Evening star., 1934-12-30
Gambling, Traffic,
Budget, Relief
Featured.
LIQUOR CONTROL
FIRST BIG ISSUE
Open Hearings Mark
New Methods of
City Heads.

ditions.
Coupled with the new methods OF
operation were an unpreceoenVeo
number Of changes in personnel OF
the municipal government and the
difficulty of meeting growing respon-
sibilities of the National Capital on
an economy budget.
One of the first major problems
which confronted the new CommlS-
sioners in 1894 was the formulation
of the law and regulations to govern
the legal sale of liquor in the DIS
trict. The Commissioners dra1teo
regulations which they believed woulo
make the District a model Tor tne
control of alcoholic beverages, under
the license system dictated by Con-
gress.
Few Changes Needed.
Few changes were found necessary
IN the regulations laid down by the
Commissioners, so comprehensive ana
effective were the original rules lor
the sale Of liquor. 1t was at the sug
pestion of the White House that
nothing resembling the old-time bar
room was permitted to return 10 the
District.
Traffic fatalities which shattered all
previous records during the year and
an obvious increase in gambling, espe-
cially in the numbers game, resulted
in drastic action by the Commissioners
and the Police Department.
Aroused by evidence OF widespread
disregard of the rules Of the road,
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen, VINO
superyises the Police and Traffic De-
partmentS, organized a comprehenSlVe
drive for traffic law enforcement ana
proposed, also new, laws and regulations
to take death from the highways.
Among suggested new moves 10
make the highways more safe are
enactment of general automoolle
responsibility measure, compulsory
semi-annual mechanical inspection OF
cars and sitter penalties for persons
found guilty of driving while in
toxicated.
An expose Of the widespread
gambling operations, particularly
among the players of the numbers
games, led to a concerted campaign
by the police to rid Washington OF
its professional gambling element. To
strengthen the hands Of police, the
Commissioners late in the year urged
enactment of new legislation to put
teeth into the existing laws.
Even before the campaign for safer
highways was initiated the Commits
sioners took steps to improve traffic
conditions and expedite the move
ment of vehicles through the con-
gested downtown section. A ban on
daytime parking of cars along F, G
and Seventh streets was adopted for
an experimental period, but was
abandoned because it was found the
resulting inconvenience was greater
than the good accomplished. More
recently, however, it was decided to
place into effect January l night
time ban on parking on more than
SO miles of major traffic arteries for
the Winter months, to expedite snow
removal and prevent serious traffic
tie-ups in bad weather.
Relief Serious Problem.
One of the most serious problems of
the year was the relief of the unem-
ployed and the destitute. Comrlis-
part Of his time to this situation, IN
the role Of relief administrator for the
District. The close Of the year found
about 81 900 families on the relief rolls,
about the same number as were sub
ject to District aid the year before.
The cost of all kinds of programs for
relief of the unemployed amounted to
some Sl1 100000 This included sums
spent for public works and emergency
works projects created to give en-
ployment.
A feature of the years relief situa-
ton developments were reorganization
of the Emergency Relief Division and
the selection of Elwood Street, for
merly director of the Washington
Community Chest, to succeed George
S. Wilson as director Of the Board
of Public Welfare Wilson retired
early in the year when he reached
retirement age of IS and died sew
eral months later Miss M. Alice
Hill, formerly in relief direction in
Harrisburg, Pa, was brought here to
head the relief division.
The Commissioners took advantage
OF the Federal public works program
to push ahead two badly needed Cap
ital improvements for the District.
With the aid of friends in Congress,
they succeeded in getting legislation
authorizing the District to borrow
funds of the Public Works Admins
tration for a sewage disposal plant
and construction of an adult tu-
berculosis hospital at eileen Dale,
hn
loans for these two projects, the
Commissioners hastened completion
of plans. Work will be under way
this year.
The Commissioners, however, failed
to get P. w. A. approval of loan
for the completion of the walled
group at the District reformatory at
Lorton," despite a second uprising
among hardened criminals there and
pleas by Capt. M. M. Bernard, veteran
head of the penal system. for means
of controlling the disturbing element.
The 1884 uprising was not serious
because 1t was subdued at its in
ception.
Parole Changes Asked.
Late in the year the release on
parole of several prisoners, who had
bad police records provoked de-
mand for changes in the indeter-
inmate sentence and parole laws. The
Commissioners held public hearing
on the matter and soon are to formu-
late recommendations to Congress.
AS means of providing steady
employment and decent homes for
persons on the relief list, Commis-
sioner Allen drafted plans for con-
struction Of low-cost housing on a
large scale and gain a grant of some
$400, 1000 from the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration. This, however,
was blocked by ruling of Controller
General John r. McCarl that Fed
eral relief funds could not be spent
for purchase Of land and construc-
ton Of houses under the terms Of
the Federal relief act, since no spe-
ciflc provision for such expenditures
was included in the law.