Evening star., 1941-04-22
Safety Award
For D. {. Cited
By Roosevelt
Hopes for Model City
In Message Read at
Plaque Presentation

Washington today is the possessof
of a bronze plaque symbolizing its
establishment last year Of the best
traffic safety record of all cities in
the Nation with population Of
500 900 or more, following the an
nual award dinner last night of the
National Safety Council in honor
of the District. six other cities and
four States for their outstanding
accomplishments in highway safety D..
during 1910.
More than 300 business and pro-
fessional men, safety leaders and
public officials throughout the coun-
try attended the affair at the May
flower Hotel, which was marked by
the reading of a letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt by Commissioner
John Russell Young, who accepted
the local award.
Congratulating the government
and people of the District of Co.
lumbia on the distinction which has
come to our Capital City in receiving
the National Traffic Safety Award
from the National Safety Council"
the Chief Executives message went
on to say:
"I trust that the District Commis-
sioners will continue their leadership
in the good work of making the
National Capital a model city,
worthy of emulation by communities
everywhere who realize the neces-
sity of redoubling their efforts to
safeguard and protest human life"
Effort Brings Praise.
In expressing his pride in the
citys fine" traffic record last year,
Commissioner Young paid tribute to
the work done by motor clubs, busl-
nessmen's organizations, civic groups
and parent-teacher associations IN
helping to reduce the National Cap
itals traffic tolls in 1910 to its lowest
point since 1888.
The 80 fatalities which occurred
last year were five less than the
number in 1889 and six less than
in 1898. The motor vehicle deat1
rate counted so points in the safety
contest. the other so points being
divided among accident reporting
systems, traffic engineering and en-
forcement. child safety programs
and public education.
What has been done Mr. Young
continued, has only served to
emphasize the need for much more
to be done. q" It challenges us
to go on to do more and to do a
better job of accident prevention
than We have done in the past"
Although admitting that Wash
ington is off to bad start in 1941
with rs persons killed in traffic thus
far as compared with II during the
same period in 1910, Mr.. Young
pointed out that new agencies have
been established by police in the
field of accident investigation and
prevention and that I'VE can and
must improve last years record"
Calls for Vigilance.
I'VE are looking forward to busy
times ahead in Washington" he
emphasized, more automobiles,
more people and more traffic, and
We hope, fewer accidents This
means that there must be a greater
cooperation than ever before be-
tween drivers of automobiles and
pedestrians. 1t means that We must
be in a position to pay the price,
and the price of safety, like the
price of liberty. is eternal vigilance"
Special praise of Washington for
its victory in the contest, particular
~ in view of the increased traffic
hazards here because of the national
defense program, came from Sena-
tor Burton. Republican. of Ohio.
principal speaker of the evening.
His remarks aroused particular
attention because it was during his
administration as Mayor of Cleve-
land that the Ohio city gained Ma
tion-wide recognition for its sue
cess in reducing traffic deaths.
Cleveland won first place among the
largest cities in the 1889 traffic
safety contest and tied for first place
in 1888.
Pointing out that Washington has
more motor vehicles in relation to
its population than any other city
in the country with the possible ex-
ception of Los Angeles, Senator
Burton declared that the officials
of Washington, by winning first
place in the national traffic safety
contest among the large cities Of
America, have earned the right to
be recognized as competent to serve
the Nation, as we'll as the District"
Cites Handicaps.
The handicaps that Washington
faces in its traffic regulation, he
went on, makes its success in the
safety contest a substantial tribute
to the District officials who made
this possible.
Among the difficulties to be en-
countered here, he explained, are
the many avenues intersecting the
entire city diagonally to an unusual
degree, creating many acute angles
and other intersection problems; the
numerous parks, squares and circles,
which cause congestion; the many
trees which line the sides of certain
thoroughfares, increasing the street.
lighting problem. especially in sum-
mer; lack of off-street parking facil-
tiles, diplomatic immunities, con-
centrated rush hours and thousands
of motoring tranSientS.
The successful solution Of these
problems in Washington, he con-
tinued, would all the more readily
point the way to their easier solution
elsewhere.
This award" he explained, g"
should be the occasion for thS Fed
(See SAFETY, Page B-16)