Evening star., 1937-01-10


are rated on 1885 census.
Believing this to be unfair. William
A. Van Duzer, director of the Depart
uent of Motor Vehicles and Traffic.
has written a letter to the head
quarters of the council in Chicago,
protesting its compilation. Stating
that if the figures were based on
fair impartial comparison, the Ma
tional Capital would stand way up on
the list of honor cities with low
fatality percentages.
Mr.. Van Duzer asks that the council
give Washington a new rating. He
points out that the estimated popu-
iation is more than 100000, at least
100000 more than reported in 1880.
More than 100000 cars are registered
here, fully $4,000 more than six years
ago.
when you rate the number OF
Deaths" he stated, per 100000 popu-
1ation and then leave a whole l00,-
900 out of consideration, it is bound
to make a big difference. I wouldn't
be surprised if the correct percentage
would not bring Washington near
the top Of the list.
"I know that the safety council did
not purposely publish anything mis-
leading. They assumed that their
basis for the figures here was the
same as elsewhere. So in the name
of fair play and justice to this city,
am asking for correction"
Writing about increased registra-
tions, it appears that it is Nation
wide.
Registrations of motor vehicles in
the United States will reach an all
time high of about 28.277,00O this
year. the Travellers Insurance Co. an
nounced today. The estimate is based
on complete reports from 43 States.
Returns from Al States indicate that
gasoline consumption, too will exceed
the best previous years record by a
wide margin.
Not only does the car registration
figure for 1886 exceed last years total
by nearly per cent, but it is also
greater by 6l2 per cent than the
previous high total of 26,545, 900 in
1880.
In view of the fact that this years
motor vehicle death record shows
practically no change from 1885,
these substantial gains in registra-
ton and gasoline consumption indi-
cate some progress in street and high
way safety. More cars are being driven
more miles per accident. In previous
years the death record rose OF fell
in fairly direct proportion to the
amount of travel.
New Hampshire was the only one of
43 reporting States to show de-
crease in car registration. New
Mexico, Connecticut, Vermont, Mon
tana, Utah, Louisiana. Idaho, Oregon
and Michigan all show gains of more
than 10 per cent.
Reports indicate that the Mountain
States will have the largest percentage
gains in registrations this year and
the West North Central States will
show the smallest gains. BY geo.
graphical territories the percentage
increases reported in the number of
cars in use are: New England. 864;
Middle Atlantic, $50; East North Gen.
trail, 963; East South Central, $50;
West South Central, 913; Mountain,
Hi; West North Central, SAT; South
Atlantic. 742; Pacific, $40.
Plans for trancontinental super
highway which would charge motorist
tolls for every mile they travel today
drew the fire of the American Auto
mobile Association.
This scheme is fantastic, visionary
and unsound," declared Thomas P.
Henry, president of the national motor
ing body. Its own proponents admit
that the plan would call for expendi-
ture Of IL billion dollars or more
an outlay that cannot possibly be
justified either on the basis of need
or ability to pay.
Publicly announced proposals call
for the collection of tolls from every
vehicle using the super-highway. This
would be serious backward step in
the development of highway transport;
1t would be a return to horse-and-
buggy days.
For many years, the A. A. A. has
fought for the principle of free high
ways. We are not willing to see that
principle abandoned for the sake of
an ethereal, impracticable and IRA
= tional scheme that has no solid foun-
dation in engineering, economics or
transportation requirements.
Entirely aside from the engineering
oifhculties-Whicn include among
other things a 140-foot wide bridge
across the Mississippi and a 7-mile
tunnel through the Rocky Mountains
there are other practical disadvan-
tages.
In the first place, although trans
continental travel has increased tre-
n1endously, this forms only a COM
paratively small part of the total
travel stream. The great volume of
motor vehicle travel is between our
great centers of population. That
Is where the highest type of highway
development is needed. The A. A. A.
Is definitely on record as favoring high
type, four-lane highways, with divided
traffic streams and separated inter-
sections. These highways should be
built where the need is greatest, on
The basis of highway planning surveys
now going forward in nearly all
States, and they should be developed
In an orderly manner. A super-high-
way should not be arbitrarily sliced
across the Nation simply because 1t
would make pretty line on the map"
Many local contractors and District
representatives Of the Highway De-
partment left last night for the an
nual meeting of the American Road