Evening star., 1951-12-28

Questions of liability for dam
aged vehicles and compensation
for tow truck operators have
temporarily snagged District plan
ming for the opening of main
traffic arteries in the event of
another snow emergency. But a
subcommittee of the Commission
ers' special committee on snow
storm traffic has been directed te
report before January Is or
whether the automobile clubs anc
private garages can work out g
plan for pooling public and pri-
vate towing facilities to clear Sc
key streets.
Traffic Director George E
Keneipp, chairman of the COM
mItee, set up the smaller group
yesterday. after hearing indorse-
ment of the snow storm traffic
plan from Representatives of ad-
joining communities in Virginia
and Maryland. The suburban
spokesmen, for their part, promised
to get to work promptly to CO.
ordinate plans with those of the
District to avoid such a traffic
tieup as occurred in the Wash
ington area on December IA.
= Opinion on Liability.
Mr.. Keneipp said Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West has given
an informal opinion that garages
are liable for damage to cars that
might be moved, even under a
policeman's direction, to clear
streets. Sometimes it is necessary
he said, to break glass to get into
a locked car to release the brake
and shift the car out of gear SO
it can be moved. In some cases
a weakened bumper may break
when lifted by a crane, he said.
Mrs. S. Gordon. of Reds K-F
Sales Co. one of the two round
the-clock towing services here
confirmed this. She said her firm
has contract with the Park Pc.
lice to remove cars along Consti.
tuition avenue and Memoria,
Bridge. Her company now is set.
tling a claim for damages by tn,
owner of a car that was moved
during the December IA storm. sht
said.
Mr.. Keneipp said the subcom.
mittee. in obtaining sentiment or
what the private tow truck oper.
ators would be willing to do, woulc
have to presume that the garage.
are legally liable. 1t was suggested
that their compensation should b,
sufficient to cover claims thai
could be anticipated.
Primary Responsibility.
Charles F.. Pratt of the American
Automobile Association and Err
nest R. Brett of the Keystone Au.
tomobile Club agreed they have {
primary responsibility to theil
members to answer their call
first.
William F. Xanten, superintend
ent of the Sanitation Division
which would be charged witt
clearing the streets, declared
Suppose you couldn't get to YOU
members? We're talking about {
problem far worse than existed OF
Friday eDecember 14. Then, W,
were tied up for matter O.
hours, but if we had had a 10.
inch snowfall while those car
were tied up, we'd have been hele
up for several days. What then?
Mr.. Brett and Mr.. Pratt ex
pressed the opinion that privat,
garages would be willing to hel,
out. provided the question of liza,
bility could be solved. They alst
said tow truck operators shoule
be compensated.
7 Fire Equipment Problem.
! In response to a question, Firt
Marshal Raymond Roberts sait
the fire department would pre-
fer having main arteries cleared
even if the vehicles are towes
to side streets and left blockini
the roadway.
THAT is," he added, provided
we could get to within blocl
lof o fire. The last time we hat
~