Evening star., 1942-09-01

had had time to report. About 90
per cent of the Commerce workers
are due at their desks at $50.
The Civil Service Commission said
that the great majority" of en-
ployes were on time, but that some
living in the outskirts had not ap-
peared for work at 9:45, an hour
after their usual starting time En-
ployes due in at 7:45 also were late,
1t was added.
Loads Heavier After Test.
Streetcar and bus traffic on most
lines moved close to it's usual pace,
following the test. Vehicles carried
much heavier loads. however, as
those stopped by the alarm and
those who usually 60 to work after
O'Clock attempted to get down.
town at the same time. This de-
layed many who could not board
packed bus or car.
TRAFFIC, which was back to normal
at Fourteenth and F streets NV.
before . O'Clock; was not as seriously
jammed IS had been expected, ac-
cording to police and transit COM
pany inspectors, because of the
great number of persons who had
gone to work early to avoid the
test.
On Constitution avenue. in the
vicinity of the War and Navy Build
ings, the flow of traffic began pick
ing up about $50 am. and reached
q peak about tbs. The increase In
the number of vehicles amounted
to at least so per cent during the
hour before the alarm, according to
policeman on traffic duty.
Just before 7:30, however, the VOL
ume of traffic fell off sharply and
when the sirens sounded there were
few vehicles moving.
Rosslyn Cars Rerouted.
Vehicular traffic was congested at
some points, however, when the rush
to downtown Washington started
with the all-clear. The flow from
Virginia over the Key Bridge was
such, for example, that the Capital
Transit Co. stopped sending cars
across the bridge to- the Virginia
terminus in Rosslyn. During the
peak of the rush the carriers were
stopped in Georgetown at Wisconsin
avenue and headed back east on
M street.
Chief Afraid Warden William
J. Mileham reported better warden
coverage than any previous daylight
test. He commented particularly on
the large number of women on duty,
most of them members of the now
developing daytime shift.
At the Districts new subcontrol
centers, volunteers underwent their
first test. A few incidents" were
reported by wardens. Oficials said
the volunteers were still "a little
awkward" but that the centers had
been manned.
For many of the people who could
not make their offices, the half
hour drill furnished opportunity for
a second cup of coffee or a thorough
scanning of the newspapers.
The long ground-f1oor corridor Of
the Willard Hotel was as silent as
the streets themselves, although
hundreds of peoeple sat on the sofas.
All of them were buried in newspa-
pers.
Restaurant Business Brisk.
Restaurant owners in the estab-
lishments which had opened early
reported brisk business for break
fast. Guests used to eating break
fast on the run were counseled by
walters to calm down, since they
couldn't 60 any place when they
were through.
Although Mr.. Mileham said he
had noticed more wardens outside
| the downtown area than in it, q
number of wardens who had at
tempted to get to their own Offices
stopped where they were. One was
seen patrolling with his Iunchhag ir
one hand and his morning paper ir
the other.
j. Robert Sherwood, Prince George:
County defense director, said he hae
| ASSSANSa NHOl eSS oA WHY oliC VIVA
ton in the Chillum area. That in,
volved car with District tags
which failed to heed a warden!
warning to pull to the curb. Ths
tag numbers were obtained and th'
owner is being traced through
Washington police, he said.
A Washington bound streetcal
was halted in Hyattsville in front O
the County Service Building ant
about Is passengers kept their seat
during the test. Police made no ef
fort to make them seek shelter else.
where.
Commuter Train Exempt.
Mr.. Sherwood said that becaus,
Of the large rural areas in Primo,
Georges County, no effort has beer
made to have street car passenger
leave their seats.