Evening star., 1941-01-28
; Moves Made
ToCurb Traffic
Deaths Here
More Officers Sought;
Schultz Calls PorIey;
Speed Cut Advocated

oHS
Districts alarming traffic death
toll OF 13 Dtctims in 1941, d no.
uTe not reached until March II
last year, has stirred action in
ctUtc and Legislative circles for
additional traffic policemen.
Commissioners and other District
officials are Uorking toUdrd that
end. Chairman Schultz of Trut-
nc Subcommittee of House Dis
trtct Committee has begun in
reStigatton OF cttyS traffic
situation 1rtth pieU OF possible
congressional action to reduce
causes OF fatalities.
The safety crusade to curtail the
rapidly mounting traffic death list
in Washington advanced on three
fronts today The developments:
Commissioners Young and Nc
Coach suggested use of the Districts
highway fund to finance employ
ment of a considerable additional
number of full-time traffic police.
men.
Chairman Schultz Of the Streets
and Traffic Subcommittee of the
House District Committee called a
conference of municipal officials and
heads of transit, taxicab and truck
ing companies for 1890 am. Thurs
day in the District Committee room
IN the old House Office Building.
Declaring speed was the greatest
contributing factor in 10 of the 2s
traffic deaths since December I of
last year. Assistant Traffic Director
M. o Eldridge today asked the
support of the District CONGRESS Of
Parents and Teachers in reducing
the speed limit to motor vehicles at
night to 20 miles an hour.
Speaking at a meeting of repre-
sentatives of local parent-teacher
groups sponsored by the District
Congress this morning at the Ma
tional Education Association Build
ing, Mr.. Eldridge urged his listeners
to seek their parent bodys approval
for the proposal
Road Funds Use Urged.
At the District Building Col.
McCoach declared he agreed with
Police Supt Ernest w. Brown that
the Police Department should have
100 more men, and Mr.. Young sug-
geSted that if the highway fund
could be used for the purpose per
haps as many as 100 more men"
could be employed Neither of the
two Commissioners finally COM
mitted himself on the number Of
additional traffic officers nor on the
financial arrangements.
A precedent for the use Of highway
funds for payment of policemen.
however. was noted in the fact that
for some years Is per cent of the
salaries of Metropolitan police has
been charged to the highway fund.
Col. McCoach revealed that he
had asked Acting District Budget
Officer William G. Wilding to give
him an exact accounting of just
how the present Is per cent salary
item is allocated and spent. Fur
thermore, in view of the suggested
broadening of such a plan, he said
he believed there should be a full
review of the whole system Of
charging traffic police costs TO the
highway fund.
He said he did not believe the
suggested new plan would be found
in violation of terms of the Federal
Road Aid Act and thereby endanger
the receipt Federal grants to the
District for Federal road work here.
Cost Put at $4,000 Yearly.
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
Keech, Acting Auditor Arthur Pill
kerton, Highway Director H. c.
Whitehurst and Maj. Brown will be
asked to examine the whole ques-
ton carefully, Col. McCoach added.
If 100 additional police were en-
ployed, assigned to traffic duty and
salaries charged to the highway
fund the additional cost would run
around $4,000 a year.
Col. McCoach asked why the costs
of police uniforms, equipment, mo-
tor vehicles, gasoline and other sup
plies and police retirements should
not also be charged to the highway
fund if it is proper to charge their
salaries.
In addition to city officials and
transportation heads. Mr.. Schultz
invited to his Thursday conference
Chairman Mahon of the House Ap-
preparations Subcommittee in charge
of the 1912 District supply bill and
Representative Stefan of Nebraska,
ranking minority member.
Representative Schultz called the
conference "a hours after Chairman
Randolph of the full House District
Committee reappointed him as head
of the Streets and Traffic Subcon1-
mittee and directed that a survey Of
the traffic difficulties be made with
out delay. The committee expects
a report from the subcommittee by
February 10.
District officials called to the
conference include the Commis-