Evening star., 1942-09-17
!. Speeding
Continued from FIRST Psge. }

one Of the offenders was driving
car with Government tags and that
his fine WAS $l0.
That's not enough" the Secretary
said. Government employees ought
to be soaked. I think We lemployes)
ought to set IN example. How can
the average driver Be expected to re-
gard the request I. OF the Federal
Government. II the man who draws
HIS pay from the Government dis
regard it7"
Asked what he intended to do
shout 1t, Mr.. Ickes voiced uncer-
tainty. He said park police expend
time and energy fruitiessiy making
arrests9 II inadequate punishment Is
neted out.
I'VE ought to, make it hurt" he
concluded. e.s
Secretary. Ickes' letter to Judge
Barse follows:
Until the sBaruch Committee was
appointed by the President, to find
and report to him the facts with
respect to the rubber situatlen, high
0mcials In the Government tnclud-
lag. the President himself, had been
pleading with the public to keep
their cars down to q limit Of not to
exceed 20 miles an hour. AS a re-
suit Of the representations Of the
Hal1leh Committee, an effort now Is
being made to. persuade people to
keep their speed down to IS miles
sn hour or under. d
Park Speed Reduced. SO
Several months ago we posted
otir parkvays for 40-mile speed
LIMIT. From my own observation
Vas aware that some drivers were
exceeding this limit. Accordingly,
several days ago, gave instructions
to the park police to make arrests
m any one whom they caught in
the act Of driving faster than 20
miles. Then, on Saturday, after
the President had adopted the 35-
Mile-an-hour speed limit recon-
mended by the Baruch committee,
my orders. were. changed to arrest
any driver going more than IS miles
an hour The police have been
uAAkin1 arrests and doalbtless cases
soon Will be coming before your
court.
cit seems to me that, any driver
Who viii -wtlfully and contentiously
ignore an appeal from the .Presi-
dent. which. II complied with, would
have the effect of saving both .sasc-
line and rubber, has earned for
himself the term: stacker He has
no right to be regarded as q loyal
and patriotic scitizen. Yet, from
reports that come to us, this situa-
ton exists In all parts OF the coun-
try. I know. that In driving from
py farm In Maryland, until recently
at 40 miles an hour, during the last
several months, have been passed
BY car after car believe the only
way to deal with this fragrant dis
regard OF the public welfare is to
Impose severe penalties. It seems to
me to be especially desirable IN the
Capital City Of the country that
motorists who disregard the speed
regulations be made to feel the
ACdFy VI tllC AdN-
U. S. Employees Assailed.
'1t further seems to me that law
less Government employees should be
more heavily penalized. The other
day one park policeman stopped two
Government employees on a park
way. One was driving at a speed oi
80 miles an hour, and the other
1t So miles. One of them was
actually in car bearing a Gov.
ernment license plate. am per.
sonaliy calling this dereliction o.
patriotic duty to the superior o.
each man, but more than this i
needed to make. such people realiI.
that they have . double duty-ons
to conserve gasoline and rubber, tn,
other to set = good example to fel'
low motorists.
s.I have ordered the signs in al
our parkuays changed 20 that here
after IS miles win be the spec.
limit. This Is in conformity Will
the suggestion IN the Baruch re
port. / shall continue to keep extr,
policemen on our parkways with in
structions to hail into court ever
possible motorist exceeding the limit
hope the court will cooperate b
tmposins such penalties as will per
suAde these slackers that the Gov
ernment regards the saving OF gaso
lire and rubber as q serious matter.
Gov. Darden is calling q speci,
session OF the Legislature to act o
. plan wiping out the public del
ind to consider other wartime leIi.