Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06
Keystone Clubs Role in 1893
Geored to Local Interests
Lead Taken in Issues
Of Concern to
D. c. Drivers
BY GEORGE E. KENErPP,

AAhaxef AeyStone Automopue Clup.
80 The year 1893 has been truly re-
markable in the number, variety,
and importance Of the issues which
* have arisen of specific interest to
motorists and the Keystone Auto
mobile Clubs role has been one Of
constructive leadership. These ques-
B lions, it is seen, while of intimate
concern to the owners and opera
tors Of automobiles, in a larger
sense have a vital bearing on the
vell-being and progress of the COM
munity as a whole.
Any retrospective summary of the
years activities necessarily touches
only the high points, and for the
most part fails to give an adequate
picture of the day-by-day contacts
and functions which build into the
completed structure. Nevertheless
such a summary does at least indi-
cate the wide scope Of motorists in
terests here, and the role played by
the Keystone Automobile Club in
relation to them. There will be no
attempt here to discuss the literally
thousands Of services rendered by
keystone to its membership in the
various branches Of club service, but
rather those aspects of the clubs
activities which have rebounded to
the benefit Of the community as a
whole.
Take, for example, the campaign
initiated by Keystone for the open
ing Of the school Fairgrounds, a
public service of the first order.
AS a direct result of this campaign,
designed to aid the cause of safety
by keeping children of the streets
during the dangerous summer
months, additional Fairgrounds were
opened and, also. the Commission
ers called a conference of leading
citizens and formed the Advisory
Committee on Traffic Safety. This
committee has functioned actively
and usefully and definite progress
is being made in the direction of
greater safety on Washington's
streets and highways.
During the past year Keystone
reiterated its unequivocal stand in
opposition to the diversion of motor
vehicle tax funds, and waged sue
cessful fight, in several quarters,
against such diversion. On this
matter. and on many others of in
terest to local motorists Keystone
oficials appeared before District and
Federal authorities and at congress
sional hearings.
OF very general interest was the
engineering survey made by Will
liam 8. Canning, Keystone's en-
cheering director, in an effort to
locate additional parking spaces at
the Zoo. With the active co-opera-
ton of Director William M. Mann
this situation already has been sub
stantially improved and further
progress now is being carried for
ward.
With the installation locally of
parking meters, a brief statement
of the clubs position will be Of
interest also. When the installa-
ton of meters first was proposed
In Washington, Keystone determined
to make a careful study Of the
whole question before taking any
position. BY direction Of the Ad-
visory Board, an exhaustive survey
was made of the results obtained
by the use Of parking meters in
scores Of cities throughout the
country. On the basis of this fact,
ual study, Keystone recommended
the installation of a limited num-
Der OF meters on certain streets in
the downtown area for a trial
period. This now is being done,
and the community shortly will be
able to determine for itself whether
the meters can do for Washington
the same helpful job of aiding the
parking problem as they are doing
in 50 many other centers.
Keystone has given wholehearted
and outspoken support to the esti-
mates of the District OF Columbia
Highway Department, which are
based upon a long-term program Of
building and improvement. The club