Evening star., 1938-03-20
Frequent Victories Reward
Euer-Busy Mrs. Elmer Thomas
Senator's Political aide
Finds Time for Many
activities.
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Because of the dependence of the
District of Columbia upon Congress
for legislation and the appropriation
Of funds for its expenditures, interest
naturally centers in the legislative
watch dogs who guard appropriations
for the Nations Capital in the Senate
and House This interest carries over
too, to "the little women from back
home" who preside over their house.
holds and are their interpreters In
many cases to feminine Washington
as we'll as to the women of their own
State.
Mrs. Elmer Thomas, wife Of Sem
ator Thomas of Oklahoma, chairman
Of the District Subcommittee on Ap-
preparations in the Senate, is, as she
puts it, Just home woman who has
devoted her time and attention pri-
marily to her husbands interests"
Because she is herself a motorist
who thinks nothing of making the
long trek to their home by auto when
it is necessary for her to precede her
husband to Oklahoma, she is greatly
interested in all legislation pertaining
to motoring and motorists. One Of
her few Washington Affiliations in
cludes active membership ON the
Women's Safety Committee of the
District of Columbia Motor Club Of
the American Automobile Association,
because as she says, Il believe in
obeying traffic laws as well as all other
kinds. and am for legislation which
will provide the greatest possible
safety to pedestrians and motorists
alike"
Demands No Immunity.
Traffic accidents, in her opinion.
constitute one of the most serious of
all the problems confronting the
American people, and can be success
fully met only by the conscientious
cooperation of each driver with ex-
isting traffic regulations. Neither she
nor her husband, she is proud to say,
has even taken advantage Of their
congressional immunity and parked
anywhere that any law-abiding cit
izen of the District is not privileged
to park.
Speaking from the standpoint of a
daily driver in Washington's trafiic,
Mrs. Thomas says:
1T is probably more difficult from
an administrative standpoint than
with any other American city Of COM
mensurate size with which I am IA
miliar. Here the driver and officials
have to reckon not only with a greater
number of privately owned cars to the
average Of population than elsewhere,
but with the necessarily large aggre-
CATION of Government owned vehicles
Then, in addition to the peaked
hours Of traffic created by Govern
| ment workers, there is always pres
ent a tremendous number of tourists
totally unacquainted for the most part
with our specific regulations and the
city planning which makes them nec-
essary"
She has found the Districts police
officers courteous, helpful and efIicient
on all the occasions she has called
upon them for advice or assistance.
Investigates Child Death Trap.
Appalled, that 43 children In one
year should have been victims of traf-
fic accidents In the vicinity of the JET
ferson School in Southwest Washing
ton, Mrs. Thomas has recently paid
personal visit to this community with
Mrs. William H. King wife of the Sem
ator from Utah, and Mrs. George c.
Thorpe, chairman Of the Women's Ad-
visory Committee Of the District Of Co.
lumbia Motor Club.
With first-hand knowledge Of con-
ditions which are menacing the health
and the safety of the children attend
ing classes in the Jefferson School,
Mrs. Thomas Is an earnest advocate of
the struggle which is being made to
obtain favorable legislation for a new
building in location which is not a
death trap.
OF pioneer Scotch Irish, Pennsyl-
vania Dutch stock that moved on
from Pennsylvania to the farm lands
of Iowa and then in another genera
tion from Iowa 10 South Dakota, Mrs.
Thomas has an unusual distinction
She is, as far as she knows, the only
living person who is the daughter of
one OF the first State Senators in South
Dakota when this State was admitted