Evening star., 1935-03-24
THREAT TOEXPOSE
IMMUNE TRAFFIC
V|0LATORS MADE.
Yaden D ands Equal
Rights for All as First Step
to Solve Problem.

A threat to 60 before the House
Crime Investigating Committee to ex-
pose the big fellows" who habitually
violate traffic regulations and are not
punished has been made In q letter
from President James G. Yaden OF
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions to Peoples Counsel William A.
Roberts.
The letter was q reply to one from
Roberts asking for the stand Of civic
groups on traffic problems.
II am unable to enthuSe very much
over any OF your so-called forward
looking movements on traffic in the
District of Columbia" Yaden said. II
do not care to impugn the motives of
any Of you, but the whole thing fails
to cause me TO enthuse.
II think we all agree that the traffic
situation in the District OF Columbia
is horrible and apparently every action
that is taken only compounds the con-
fusion.
Bus Removal Held Useless.
IF you should move some of the
buses FROM the streets which they
now occupy, you would create some
more parking space for public and
private automobiles and trucks, and l
do not see that this will help the mat
ter one particle. A large percentage of
the traffic of Washington moves in
busses and street cars. and have not
yet seen one effort to facilitate the
movement Of street cars and buses
which constitute the mass transporta-
ton in Washington.
Since the farcical act OF the Dis
trict Commissioners in promulgating a
snow removal order from 2 am. to 8
am. I have become convinced that
the trafic situation is in the hands of
the big fellows Of Washington, and
the wishes and comforts OF the COM
mon people are disregarded.
Il wish to assure you that I am
willing to join any constructive move
for the betterment of the traffic con-
dition in Washington. God knows, as
well as everybody else, that something
ought to be done about it. However.
I shall not lend any assistance toward
creating more parking space on the
streets for automobiles and trucks.
You, or any one else who has as
many as one eye. may go over the
streets Of downtown Washington and
find that space on the streets sur
rounded by no parking signs and by
fire plugs Is a reserved space for law
violators and so far as I know there is
nothing more than q lame attempt
to enforce the Law.
Two Sets of Regulations.
IF 1 am any judge of the traffic
situation in Washington, there are
two sets Of laws and regulations
First, the unwritten law and unwrit-
ten regulations for those who have
influence and pull, and, second, writ
ten laws and written regulations for
those who do not have influence and
who are expected to obey the laws
and regulations. AS long as I con-
tinue as president Of the Federation
of Citizens Associations, I propose to
make war on the unwritten laws and
unwritten regulations which people
with pull and influence may violate
with impunity.
I'm response to a letter from Con-
gresham Randolph, I propose to
carry this message to the Subcommit-
tee Of the House Committee investi-
eating crime conditions in the District
Of Columbia. If any one doubts
whether 1 know what / am talking
about, am prepared to call the roll.
When you, the Public Utilities Com
mission, and the District Commission
ers are ready to carry forward a
constructive program on traffic and
crime in the District of Columbia, you
may count on me to assist, but until
am convinced that there is real
genuine effort to promulgate trafic
regulations and see that they are
carried out without fear or favor. do
not care to enter into the farce ex-
cept to protest and continue to pro-
test"