Evening star., 1935-04-23
SUBWAYS URGED
AS TRAFFIC CURE
Roberts Says All Other I'M
provements Only Delay
Project.

Declaring the construction Of sub
ways in the District Is inevitable, Peo-
ple's Counsel william A. Roberts last
night told the Mid City Citizens Asso-
citation there will be no solution to
Washington's increasing traffic prob
lens as long as authorities and resi-
dents continue to adopt and support
improvements which are only tempo
rary.
Roberts called upon the citizens to
appeal to Congress for an appropria-
tion to enable officials to determine if
a subway Is necessary and whether
such a project would be worth while in
the District.
To support his contention that cost
of subway construction would not be
. or 10 million dollars per mile, as
estimated by some officials here, Rob-
erts pointed to the cost of building one
of New York's largest subways. He
said this particular subway was con-
structed in the heart Of New York
City. where many important traffic
conditions which do not exist In
Washington had to be taken into con-
sideration, at cost of 100000 per
mile.
Urged as Relief Project.
He asserted the cost of building q
subway system here would be ap-
proximately $4,000.000 each mile, this
figure including the construction of
stations. This would be q relief pro-
ject of the first order, he said, since
Washington has about 10000 unem-
ployed laborers who could be put to
work on the project, using materials
from the District and nearby Mary
land and Virginia.
Roberts declared the Federal Gov
ernment should bear part of the cost
because it has insisted upon center
ing it's many thousands Of employees
in one area. thereby creating the
greatest traffic problem in Washing
ton.
Roberts explained his anti-smoke
bill which he hopes will pass in this
session Of Congress. He pointed out
the shortcomings of the existing law.
parts of which. he said. are far too
general. The Roberts bill would fix
separate standard smoke requirements
for residential. industrial and COM
merclal establishments. The asso-
citation went on record in favor of the
bill.
Efforts Commended.
Representative Randolph of West
Virginia, chairman of the Special
Crime Committee of the House, and
Senator Thomas of Oklahoma Of the
subcommittee on appropriations of the
Senate District Committee were COM
mended by the association for their
efforts toward re-establishment OF No.
2 police precinct on Fifth street, be-
tween M and N streets. A. j. DriScoll,
president of the association, pointed
out the report of the Senate commit
tee included an item of $4,000 to re-
condition the building which is now
occupied by the Woman's Bureau, and
another item of $4,000 to provide new
headquarters for the Woman's Bureau.
Upon recommendation of the Gen.
tral Labor Union, the association voted
in favor of bill now pending in Con-
eress to raise the status of District
vocational schools to that of the
Junior high schools. The salaries of
the teachers under the bill would be
raised to those paid teachers in
junior high schools.
Opposes Short Ton Coal.
The association voted to oppose any
move to change the sale of coal In
the District from the long ton to the
short ton and plans were made Tor
association representatives to attend
q hearing on this bill Friday at the
District Building. The group also op-
posed the selection of any out-of-toWn
person as executive director of Wash
ington's recreation facilities under the
new set-up. Opposition was expressed
to any movement for establishment
of daylight saving time in the District.
In another resolution the group
urged the Commissioners to obtain
legislation providing for removal OF
all railroad crossings in the District.
The resolution also urged officials Of
nearby Maryland and Virginia to
eliminate "as soon as possible" all
grade crossings.
In other resolutions the association
favored the construction of new
National Guard armory, the funds to
be provided out of the new work re-
lief money: deplored the unsanitary
and unclean conditions Of street cars
and asked the transit company Off
cials 10 carry out the regularly sched-
llled runs on time