Evening star., 1941-10-30
2c Gas Tax Hike
Is Denounced al
Traffic Session
U. S. Should Pay Most
TO End Auto Chaos,
Subcommittee Told
BY JAMES e. CHINN.

the gasoline tax were r0undly 0e-
nounced today before the special
Senate subcommittee studying traf-
dc problems here.
Washington I. Cleveland, man
ager of the District Motor Club of
the American Automobile Associa-
tion, and several other witnesses
took the position that since the
Federal Government is chiefly re-
sponsible for the existing situa-
tion, it should participate substan-
tally in the costly projects to re-
move traffic bottlenecks.
The subcommittee, headed by
Senator Burton, Republican, Of
Ohio, Is considering a House-ap-
proved bill to boost the local gas
Increase, 1t is estimated, would add
about s3,000,000 a year to the spe-
cial highway fund.
1-Cent Boost Unopposed.
Mr.. Cleveland was supported in
his protest by Arthur J. Sundlun,
president of the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association. and
Charles M Maize, representing both
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions and the International Associa-
tion of Machinists. .
Both Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Maize
said 1-cent boost would be ac-
ceptable. Mr.. Sundlun declared
2-cent raise is 'unwiSe and unneceS-
sarily burdensome" on motorists who
are now paying nearly the entire
cost of highway development and
improvements.
Chairman Burton commented that
the Federal Government could not
be held entirely to blame for existing
chaotic traffic conditions, because
the District is five years behind in
traffic Improvements.
Aside from opposing the 2-cent
gas tax increase, Mr.. Cleveland dis
approved of the plan of the Com
rnissioners to have outside experts
help solve the traffic problems. In
stead, he urged supplementary
highway planning survey of subjects
that would lead to immediate better
ment. Projects listed in the long
range program based on the orig
nal survey, he pointed out, will take
years to complete.
Reorganization Urged.
~Tf1e new survey" he said, should
include the enforcement program
not covered in the original survey,
the handling Of present traff1c with
present facilities and what can be
done at the present time to improve
the situation at once"
Mr.. Cleveland also urged reorgan-
Hation of the Department Of We
hicles and Traffic.
mo director of vehicles and
traffic can do a job If he has no
tools to work with" he declared.
TRAFFIC Director Van Duzer has
10 tools today, and you can't expect
him to do good job under such
conditions.
mo one familiar with public SEN
timent in the District can doubt
for a moment the fact that there
exists today a great degree of dis
satisfaction with the operation of
the Department of Vehicles and
Traffic. These conditions can only
be cured by a major reorganization
Of the department"
Necessity Decree Urged.
Earlier, Joseph A. Conry, former
member of the House from Massa-
chusetts and one-time traffic COM
missioner in Boston, urged that
Congress decree that improvement
of traffic conditions in the District
els public necessity and help to
national defense"
The District Of Columbia is the
center Of national defense" declared
Mr.. Conry. 1T is essential that
every faculty should function with
watch-tool precision. blunder
here might work damage from
Vladivostok to Archangel."
Chairman Burton interrupted Mr..
Conry to point out that it had been
his observation that in Washington,
cit doesn't taks as long to get from
one section to another" as it does in
some other large cities.
Comparisons are odious," replied
Mr.. Conry, but the traffic problem
here differs from that in most other
large cities"
The people Of Washington are
especially blessed by the layout OF
the city's streets" continued Sena-
tor Burton. 'LEnfant, in laying
out the street system, provided ave-
nues that make every part OF the
city accessible in a direct line. The
problem here is to seek a greater
degree OF perfection than In Other
cities
Would Develop Facilities.
Declaring that transportation Il
the trunk of defense" Mr.. Conry
said the first thing that should b'
done to give comfort for the Dis
trict and success for the Nation
is to ban parking on the street,
as a public nuisance" Second
be suggested the Commission
ers be authorized to provide of
street parking facilities either abov'
or below ground when reasonably
evidence Is submitted of demand
to use such space on payment OF
fair rental"
His third proposal was that th'
Interstate Commerce Commission
be requested to confer with Dis
trict. railroad and transit official
as to the practicability OF building
and operating through tunnels o
open cuts around the congeste'
section, system of speedy trans
portation for residents of tn
suburbs.
One-half of the total cost Q
building and operating an improve
transportation system, Mr.. Conr
said, should be paid by the Fedora
Government, since such an i'm
provement would be defense meas
ure as we'll as public necessity.
Improper parking of automobile
he told the subcommittee, ha