Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-30
Present Board
Islnodequote,
Council Says
BY AL ALIBRANDO
Star STAFF Correspondent

CHICAGO, Oct. 80. - The
National Safety Council today
advised Washington traffic of
ficials the Metropolitan Area
needs a regional citizens traffic
council.
Paul Hill, manager of the
Field Services Department of
the Safety Council, said the
nature of the Districts Traffic
Advisory Board renders it made
quate TO solve area traffic ills.
Arthur Sundlun, chairman of
the board, agreed that Wash
ington'S traffic problems are as
much an area as local problem
because of the hundreds of
thousands of people from nearby
Virginia and Maryland who
work in the District.
Four City Tour
Mr.. Sundlun and other Dis
trlct traffic officials are on a
four-clty tour studying public
organizations dedicated to traf-
fic safety and solutions of traffic
problems.
Mr.. Sundlun and District Traf-
fic Director George Keneipp
agreed with Mr.. Hill that the
present Metropolitan Area Traffic
Council, headed by Commissioner
Thomas A. Lane, cannot fill the
role of a dynamic citizens group.
The organization today visualized
would include leading citizens
and businessmen from Washing
ton and Arlington, Fairfax,
Prince Georges and Montgomery
Counties.
They indicated the present
District Advisory Board should
be retained but only after its
membership of $50 is reduced and
Streamlined.
Fun- lime Judge
Earlier the traffic officials re-
affirmed their intention to seek
a full-time Traffic Court Judge
after meetings with Chicago
court officials.
Mr.. Keneipp and Mr.. Sundlun
met at length yesterday with
Chicago Municipal Court Chief
Justice Raymond P. Drymalski.
He told the Washington officials
that a full-time traffic Judge is
the only solution to "soft-touch"
courts. He said although Chi.
cago has no men elected as full
time traffic judges he achieves
that result by appointing certain
dedicated" men to the traffic
bench for long periods of time.
you need the right man,
someone who is dedicated and
untouchable," he advised.
| Mr. Sundlun said he agreed
with the Chicago Judge and that
the advisory group. already on
record as favoring a full-time
judge. now only needs to deter
mine for how long a period the
judge should serve.
Now on 6-MOnth Term
He pointed out that Num-
icipal Court Chief Judge Leonard
p. Walsh now is appointing
judges to the traffic court for
lsix-month periods. II don't
think that's long enough or a
solution to the problem" he
said. ION the other hand, the
presidential appointment of a
Judge is for 10 years and I don't
know if any human being could
take trffic court for that long"
Judge Drymalski said one of
his judges on the traffic bench
for little more than two years
was about ready to crack up"
and would be reassigned to
civil court.
With Mr.. Keneipp and Mr..
Sundlun on the study of other
cities traffic problems are Fred
.erick Haller. vice chairman Of
the advisory board. and Anthony
Ellison, trsffic safety officer.
Yesterday the District officials
met with Franklin Sturdy, di-
rector of the Chicago Citizens
Traffic Safety Board. A group
of private businessmen formed
the organization in 1851 to act
as a watchdog on Chicago's
Tagging traffic reform movement.
The group has a budget of about
$l50.000 a year contributed by
business firms.