Evening star., 1941-02-06
Nelson Calls
Speeding Chief
Traffic Hazard
House Subcommittee
Gets Many Plans
To Reduce Toll
BY JAMES z. CHM.

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Traffic Subcommittee Of the House
District Committee headed by Rep
resentative Schultz, Democrat, of .
Indiana, last night.
Judge Nelson was one OF the
group of District officials who told
the subcommittee what is wrong
with traffic conditions here and sug-
gested more than a score of plans
for Improvements.
For nearly three hours the sub
committee listened to the Police
Court judges and other municipal
officials outline a varied program
which ranged from sitter penalties
of traffic Violators to an intensive
educational program that would en-
courage motorists to have greater
respect for the law.
Observers Attend Meeting.
Sitting with the subcommittee as
observers" were Commissioner John
Russell Young and Chairman Rey-
nolds OF the Senate District Commits
tee and Senator Burton, Republican,
Of Ohio, who was recently appointed
to head the Senate Traffic Subcom-
mittee.
The small District Committee
room in the old House Office Build
Ing, where the meeting was held,
was jammed with spectators. Many
were forced to stand.
epresentati tive Henshaw, Demo-
crat, of California. an unexpected
witness, described Smile parkway
in Los Angeles. where there are
no intersections and the speed limit
is IS miles per hour and where
motorists can drive the entire dis
tance in eight and one-half min
utes in comparative safety. He said
he hoped that something similar
would be started in Washington.
Chairman Schultz next called
Judge Nelson and asked him for
suggestions to stop what he de-
scribed as wholesale slaughter" on
the streets.
Far-Sighted Program Urged.
Judge Nelson proposed that
everybody in Washington con-
cerned with traffic safety put
shoulders to the wheel" and work
for the adoption of a far-sighted
safety program.
He said he served as Judge in the
Traffic Court the last Is days in
January and in that time had tried
5l9 cases, which netted S6.700 fines.
Asked what caused accidents here,
Judge Nelson replied:
speeding is a large contributing
factor. The Speeders who came be-
fore me are those who are usually
in hurry to get no place and
couldn't give a valid reason for ex-
ceeding the speed limit"
What is the average speed OF the
violators?" Senator REYNOLDS asked.
Between IS and As miles an hour"
he replied.
Schedule of Fines.
Representative Schultz wanted to
know what Judge Nelson fined
drivers convicted of speeding. The
judge cited schedule ranging from
S. for driving 35 miles an hour to
s25 for exceeding so miles an hour
the maximum penalty. Judge Mel
son declared he believed the maxi
mum penalty is too low.
Judge Nelson also said he had
heard some cases of speeding from
10 to 80 miles an hour, and he con-
siders that reckless driving, but
under existing law if the offender is
charged with speeding a S25 fine is
the maximum penalty he can i'm
pose.
Under the reckless driving law.
however, he said he would be able
to impose a fine of 5000.
Judge Nelson explained that on
the 16 days in January he sat on
the Traffic Court bench he tried
six cases in which the defendants
were charged with driving while
drunk. He mentioned, incidentally,
that in many of these cases acci-
dents have occurred.
Representative Schultz INQUIRED
whether the corporation counsel or
his assistants should be allowed TO
change driving while drunk charge
to a lesser charge.
That's his prerogative," Judge
Nelson replied.
Uniform Penalties Favored,
Mr.. Schultz asked Judge Nelson
if he thought a uniform scale of
penalties would aid in the DISPOSE
ton of traffic cases.
i see no reason why the Judges
cannot adopt a scale of uniform
penalties" he declared. 1T would
create much more respect for the
law"
Representative Schultz also asked
Judge Nelson whether he favored
a single judge to handle all traffic
cases. The four Police Court judges
now rotate on the Traffic Court
bench.
Judge Nelson explained that the
most serious" cases-driving while
drunk and reckless driving-now 60
to the jury and that the Traffic
Court judge handles only minor
cases."
Judge Walter J. Casey. who fol-
lowed Judge Nelson on the witness
stand, was asked what he thought
OF the uniform scale idea.
I'm opposed to it" he declared.
Simultaneous Sessions Urged.
John p. Mcmahon, presiding Judge
OF the Police Court, suggested that
two courts should be in session
simultaneously to handle traffic
cases that go to the jury courts.
He said such a plan would prevent
delays in disposition of traffic cases
in which violators of a traffic regu-
lation demand a jury trial.
Judge Mcmahon also opposed the
proposal for uniform penalties. He
told the subcommittee no two traffic
cases are alike.
Senator Reynolds wanted to know
II a reduction in the present speed
limit of Is miles an hour might
to traffic safety.
Judge Nelson. who answered, said:
Personally, 1 don't think 25 miles
an hour Is excessive"