Evening star., 1935-04-11
TRAFFIC CONTROL
PLAN IS SPEEDED
Auto Impounding, Regular
Tests, New Magistrates
Are Approved.

Commissioner Hazen prepared to-
day to seek adoption of four point
program designed to improve traffic
control, enforcement and prosecution
as Endorsed late yesterday by an ad-
visory group of civic leaders and Dis
trict officials.
The program calls for legislation
for compulsory sen1i-annual mechan-
ical tests of all automobiles, impound-
ing of parked automobiles impeding
traffic, creation of limited number
of police magistrates and restriction
and control of the fixing" of traffic
tickets.
The advisory group also voiced
definite disapproval of the proposal of
some police captains that the Police
Traffic Bureau be decentralized and
the motor cycle men assigned to duty
with the precincts.
Hazen will announce the appoint
ment in a day or two of a committee
to draft the necessary legislation for
the three new steps in traffic law ma
chlnery and plans to lay the program
before the Board of Commissioners
tomorrow for general approval.
Seven to Draft Law.
The legislation is to be drawn bv a
body of seven, including some civic
leaders and District officials who are
not connected with the police or traffic
departments or the corporation coun-
sells Office.
Some weeks ago Hazen suggested a
plan for impounding of cars parked so
as to create traffic hazards The
Traffic Committee of the Board of
Trade also has fostered the idea. The
plan would be to have Police Depart
ment crane automobiles haul such cars
to a precinct station, where the owner
would have to pay a fine of perhaps
$5 before he could reclaim his car.
The plan would affect cars parked
double in traffic arteries, on cross
walks, between street car loading plat
forms and the curbs, and perhaps
other zones.
The proposed compulsory examina-
tion of cars would include tests of
brakes, lights, windshield wipers and
steering gear. Three Government test
ing stations would be set up for this
work under the proposed plan.
Judge for Each Precinct.
The magistrate court plan was orig
mated by Corporation Counsel Pretty
man. He proposed one magistrate for
each police precinct, with retired mill
tsry officers or business or professional
men serving for 81 year. This plan
was opposed by Hazen. who suggested,
instead, the employment of four full
time peace judges at perhaps $4,000 a
year. They would hold court at pre-
cinct stations and handle all manner
of minor offenses.
If and when the magistrate courts
were set up all modification or can
collation. of minor charges would be
left to them, but in the meantime it
was planned to adopt uniform rules
for ticket fixing" and require police
and legal officers to make reports to
the Commissioners on all cases, CIV
AAS Cllc iCdoOilS IOl d1Iy IcuuCllUu vi
cancellation of charges.
Those in the conference yesterday
were Frederic A. Delano, chairman of
the Park and Planning Commission;
Mr.. Prettyman, Police Supt. E. w.
Brown, Traffic Director William A.
Van Duzer and his assistant, M. o.
Eldridge; Engineer Commissioner Dan
I. Sultan and his assistant Maj. Paul
A. Hodgson; Presiding Judge Gus A.
Schuldt of Police Court, Inspector
B. A. Lamb of the Police Traffic Bu-
reau, James G. Yaden, president Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations;
President H. Winship Wheatley of the
District Bar Association. Wallace B.
Robinson of the Traffic Committee
of the Board of Trade and Hazen.