Evening star., 1937-07-27
CHANGE IS SOUGHT
IN SCHOOL HOURS
AS SAFETY MOVE
Brown and Van Duzer Urqe
Delay Until After Traffic
Peak.
HAZEN SENDS REPORT
TO EDUCATION BOARD
Staggered Hours Most Effective
Way to Solve Problem,
Director Says.

Efforts to safeguard school children
from rush-hour traffic hazards will be
renewed today when Commissioner
Melvin C. Hazen forwards to the
Board of Education a report urging a
change in the present opening hour
of schools.
Both Maj. Ernest w Brown. super
lntendent Of police. and Traffic d.
rector William A Van Duzer, in re-
ports TO Commissioner Hazen, eX-
pressed the belief that delaying OPEN
ing the schools until after the peak
OF the ruSh-hour traffic has passed is
the only logical step to take toward
affording school children greater pro-
lection. This plan was up several
months ago but was abandoned
MAJ, Brown proposed that the OPEN
ing hours of the schools be changed
from am. to $50 am II this we're
done, he pointed out, a number Of
officers now stationed at busy inter-
sections could be assigned to schools
after the traffic rush had passed.
Suggests "Stagger" System.
Il still think that the most effec-
tive and logical method Of attacking
this problem is that of staggered
hours for public schools" Van Duzer
declared, especially those schools To-
Gated in the central portion of the
city where the traffic is exceptionally
heavy during the rush hours"
Van Duzer pointed out that school
otfclals have appealed for installation
OF traffic lights at II intersections near
schools which are listed as dangerous.
Funds are available for traffic light
installations at only II of the corners,
Van Duzer said. and added there Is
no chance of protecting the other cor
ners until additional appropriations
are obtained
Traffic Signs Available.
Portable signs limiting the speed of
vehicles to IS miles an hour in school
zones Will be made available if the
Board of Education will arrange to
nave Janltors remove them when thev
are not needed, Van Duzer said 1t
would be unsatisfactory TO impede the
flow OF traffic in school zones when
the schools are not in session, Van
Duzer pointed out.
Maj. Brown told Commissioner
Hazen that the IS new rookie police
men now in the police school will
be assigned to school safety patrol
duty this Fall
Action to retain the o'clock open-
ing hour has already been taken bv
the School Board in a vote against a
change to $50 last October Investiea-
ton was made by Supt Frank w. Bal
lou IN response to letter requesting
the change of hours by Frederic A
Delano. chairman of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion.
Poll Plurality for $50.
DR.. Ballou reported to the board
October 81, basing a recommendation
against the change on poll taken of
the parents. The poll revealed 29. .lOe
votes. representing 32.5 per cent of the
school children. favoring the $50
change: 1924 votes, representing l47
per cent Of the school children favored
$50 as the opening hour, and 1881
votes, covering 2l9 per cent of the
enrollees, favored the old hour of 9
am
The superintendent called attention
OF the board at the time to the fact
that these figures left nearly 80 per
cent of the enrollees unrepresented
and that those favoring $50 did not
represent a majority. He also said
| the real problem was the closing hour
anyway, and that there we're many
ramiflcations to the hour change out
side the traffic elements.
In debate prior to the board action
Henry Quinn, lawyer member of the
board, said he thought the burden Of
proof should be on those favoring the
change