Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-03-09

The history of the parking meter,
introduced to the American motorist
in Oklahoma City three years ago and
now approved for Washington by the
Senate, shows that % cities use them
and nine have junked them. The
Supreme Court of Alabama ruled they
violated the Federal Constitution.
Whether the meters stay or go. their
installation usually raises hot debate
on several questions: Should the
parker feed the machines a nickel, or
is penny enough? Is the average
driver an overtime parker anyway?
Is the meter a cure for the basic
trouble involved in parking?
The House has yet to pass on the
trial of meters for the District, and
in an effort to halt final action the
American Automobile Association yes
terday urged congressional investi-
CATION Of its charges of colossal graft
and corruption" associated with the
installation Of parking meters in
many cities"
High Price Charged.
The A. A. A. said:
"One manufacturer recently made
the statement to the American Auto
mobile Association that the reason
why the standard price, of meters is
so high, around $50, is that their
agents have virtually found it impos-
slble to obtain contracts for installa-
ton unless they are willing to make
a 'pay-off' running into thousands of
dollars to politicians affiliated in one
way or another with city admins
trations.
We are assured that a parking
meter meeting every requirement can
be produced and marketed for less
than $40"
The A. A. A, is opposed to the
meters, but H. P. Cammerer, secretary
of the Fine Arts Commission, and C..
Marshall Finnan, superintendent of
the National Capital Parks, both
speaking unofficially, suggested that
they are worth trying.
The cities which tried the meters
and then removed them are West
Haven, Conn; Hutchinson, Kans. :;
Paducah, KY; Salt Lake City, Utah
Lubbock, Tex; Tyler. Tex; Mobile,
Ala, and Birmingham. Ala.
Various Reasons Ascribed.
West Haven found they interfered
with the tourist trade, its principal
support. In Topeka merchants said
the meters reduced their business by
so per cent.
Salt Lake merchants objected and
the city came to q disagreement with
the meter manufacturer over financing
the mechanisms. Merchants in the
metered zones of Lubbock and Tyler
protested their business was declining.
Mobile Automobiles threatened a
public demonstration against the
meters, and the city officials removed
them.
The question Of the meter in Bir-
mlngham was taken to the State ST.
preme Court, which decided
% The meters converted the streets
INTO clty-operated parking lots, where
as the streets were to be devoted to
the use of the public in general.
20 the Meters interfered with
lngress and egress from the stores of
merchants and deprived these property
owners of their property rights without
Que process of law, violating the
NTH and fourteenth amendments Of
the Federal Constitution.
go The Alabama constitution gave
the city no right to exercise its police
power for taxation purposes.
The last point in the Alabama de-
clsion raises a moot question in the
great parking meter debate Should
the city make more money out of the
meters than is needed for their in
stallation? If the city shouldn't, then
IN most cases a penny from each
parker would be enough. instead of
the nickel now commonly needed to
operate the automatic clock which is
the meters chief feature.