Evening star., 1937-05-28
ABOLISH PARKING
IN BUSINESS AREA
IS SCHULTZ PLEA
Indiana Representative Hits
Meter Plan as No
Solution.
TRAFFIC RETARDED
BY CURB CONGESTION
District Committee Member Saws
Merchants Would Gain by
Elimination. e..

Denouncing the plan OF the special
tax subcommittee the House Dis
trict Committee to make automobile
owners pay for the privilege of curb
parking through the use Of park-o.
meters. Representative Schultz, Demo-
crat, Of Indiana today advocated
abolition OF all parking in the con-
gested section Of Washington.
"Park-o-meters will not solve the
tramc problem" declared Schultz. a
member Of the District Committee.
Parking must be eliminated in the
downtown area. That is the only
way to solve 80 per cent OF Washing.
tons traf1lc problems. Parking re-
tards the movement OF traf1lc." =
Schultz said he would urge the Dis
tr1ct Committee at its meeting
Wednesday to give consideration to
MS proposal for prohibiting parking
IN the congested area.
Merchants Opposed.
AS a member Of special Traff1c
Investigating Subcommittee Of tho
District Committee in the last Con.
gress, Schultz said he first proposed
abolition OF parking in the congested
section, and that the plan was greeted
with opposition by merchants who
feared it would injure their business.
That may be true with respect to
some stores" Schultz declared, but
IN the long run they would be com.
pensated A prohibition against park.
ing would make it possible for people
to get into and out of the business
section without delay. 1 firmly be-
lleVe 1t would stimulate business rather
than retard it."
Schulte renewed his plea for aboli.
tion Of parking as a result of an an
nouncement by Commissioner Hazen
before the tax subcommittee several
days ago that he "felt" tranic con-
dltlons would be materially improved
by such plan.
In view OF this position, Schultz
declared he would be compelled tn
neht the proposal for park-o-meters
when it is taken up by the full District
Committee.
The tax subcommittee did not rre.
oHmend that park-o-meters be
adopted at this time, but directed thA
commissioners to prepare legislation
authorlz1ng the use Of the meters. 50
tney could be installed il it Is found
necessary to raise additional revenue
to offset the budget deficit In the com.
Ing fiscal year. In other words, tho
meters would serve as cushion" IN
the event the s6,l49,o0O to be pro-
ouced by various tax plans does not
balance the budget.
100000 Estimated Yield.
Trafac officials estimated park-o-
meters. which would force a motorist
to pay five cents an hour for tho
privilege OF parking on the public
streets, would yield about 5000 900 4
year IN additional revenue. No initial
cost would be involved in the acqui.
sltion and installation of the meters.
according to Representative Nichols.
Democrat, of Oklahoma, the father.
OF the plan. Companies which manu-.
facture the meters, he explained, fur.
n!sh and install them free, but take
so per cent Of the revenue until the
cost OF the meters is paid. Then the
meters would become the property Of
the District Government. Nichols said
the cost of several various types OF
meters now on the market averaged
about $50 each.
Park-o-meters have. been in use for
several years in cities throughout Okla
homa and the Southwestern States, as
well rs in some Southern States,