordinary
success with legislation in which he
is interested should be enough to as
sure its passage