Evening star., 1952-08-24
By james {. Roper

was arrested at Fourteenth and H
streets NV. by Pvt. Pietro Catucci
of the first precinct. Corpl. Farkas
says the policeman told him, We've
had complaints about you-follow me
to the station"
Criminal Chorge
Corpl. Farkas was duly booked and
appeared in court for violating a
police regulations criminal charge.
He was surprised to learn that in
1850 the District Commissioners
adopted regulation which states:
mo person shall park, drive. oper-
ate or leave standing on any street
within the District Of Columbia any
vehicle painted or otherwise adorned
in such manner as to cast reflection,
Scornful derision or ridicule upon any
make or type Of vehicle"
Municipal Court Judge Andrew j.
Howard quickly found Corpl. Farkas
guilty of violating the law. but post
poned sentence until last Tuesday.
BY that time, Defense Attorneys
Charles E. Ford and H. Clifford
Alder had kicked up such a fuss
that Judge Howard granted the Ma
rine a new trial September II.
Lemon Fund
A citizen. q MIR. Leonard Calm,
has mailed Corpl. Farkas lemon
fund" check for $40, and an aged
woman stopped the Marine on the
street, gave him a dollar and said,
Don't let them tromp on you"
The money, and any more he gets.
will be used to finance the defense
which challenges the constitutionality
of the "anti-lemon" regulation. At
torneys Ford and Alder point out
that the regulation seems to pro-
tect only one group up-automobile
manufacturers. They say you can
paint lemon on a horse and that's
legal. Do it to an automobile, and
it's a criminal offense.
The defense attorneys can't find
any other cities that have such
criminal statute, although there are
civil regulations that can be invoked
by any one who feels offended. In
the District, however, the city gov
ernment does the prosecuting.
The first precinct police aren't
saying who, if anybody. complained
against Corpl. Farkas' lemons. But
the defense attorneys claim the
Washington Automotive Trade As
sociation .lobbied the "anti-lemon"
law into being-and very, very
quietly.
Silence PrevoiIs
The automotive association right
now is far quieter than Corpl. Farkas'
engine. Managing Director r. J.
Murphy referred a questioner to the
association president, A. Leftwich
Sinclair, a Dodge-Plymouth dealer.
Mr., Sinclair referred the questioner
right back to Mr.. Murphy, who then
said that nobody but the Board of
Directors could comment on the as
sociation'S activities, If any, in con-
nection with the lemon law.
All three District Commissioners
who passed the law have now left the
District government. It took q long
time to find anybody at the District
Building who would acknowledge any
information about how the law came
to be passed. Corporation Counsel
Vernon West said use Of the regula-
ton came as a surprise to him.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Clark
King, who is prosecuting Corpl.
Farkas, said the regulation helped
protect the aesthetic senses of the
public.
The Office of Geoffrey Thornett.
secretary Of the Commissioners, said
the regulation was recommended in
1850 by Police Inspector Arthur E.
Miller, who has since retired. In
spector Miller, however. told The
Star he actively opposed such q law
on grounds it was unconstitutional.
An anti-lemon law. as traffic reg
ulation, dates back to at least 1899.
It was dropped in 1949. The next
year it appeared as . police .regula-
ton.
After winning his reprieve. Corpl.