Evening Star Newspaper, December 30, 1928, Page 52

ITH the recent installa- tion of traffic light sig- nals in the business sec- tion of the city, and fmore to follow, the need of pedestrian control is more ap- parent than ever. Legislation to arrest any one who attempts to cross an intersection against a ved light should be put into en- actment immediately. Far above the even flow of traffic is the menace to life and property. While such regulation is being considered licemen should be placed at these intersections to warn all pedestrians to cross only on the green signal. One visit to he intersections in the congested Zone should demonstrate clearly to any one the need of pedestrian | control. Pedestrian Control. The motorist can cross only mpon the green light. But what is ke to do when the light is green and the crowds keep surging scross his pathway? Unless the regulation is really enforced in the | mear future many tragic accidents | will result. The director of traffic has fa- wored such 2 regulation for many months. He is working for the safety of all. His recommenda- tion should be adhered to. ‘The next installation of lights 1s scheduled for upper Fourteenth street on New Year day. This will be followed by installation on E street. With the announcement that many of the new automobile mod- els are to be equipped with radio, a subject of serious consideration scomes up before Mr. Harland. {There is no question in his mind that the using of radio while a machine is in motion is distracting to the driver of the car and the drivers of other cars in hearing distance. No such regulation now exists that would cover the new condition, but one will be proposed if found necessary. For the park- ‘ed car the radio will be legal, but mot for the running auto. Reciprocity Agreements. An interesting piece of mnews comes from the Automotive Daily News. According to an opinion recently delivered by the secre- tary of the State of Minnesota, the News states, reciprocity agree- ments among the various States, rmitting citizens of one to drive heir motor vehicles in others, in return for similar privileges grant- ed by their home State, is unlaw- ‘ful. The secretary of the State of Minnesota bases his opinion on the clause in the Constitution for- biddinf the various States to enter into agreements with each other in matters affecting inter- state commerce. If this opinion should obtgin ul- timate sanction by the higher courts, there would be immediate necessity for action by Congress ,to make such agreements legal. It is unthinking that at this day we should return to the status of motoring affairs which held when New York and New Jersey were at swords’ points, when Virvinia and Maryland united in denying mo- torists from the District of Colum- ‘bia the rights of the road within their domains, when various other States exhibited the utmost that they could of inhospitality and churlishness. Motoring, continues the News editorially, ought to be as restrict- ‘ed as breathing within the con- fines of the United States. If the legal status of reciprocity agree- ments among States proves to be ‘open to question, we venture to believe that the common sense of the country will demand a prompt remedy, and if it so demands it will receive it. The Daily News’ stand will be ‘unanimous with the rest of the ‘country without doubt, but, con- cerning the controversy, “Why bring that up!” New York Show. More news regarding the New York show follows: When the Twenty-ninth An- nual National Automobile Show opens next Saturday afternoon, January 5, in Grand Central Pal- ace, New York, visitors who have seen many expositions of years gone by will scarcely recognize the interior of the huge building. So remarkable has been the meta- morphosis in producing a setting of grandeur for the cars that the place does not look a bit like its old self. The new grand staircase, built especially for the occasion, In the Motq_r World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. floor to the mezzanine, is now complete. This changes the ap- pearance of the interior materi- ally. It will be a welcome conven- ience for many visitors who pre- fer walking up or down rather than crowding into elevators. In view of the fact that all attend- ance figures probably will be broken, Manager S. A. Miles and the show committee are making every effort to make things com- fortable for visitors. It is by far the most charming scheme of dec- oration and reconstruction yet at- tempted. Beginning this Monday the ex- hibits of parts and accessories will be moved in by the ton, while the cars and chassis will roll in pro- fusely by the middle of the week for the biggest national show in history. A revised list reveals that there will be more than 300 car and chassis models displayed, there being 46 makes of passenger cars and 3 taxicabs. There are also 120 accessory exhibits and 56 shop equipment displays. Of the com- plete car exhibitors, 41 are Amer- ican manufacturers and 5 foreign, European cars being presented at a national exposition here for the first time. Special days for the week are as follows: Saturday, January 3, opening day; Monday, January 7, outdoor sports day and golfers’ day; Tuesday, January 8, interna- tional day; Wednesday, January 9, Army and Navy day,; Thursday, January 10, aviation and engi- neers’ day, Friday, Jaunary 11, theatrical day; Saturday, January 12, municipal and closing day. ‘The show will open at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 5, and will be open thereafter, excepting Sunday, from 10 am. to 10:30 p.m. The shop equipment section, on the fourth floor, will be open to the trade only from 10 am. to 5 p.m., and to the public from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. A special entrance on Park ave- nue between Forty-sixth and For- ty-seventh street will be used for the show, in addition to the regu- lar entrance to Grand Central Palace, on Lexington avenue. Makes of Cars. The following are the makes of cars to be displayed at the show: Main floor, Buick, Chandler, Chev- rolet, Chrysler, Dodge Brothers, Durant, Essex, Graham-Paige, Hudson, Hupmobile, Kissel, Mar- mon, Nash, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Studebaker, Whippet and Willys-Knight; sec- ond floor, Auburn, Black Hawk, Cadillac, Franklin, Gardner, Jor- dan, La Salle, Lincoln, Locomo- bile, Moon, Packard, Peerless, THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. DECEMBER 30, 1928—PART 4% l | GOOD BEGINNINGS, 1.I WILL NoT MY TEMPER ! 3. LIWILL NoT | OVERPARK _ 4.-1 WiLL coME” To AFULL STop KT EVERY SIGN 5. I WILL Nor EXCEED THE SPEED LIMITS ROAD RELOCATIONS SEEN AS ECONOMY Highway Records Reveal Money Saved for Motorists and Government. Relocation of highways, attendant with the laying of pavements, save both the motorist and the Government con- siderable sums of money, highway rec- ords reveal, according to E. E. Duffy, highway educational writer. Samuel Eckels, chief engineer of the Pierce-Arrow, Reo, Stearns-Knight and Stutz; third floor, Auburn, Austin, Black Hawk, Cheverolet, Chrysler, Cunningham, De Soto, Daimler, Dodge Brothers, du Pont, Elcar, Erskine, Essex, Graham- Paige, Hudson, Marmon, Mercedes- Benz, Plymouth, Renault, Reo, Studebaker, Stutz and Vauxhall, and fourth floor, taxicabs, Brad- field, Checker Cab and Yellow Cab. ‘Those residing in central Man- hattan Island and its fringe will have their attention attracted at! night during show week by a flashing electric sign, carried on the lower wing of one of the largest planes ever built, telling the populace about the show. The | letters will be 6 feet high and these will cover the plane’s wing span of 90 feet. The sign will be illuminated by high voltage cur- rent passing through tubes of Neon gas. One set of letters will be imposed upon the other to per- mit change of wording. Arrange- ment for this was made by Capt. Edward Rickenbacker in behalf of the Cadillac and La Salle com- panies. For the first time since the au- tomobile show was started, de- scriptions of cars on display will be broadcast over a coast-to-coast radio hook-up. One of the ex- hibiting companies has arranged for two half-hour programs over the blue network of the National Broadcasting Company. Ray W. Sherman will describe half of the cars on display on January 5 from 9:30 to 10 p.m, and the other half January 7 from 9 pm. to 9:30 p.m. ‘The show committee consists of Charles D. Hastings, chairman; F. C. Chandler and Alfred H. Swayne. S. A. Miles is manager of the show, which is held under the auspices of the National Au- tomobile Chamber of Commerce with the co-operation of the Motor from the main aisle of the first and Equipment Association. Better Financing Me Motor Transport on Stronger Basis “Europe’s motor transportation is in a far stronger position than it was a year ago, due to better financing methods, improved traffic regulation, and the use of vehicles for economic purposes,” says George F. Bauer, manager of the foreign trade depart- ment of the National Automobile Cham- ber of Commerce, in his report to that body issued this week. Mr. Bauer has just returned from abroad after a ten- ‘week visit in Germany, Poland, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, England and other points. “In Poland,” Mr. Bauer reports, “the outstanding need is for motor trucks “The authorities have been urging greater production on the part of the farmer, but this has been held back by Jack of transportation. A carload of fertilizer, for example, requires ten wagons and ten drivers to dgliver it to the farm, or else one wagon and one driver over ten days' time. Obviously the waste of human time and effort 'normous compared with the here s kK ) ervice when trucks are le. The same situation applies with respect to farm products. One will often see & farmer making an all-night trip on a train carrying only two baskets to market. Roads and motor iransporta tion are now seen to be one of Poland’s wchief agricultural needs.” As representative of the International Chamber of Commerce, Mr. attended the highways commiltee of the League of Nations. e “Uniform trafll signs for all Europe are being wor out by the League,” he says. “The bar- rier of language is being overcome by use of pictures. For example, the dra ing of a locomotive will indicate a grade crossing. ‘This movement is expected to simplify and promote iniernational travel. Germany's noted talent in poster design is evidenced in her highway signs, which are very e ive, using the col schyme of red lelters on white back- Qs nd. The chief obstruction to the growth of the bus business is the effort toward government monopoly and the opposi- tion by railroads in some countries. Bus operation can render the best service only if left to the greater initiative of private management and to the larger that all trafic officers must learn 10 crease of 4 per cent over the proflolulrlclnt drivers, to be held in yeary December 18, Tesources of private capital. » ) Bauer | d | rivalrie thods Put Europe “Italy is a striking example of the great improvement in financing meth- ods which have come about in Europe curing the past year. Formerly the dealer had to swing both the financing of his own inventory and the purchases of his customers. ~Facilities are now available for the public to buy cars on | time through financing companies, and this has measurably strengthened the trade. Italy has an excellent financing law whereby such companies are reg- istered and supervised. ‘The state license activities are carried in Italy through the Royal Automobile Club, “ih::ch in turn operates through local clubs. “In Latvia there is a notable im- provement in roads. At Riga, for ex- ample, the plank road which was built | during the war is being torn up and re- | placed with modern surfacing. | “In Crechosloval | ing appreciation of the value of the { motor vehicle both for building up the | national prosperity of the country and in_inviting international trade. “Europe is a natural geographic unit, There are, it is true, barriers of lan- guage and tradition which have been in existence for hundreds of years, These have been to a latge extent the result of the scparation of peoples be- cause of the lack of transportation. All the progressive elements in Europe are working for better communication, for the profits of co-operation and for | doing away with the costliness of | there s a grow- || Pennsylvania Deparment of Highways, asserts that in the last few years re- locations brought about by new high- way paving have shortened Pennsyl- vania roads by 210 miles. Mr. Eckels estimates that this travel distance saved is worth more than $10,000,000 annually to the users of Pennsylvania highways. Relocations, highway authorities point out, are not always feasible, but fre- quently new alignments can be made that make for straighter and safer travel. For instance, Colorado has just completed a 73-mile concrete pavement between Denver and Colorado Springs— an up-to-date highway that is not in- terrupted by a single railroad grade crossing. Five of the original 13 cross- ings were eliminated simply by reloca- tion of the highway. Efficient highway bulldin for a thorough study of all conditions and circumstances before the pavement is laid. Modern highway builders, in considering the location of a pavement, no longer take the original right of way for granted. The roadway is surveyed and if practicable it is shortened. Hun- dreds of miles of travel are wasted daily because of roundabout routes and “hap- penstance” engineering of other days. Prof. T. R. Agg. nationally known highway engineer of Iowa State College, after conducting a lengthy study of wasted travel, declares that tremendous savings are possible by making travel more direct. His figures show that if a highway carries about 1,000 cars a day, or a total of 365,000 tons of traflic a year, each foot of distance saved to traffic will justify an expenditure of at least $60 for road shortening—that is to say, it would be strict economy to spend $316,800 to shorten a road by a mile. So in addition to the regular benefits, pavement projects also bring the likeli- hood of shortening the roadway to the least possible distance. money saved to the motorist, who is also the taxpayer, and to the Govern- ment through lowered maintenance and construction costs, now calls IMPROVED ROADS HELD FARMERS’ BIG NEED in Solving Problem of Marketing. Improved highways in the rural areas will go far in helping to solve the much-diseussed problem of farm relief by bringing the farmer in closer touch with urban centers, according to the American Automobile Association. ‘Tha national motoring body pointed out that while 5,007,124, or more than ope-fifth of all motor vehicles, are farm owned, only 7.5 per cent of all farms are located on macadam, concrete or brick highways. “While it is true,” says the A. A, A, “that the Federal-aid system has done much to connect up important high- ways and make education facilities and modern conveniences available to the rural resident, there is still a great need for connecting roads in the na- tional network of highwa, This is-strikingly shown by the fact per cent of farm e located ed dirt roads, with 31.3 per cent on improved roads and 149 per cent on gravel Toads. “Economists have long claimed that transportation is one of the bas tors of prosperity on the farm,” the statement continues. “Therefore, if adequate highways are built to serve the farmer, with the steady increase in the number of farm-owned motor ves his own products, sell to roadside mar- kets and in many ways enjoy the eco- mmair independence to which he is en< Fatalities Break Records. 'POLICE TAUGHT AUTOING. PARIS (#)— ive an au- tomobile is now a requirement for all new Paris policemen The rule is simply that candidates who can drive get th ference in | appointment, but_the ct has been i to make men get driving licenses before i applying. | “Since there are only a million cars in France, there are few men in the ranks who can drive, but the number has been increased by the requirement cars, Despite the combined efforts of Fed- | eral, State and city governments to ve ¢ automobile ~accidents, | during the four-week period ending De | cember 1 broke all previous record: according to data compiled by the Cen sus Bureau and reported by the Amer- ican Motorists' Association. During that | perfod 737 deaths resulted from auto- mobile accidents in the 77 largess cities of the United States, compared with 618 deaths the same period of 1927. For the year ending December 1, 1928, there were 7,348 automobile deaths, an in- January 4% Receves ParkinG Tieker This means |, Cheap Transportation Seen as Aid| hicles, the farmer will eventually move | fatalities ; BAD ENDINGS. p 2 05[/@ 2.1 WILL REMEMB, ’ VERY THING /. JANUARY 5 = No OnNE’ BY BouLt By William “I resolve to obey the traffic regula- tions, exert the utmost care while driv- ing and at all times be considerate of all other motorists and pedestrians dur- ing the coming year.” This New Year resolution should be made by motorists of the National Cav- ital. If adhered to, the streets of Washington will be safe for all fre- quenters and the year 1929 will be a year bordering on the millennium. It is my hope that this city will lead all others in the reduction of fataliti:s and accidents. It is now headed to- ward that enviable position, Baltimore alone, I believe, having a better per- centage of the cities of more than 500,- 000 population. Traffic Lights Big Aid. ‘The traffic lights are a great assist- ance in cutting down the number of accidents. Records kept of streeis where they have been installed have proven this conclusively. More lights are to be installed, including the busi- ness sections. The public by now is well acquainted with them. ‘This leaves it up to the motorists and pedestrians themselves, First of all, regulations must be complied with. They have carefully been formulated along necessary lines for safety and an easy flow of trafic. These factors can- not be insured if the rules are not obeyed. Utmost care in driving means what it implies. Taking chances, being negli- gent and not being alert cannot pos- sibly constitute careful driving. Care- ful “driving also means taking proper care of the car. For a driver who does not ascertain at frequent intervals that IN SIGHT — SNEAKS A NEW YEAR MESSAGE A Resolution That Every Motorist in the District of Columbia Is Asked to Make for 1929. Director of Traffic. VARD SToP SIGN H. Harland. 'his machine is in proper condition can- not drive carefully. ‘Thirdly, consideration for other mo- torists and pedestrians is a requisite for safe driving. The driver who drives his ear without any regard for the other fellow is liable to have other faults. He does not care. Therefore he cannot be careful. He will not give signals upon turning, he will try to enforce in any manner his right of way, or what he | thinks is his right of way. He is hound to be reckless. Few Willful Drivers. In the above paragraphs I have not mentioned the willful law violator. I am of the opinion that Washington has only a smali number of this kind. Any message to them would but fall on deaf ears. The only way to reach them is by law enforcement. This function daily is being attended to by my as- sistant, M. O. Eldridge. The undesir- ables are being weeded out. But it is the motorists who at times forget to remember the niceties of driv- ing with whom I want to communicate. A few hints to them is all that I believe necessary. ‘They want to drive cor- rectly and as rule do, but one moment's carelgssness can cause untold troubl Bel director in any city is not an easy task. It is not easy, it is impossible to get every one to agree. Many of the world's greatest resul were obtained through compromi But one cannot compromise with safei; After all, that is what I am working for. Won't every one help me in that | task? It is a great work, and its rec- ompenses worth having. I sincerely wish to every one a happy and safe new year, STATE GAS PRIGE RIGHT T0 BE FIXED Question of Regulation of Rate Now Before U. S. Supreme Court. The right of a State to regulate the price of gasoline—a question of vita interest to the motorist of the Dist: ~just argued before the United States Supreme Court, will soon be decided by that tribunal, according to the legal department of the American Motorists’ Assoclation. ‘The case was appealed from Ten- nessee, where by an act of the State Legislature, the State was given au- thority under its police power to fix the price of gasoline, on the ground that transportation is a necessity for the public and that gasoline is essen- tial to the motorists of the country. Oil Companies Attack Law. ‘Two oil companies attacked the State law as being unconstutional and an in- junction was obtained against its en- forcement on the ground that it vio- lated the due process of law clause in ! the fourteenth amendment. The State appealed. “The decision of the United States Supreme Court will be of vital interest to the millions of motorists of the country,” Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the association, declared. “The Tennessee case is in the nature of a test case and should the United States Supreme Court uphold the va- lidity of the State statute, thus permit- {ting a State to fix gasoline prices, it le‘;‘e enable other States to do like- 1 wise, ot Declared Vital to Motorist. “The fixing of gasoline prices in many instances will mean a saving to the motorist in his gasoline bill, while in other instances It may mean that | the motorist must pay more for his gasoline, inasmuch as the fixing of a price sometimes stifles competition and | competition often brings lower prices," | Mr. Keefe points out. “The decision, whether 1t sustains the State’s con- tended right that it can regulate the price or denles it, will be of vital in- | terest to the motorists of the country, who anrually use more than 11,000,~ 000,000 gallons of gasoline.” RENEWS RACING INTEREST A. A. A. Launches Plan to Restore Contests as Major ‘Sport. i The contest board of the American Automobile Association has launched | plans to renew interest in automobile i racing and to restore it to ils rightful place as a major national sport. As its first move, the official guardian of automobile racing announced the A. A. A technical committee for 1929 and plans for a conference between members of this committee and auto- motive manufacturers and their rep- resentatives, as . well as prominent Detroit AUTO NOVELTIES AT BERLIN SHOW Abundance and Diversity of Features Exhibited at Exposition. The great international auto show in Berlin, which attracted more than half a million visitors, exhibited an abundance and diversity of features | quite bewildering. But one definite im- pression that remained was that the German automobile industry has again caught up with the foreign industry in both technical and economic respects. It is especially worthy of note that the sensational novelties exhibited were all shown by the German industry. Three of these attracted particulat notice. These were the semi-automatic gear-shift of the NAG; the “Rohr” car, with its small eight-cylinder motor and the small DKW car of the Zschoppauer Motor Works, which have so perfected their two-cycle motor that their four- cylinder automobile is equipped with it. Interesting Novelty. By far the most interesting novelty was the semi-automatic gear-shift passenger cars. It makes it possible to apply the brakes without throwing the motor out of gear and to start in high. The high gear can be thrown in at the start and need not be touched, no matter how often one must stop at street crossings or slow down to a walking pace. The 8-cylinder auto of the Rohr Auto Co. is the first which this firm has put on the market. With an 8-cylinder | motor giving 50 horsepower, consump- | tion of gasoline amounts to only one - gallon for 20 miles. The body of the car lles low, and the axle' construction is utterly new. The forward axle is | replaced by two parallel springs, and each wheel has vertical play, thus! minimizing bumps. With a price of 7950 marks for the two-seater and 8,250 marks for the four-seater cabrio- | let, this was the cheapest 8-cylinder car shown at the exposition. D. K. W. Is Inexpensive. The 4-cylinder D. K. W. car of the Zschoppauer Works is a larger brother of the 2-cylinder 2-cycle-engined small car brought out last Spring. At 4,000 marks it is also one of the cheap autos, The 2-cycle motor, hitherto used only on motorcytles, is most simple and effi- clent, and gives a high speed and a quick pick-up. ‘The number of small cars has again been increased. In addition to the well known Opel, Brennabor, Dixi, Aga, Hanomag and DKW autos, there were | shown, besides the DKW mentioned al- | ready, & small two-seater Hanomag | cabriolet with a 4-cylinder motor of 16 horsepower, and the new Adler “Favorit” & 4-cylinder car which the Frankfort firm has brought out alongside its “Standard 8.” —. —BY J. T. BERRYM PINCHED FOR SPEEDI AW, WHATS THE USE ! America's 23,000,000 autos daily con- ime, it is said, 32,000,000 gallons of = NG —— AUTO AGCESSORIES OUTPUT HOLDS UP Little Change in Production During Past Two Weeks Is Reported. Little change in production in the parts and accessories division of the automotive industry has taken place during the past two weeks, according to B. H. Cram, president of Cram’'s Auto- motive Reports, Incorporated, industry, authority. While schedules are not taxing the manufacturing facilities of the various plants, they show no incli- nation toward falling below the levels that have been in effect since the early part of November. The chief reason that output does not increase more rapidly is due to the fact that many plants have closed or will soon close for inventory purposes, and while oper- ations are favorable for individual companies, the aggregate output is un- able to increase due to a lack of con- centrated production by the industry as a whole. Original equipment and wholesale business are chiefly responsible for the favorable tone which exists in this branch of the industry. Automobile manufacturers are again ordering on a fairly substantial scale, with commit- ments being currently released, in some cases covering the first three months of the coming year. The preponder- ance of new models which are being turned out by manufacturers resum= ing automobile production on a large scale is sustaining activity in the parts and accessories division of the industry. This activity is expected to increase regularly during the next 60 days, and the close of the first quarter should again find sales and production back on the same basis as existed in the late Sttnmer and early Autumn months. Retail sales may be classified as fair good, with a slightly weakening tendency noted. The current sur- vey shows sales good in 11 centers, fair in 10 and slow in 7. This com- pares with the situation two weeks ago, when sales were good in 12 nreui o *| fair in 14 and slow in 6. The trend sales has changed but little in two weeks. At the present time the trend is up in 9 localities, down in 8 and un- changed in 14. Two weeks ago the trend was upward in 10 localitfes, downward in 12 and unchanged in 10. COMPULSORY MOTOR INSURANCE OPPOSED Recommendation Will Be Made to Governor of Maryland by Special Committee. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 9.—Recom- mendation that the State of Maryland avoid énacting any legislation making automobile insurance compulsory will be made to Gov. Ritchie by the committee appointed by the governor to study the which the NAG will employ for all its | question. The committee was appointed after the discussion of compulsory automobile insurance at the last session of the Legislature, and was asked to report before the next meeting of that body, which takes place next January. Carville D. Benson, State Insurance commissioner and chairman of the committee, said that the committee would recommend that no new legisla- tion be enacted at the coming session of the Legislatute, but that the present laws be enforced in an intelligent man- ner to make automobile drivers show a proper regard for the rights of others. | g, Joseph C. France, one member of the committee, ored the enactment by Maryland of an act modeled on the Connecticut law, sald Mr. Benson. He explained that the iaw in that State provides that when a judgment is ob- talned for demages against the driver of an automobile and that judgment is not satisfled the driver's license is taken from him., He is not allowed, Mr. Benson said, to obtain a license until the judgment is satisfied. “The motor vehicle commissioner of Maryland has very wide powers,” Mr. Benson sald. “We feit that if those powers were used intelligently as much could be done to control the irresponsible driver as could b done with the aid of | any new legiclation which might be | cnacted at this time, considering the experience which is available for study. No: we did not feel that every man accused of reckless driving should lose | his license. We felt that the law could be intelligently administered to protect | th> careful driver and the pedestrian and the gencral public.” . It has pbeen only one generation from horse shed to seven-story garage, says the Boston Herald. ‘The Western Motor Clubs Association has 300,000 members in 16 clubs in Western States, Hawail and an | |SAFETY TREND AMONG DRIVERS OF U. S. REPORTED GAINING Optimism Over Movement Expressed by Auto Association Head—Note of Warning Sounded, However. Optimism regarding the future of the movement for national traffic safety in | the United States was expressed in a | statement broadcast from the national headquarters of the American Automo- bile Association. ‘The A. A. A. statement, issued under the signature of Thomas P. Henry, president of the national motoring body, coupled a strong note of warning with its recital of favorable trends and ten- dencies in the field of traffic safety. “The safety movement in 1928, he said, “disclosed unmistakable and tan- gible signs of progress, but we must be everlastingly conscious of the fact that the roll call of injuries and accidents | continues to be an imperative challenge | to our vaunted sense of civic responsi- bility, to our inventive and engineering skill, and to the educational institu- tions which are doing so much to make the new generation safety-minded.” Survey Is Summarized. Summarizing a Nation-wide survey of safety activities, Mr. Henry declared that the co-operative effort so notice- able in 1928 had been particularly man- ifested in the attention devoted to the education of all classes in safety principles; in the stricter en- forcement of reasonable regulations; in the stricter penalties meted out by the | courts to the reckless and intoxicated | driver, and in the widespread sentiment in favor of the national uniform motor- vehicle code and the municipal traffic ordinance. He continued: “The last few weeks of the year brought two events which added mate- rially to the momentum of safety prog=- ress during the year. I refer to the framing of the A. A. A. safety responsi- bility law, designed to put the reckless and irresponsible driver off the high- ways and to promote the payment of Jjudgments. It now looks as if this pro- posal will meet with a unique degree of national approval. The same is true of a second recent development, namely, the promulgation of the report of the standardization committee of the Amer- ican Engineering Council on uniform signs, signals and street marking. The adoption of these recommendations should accomplish a great deal in mak- ing the Nation sign-conscious. Code’s Progress Slow. “The uniform motor-vehicle code, de- veloped by the Hoover conference on street and highway safety, while admit- tedly one of the greatest safety meas- urcs ever drafted, was slow in gather- ing momentum. ‘This was largely due to the complexity of traffic codes throughout the country, coupled with State and local pride in existing codes. There is every indication, however, that uniformity will not be denied, and in the immediate months ahead I look for widespread adoption of the code. One of the big factors in achieving this is the close co-operation and harmony with which the organizations forming the Hoover conference have worked in 1928 in the national and local fields. “There is one feature of the code which is, in my opinion, all-important and which appears to be gaining adher- ents at a gratifying rate. I have in mind the provision for a driver's li- cense law, now lacking in some 30 States, and which is absolutely neces- sary for the exercise of the requisite measure of control over operators. The growing demand for a driver's license law as a result of our intensive educa- tional campaign last year will in all probability be reflected in action by many of the: Legislatures this Winter. While Pennsylvania is the only State that has enacted the code in its en- tirety, 13 States Lave adopted substan- tial portions of it. We cannot rest on this. We must accelerate action. Demand for Uniformity. “Nowhere is the demand for uniform- ity greater than in our cities. The year brought an important development for the solution of the problem in this field, namely, the municipal traffic ordinance. The ordinance must be regarded equally as important as the motor-vehicle code. Because of the drive made in support of it by scores of A. A. A. motor clubs throughout the country, public senti- ment has been concentrated on its ur- gency, and it is to be hoped that the concentration effected in 1928 will de- velop into concrete action on a wide scale in 1929. “Contrary to what might have been expected in the United States, our cities were slow in realizing the importance of the physical factor in traffic hazards. Until & year or two ago very little atten- tion had been given to the improve- as the widening of streets, the securing of rights of way for wider boulevards and the elimination of bottle-necks The work of the A. A. A. committee on street and highway widening, of which Charles M. Hayes of Chicago is chair- man, exercised a most beneficial influ- ence in this field in 1928 “The 12 months brought particularly gratifying results in the field of educa- tion. ~ Particulerly is this true of the development. of safety education in the schools. The traffic and safety division of the A. A. A.. under the chairmanship of William E. Metzger of Detroit, com- pleted early in the year a study of the child accident problem, and recom- mended a course of study in safety in all public, private and parochial schools. This recommendation had the effect of consolidating and extending the safe work that A. A. A. motor clubs had f years been carrying on in the schools. Safety Lessons Distributed. “At the present moment more than 2,000,000 school children are receiving safety education in correlation with the regular_studies through motor clubs. Some 300,000 school safety lessons and 125,000 school posters have been pre- pared and distributed by A. A. A. na- tional headquarters through its safety department in the last four months. School officials have given excellent co- operation in this work. “The development of the schoolboy patrol is worthy of note. In 400 of the 1,065 cities and towns in which A. A. A. clubs are located schoolboy patrols are now established. There are more than 5,000 patrol units, with more than 150.- 000 boys serving in them. It is esti- mated that these youngsters afford pro- | tection to more than 5,000,000 school children. “As a result of this educational work with the children we now have substan- tial proof that the increase in child in- Juries is not so great as the increase in injuries to adults, thus reversing the situation some years back. This should encourage all communities to support the movement. “One of the most encouraging devel- opments of the last 12 months was the tendency of the courts to impose more severe penalties on the reckless, the in- toxicated and the hit-and-run driver The practice of many of our motor clubs in offering a reward for the ar- res of a driver who left the scene of an accident involving personal injury or serious damage has materially helped the courts in securing valuable evidence, and upward of 250 hit-and-run drivers were convicted and sentenced through the single activity of organized motor- dom in 1928. I C. C. Decision Praised. “The recent decision of the Interstate Commerce Commission abolishing the order pertaining to automatic train con- trol devices and suggesting that the money required for these devices be used for the elimination of grade crossings marked a decidedly forward step in ac- cident prevention. In 1927 a total of 2,371 persons were killed at grade cross- ings, as compared with 202 persons killed as a result’ of train derailments and collisions between trains. Can we question the wisdom of the commission's ruling? Here, however, is a field wherc organized effort has been weak and which demands serious national atten- tion in the immediate months and year: ahead. “Early in the year the A. A. A launched a brand-new safety effort. 1 refer to the movement for ‘safety after- ward’ We recognized that the treat- ment of those injured in automobile accidents was in many instances highly inadequate. We had the co-operation of the American College of Surgeons ‘We appealed to the country at large in behalf of the raising of hospital stand- ards. At the same time we called at- tention in no uncertain way to the am- bulance-chasing evil, whereby shyster lawyers, unscrupulous doctors and their co-conspirators in police departments and among hospital attendants were converting human suffering into gain. The response to this movement, par- ticularly from the legal and medical professions, has been highly gratifying and productive of splendid results. “As I stated at the outset, there were many favorable developments in the safety movement in 1928. They pointed toward the organi2ation of the safety- mindedness of the Nation. They indi- cated that the best thought of the country is being devoted to this gigantic problem. But the grim challenge still rides our traffic lanes and is entrenched at all our cross-roads. The determina- tion to vanquish it should constitute a ment of physical conditions affecting traffic in our cities, such, for instance, solemn New Yeai's resolution for the people of the United States.” Segrave Expects 240-Mile-an-Hour Speed. New Record. at Daytona Beach in March BY WILLIAM E. BERCHTOLD. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (&) he perfect sands of Daytona Beach, which have served as a speed course for the world's fastest racing cars, will be the | scene of the international speed trials of Maj. H. O. D. Segrave, who hopes to set a new record of 240 miles an hour in March. William F. Sturm, American man- ager for Maj. Segrave, chose the Day- tona Beach course as the site of the British speed ace's trials, after con- sidering conditions at Ormond, Jack- sonville and the Island of Sapelo, off the coast of Georgia. The old question of advisability of permitting the public to witness the speed trials came up for discussion again, and decision was made in favor of the racing enthusiast. Safe Course Expensive. “We enjoy having the public attend speed trials of this kind, if we could be assured that they would not in any way be endangered during the fast runs,” Mr. Sturm said. “It is both diffi- cult and expensive to set up a course which will guard the public agains® accident. High speed trials of this nature are really laboratory experiments and the best results can only be ob-| tained when we can provide perfect conditions."” Every effort will be made to lay out a course with full protection for the public, officials in charge of the plans y. ‘The Daytona Beach stra’ghtaway, one of the most beautiful sand beaches in the world, has been the scene of every important world speed record since man exceeded 125 miles an hour In & moter vehicle. Break World Mark. Barney Oldfleld set the world on fire in 1910 by flashing down this beach at the rate of 131 miles an hour. Since that day, Burman, De Palma, Milton, Segrave, Campbell and Ray Keech | have broken that world mark in rapid | suceession. Keech, young Philadelphia speed de- mon, gave the world its latest mark Lo shoot at when he made his dash down the beach at 207.552 miles an hour. It is this record which Maj. Begrave | fopes to break, so that the worid onors may be returned to Great ! Zritain, Mai. Segrave_was the first_man_to EXPERT SERVICE on | Carburetor and Ignition CREEL BROS. 1811-17 14th St. N.W. Potomac 473 A Ly e exceed 200 miles an hour in a racing creation. setting a new world record in March of last year at 203 miles an hour. His new machine, the Golden Arrow. is now under construction in Great’ Britian. It will be completed next month and brought to America early in February. USED CARS ARE TARGETS. of “Wrecks"” Connecticut Roads Sought. Elimination of “rambling wrecks” from the highways in Conneccticut through State regulation of the sale of used au- tomobiles is now being considered, ac- cording to the American Automobile As- sociation. ‘The American Automobile Association says that those advocating the law con- tend that the State might well estab- lish a principle for standardization of the condition of motor vehicles on the highways by setting a time limit and placing cars older than the time set under State supervision. The national motoring body points out that this is another /sign of the Nation-wide interest in the elimination of “rattle-trap” cars from the high- .y Elimination From Scientific Lubrication Get the Most Service and Satisfaction from Your Car. You'll have little or no trouble with the transmission or rear axle gears of your motor car or truck if you use the correct lubricant in the gear boxes. 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