Evening star., 1935-09-09

Continued From First Pageo
drivers. through education and CO.
operation, become careful drivers, the
situation is Immediately changed.
THE campaign will not change all
drivers, but I am of the opinion that
it will change many. and as result.
q great improvement will be seen. I
appreciate the prompt and enthusi-
astic response by so many persons
and organizations In the interest OF
safety They are proving that they
have the interests of the other fellow
at heart. These pledges that are
mounting up in my ONCE constitute a
monument to civic pride 1t is real
roll of honor OF which every one can
feel proud"
One factor the Safety Council Of
The Star notes is the interest dis
played in traffic affairs in various let
tiers accompanying the safety pledges,
Double parking Is much censored in
several letters.
Pedestrian Question Raised.
The question of pedestrian control
as a safety measure in Washington is
raised again in letter to the Safety
Council Of The Star from a writer
identified only by the signature"
"A Believer in Fair Play and Justice
for ALL" The letter is printed. even
though sent anonymously, because 1t
voices sentiments repeatedly ex-
pressed in Washington. 1t follows:
II read the announcement Of your
safety campaign with much interest
and would like to ask the following
questions:
mo. /. Why is your campaign d.
rected solely against the wild motor
ist and does not include the wild
pedestrian?
No. 2. Why are pedestrians al
lowed to dash across the middle of
the street directly in the path of on
coming motorists, who are supposed
to be possessed of superhuman powers
to bring their cars to a dead stop in
each and every circumstance?
mo. 3. Why do motorists receive
tickets for going against a red light
when pedestrians do not? Why are
they permitted to cast defiant looks
at the motorist and walk directly in
his path when the light is with him
and against them?
mo. 4. Why does a citizen lose all
OF his rights, why Is courtesy and con-
sideration denied him simply because
he sits behind the STERLING wheel Of
an automobile?
Scores Angelic View.
II am fully aware that the motorist
Is considered a flend incarnate who
can do no good and the pedestrian a
combination of martyr and angel
who can do no harm. Personally, I
think both views are slightly ex-
aggerated. When and If you can
answer in The Star the above ques-
tions satisfactorily. I, for one. will
be glad to join your campaign"
The problem Of controlling pedes-
trian traffic is one which for years
has troubled District police and traffic
ofncials. On several occasions the
Metropolitan Police Department has
attempted to enforce police regula-
tons to compel pedestrians to observe
traffic signals at street intersections
and prohibiting "jaywalking" in gen.
eral. Every such attempt has failed,
however, because the courts will not
uphold the legality Of such regula-
tions and, to date, Congress has not
seen fit to enact District pedestrian
control law. Attempts also have been
made in Washington to obtain the
cooperation Of pedestrians through
the medium of educational movements
but they have borne little fruit.
Without the weight Of law, traffic
officials believe, little can be accom-
pNshed through educational work
alone or through the medium Of mere
appeals to District residents, espe-
cially in view of the fact that WASH
ington Is the goal for hundreds of
thousands of visitors who cannot be
reached by any purely local cam
paign. The pedestrian problem is one