Evening star., 1935-09-29
Committee Will Seek to
Make Streets of Capt.
tai Safer.
ANY PLAN OFFERING
RELIEF TO BE WEIGHED
Need Of New Court Buildings, In.
FAINT Mortality, Suburbs
Problems Cited.

King, Democrat, of Utah, predicted
last night in a review Of District al
fairs.
Speaking from radio station WJSV
the Senator also urged enactment OF
laws to simplify the city government
based on last years reorganization
study of municipal agencies. He also
renewed his intention of working fol
early construction of new buildings
in Judiciary Square to house Police
Juvenile and Municipal Courts.
After deploring the number of traf-
fic deaths, the Senate Committee
chairman said proposed solutions
range from enlargement of the police
force to the building of subways. His
committee, he said, will listen with
patience to any proposal which offers
relief"
Mortalities on Increase.
Recently" said Senator King, eve
have been appalled, by the terrific
number of deaths resulting from col
lisions and other traffic causes. In
spite of a persistent campaign upon
the part of the District Commission
ers and of the traffic authorities, the
mortahties from this modern menace
constantly increase. The young and
the old, the careful and the irrespon-
sible, are alike subjected to this men,
ace. The press has participated in a
generous measure in the effort to edu-
cate the public toward more careful
driving.
Numerous measures for greater
, safety, including the substantial en-
largement of the Police Department
and extending to highly theoretical
proposals for huge investment in spe-
cial per-highways, have been made
public. This pertinent question Will
be before the committee when Con-
gress reconvenes. 1t may be that i'm
provements in mass transportation can
render such service so attractive as to
diminish the use of private vehicles
to a point where our highways may
once more be safe.
There is pending before Congress
proposal for the study Of the practi-
cability of a subway system for the
District of Columbia. The officials
and organizations supporting this
move are convinced tnat the satura-
ton point has been reached on the
public streets, and the Improvement
in transportation by the separation OF
grades for the use Of mass transpor-
tation Is an immediate necessity. The
huge expenditures involved in this
program deserve careful scrutiny, but
In the face of the appalling sacrifice
Of life and property the committee
will be inclined to listen with patience
to any proposal which offers relief"
Court Building Need Stressed.
Referring to the need for early
erection of buildings for the minor
courts, King said he has Inspected the
present Police Court Building and is
familiar with the atrocious condl-
tions" which exist there. He pointed
out it was designed for only two court
rooms and is now used by four judges.
Unfortunately, the Senator said,
rigid rules established by the admin
istration to secure the maximum re-
duction in unemployment make it
impossible to obtain P. w. A. loan
at this time for the Judiciary Square
building program. He reiterated, how
ever. his intention of seeking an ap-
preparation for these buildings in the
first deficiency bill brought up at the
next session.
Discussing the public health needs
of the District, Senator King con-
tinued:
Infant mortality in the District,
with a death rate of 661 per 1000 liv-
ing births during 1884, is cause for
serious concern. The rate Is distinctly
higher than that in Baltimore, Boston,
Chicago, New York and many other
large cities with populations far
greater and with the further disad-
vantage of large industrial develop
ments.
ID. C. Highest Of As Cities.
According to recent reports, tuber-
culosis mortality in the District is the
highest in the 46 principal cities of
the Nation, only one other city, and
that much smaller, showing a higher
death rate. Child health in the
schools, both public and parochial, re-
) ceives inadequate supervision, and the
stats available for inspection of food
and sanitation, as well as in the
public health nursing service, are ad-
mittedly inadequate.
Some provision has been made for
increased funds for this activity, pri-
marily intended to diminish child
tuberculosis through the detection Of
tncipient cases. The full program
. necessary to bring public health activi-
ties to the state of theoretical perfec-
tion desired by the experts involves
the expenditure Of such a vast sum
of money, regarded by some as be-
yond immediate realization"
The Senator reviewed briefly the
increase in appropriations for the
District over a period Of 20 years.
In 1915, he said, District expendi-
lures amounted to $13,728,000, ex-
GLIDING $586,155 spent by the self
sustaining Water Department.
Nearly Three Times That Now.
"In the current fiscal year, he con-
tinued appropriations made and
pending are $37. .457, ,000-$2, SOC, 900 has
been appropriated from gasoline tax
funds for highways, and the Water
Department appropriations will ag-
gregate $2,065,0 ,000."
King cited the growth of the city,
and said he did not wish to appear
an alarmist on the subject of govern
mental expenditures, but AIDED:
II think have cited sufficient data
to prove the necessity for caution and
(See KING, Page B-4)