Evening Star Newspaper, January 13, 1929, Page 62

LATED over improvement in Washington’s motor vehicle accident record in 1928, Traffic Director William H. Harland already has set out, al- though the new year still is in its christening robes, to devise plans to bring about even greater re- sults in 1929. Mr. Harland has several schemes under consideration, the most drastic of which is aimed at reck- less and careless drivers, particularly those not involved in serious accidents, but responsible to a large extent for the annual crop of crumpled or fenders, broken running boards and shimmying bumpers. This class of driver, in the opinion of the traffic director, has been ignored more or less in the past because of attention given the more important problem of reg- ulating and punishing flagrant violators of traffic rules, who run| down pedestrians, ignore stop| signs and other traffic markers | and otherwise constitute a menace | while at the steering wheel. | Would Suspend Permits. In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. more | dented | The studies thus far, according to the traffic director, show that the District regulations dovetail rather conveniently into the con- ference code. The most radical difference between the two is the system of making left turns, and | this aptpcars to be the only real |bone of contention between the | traffic authorities and some of their advisers. Mr. Harland is | strongly in favor of Washington's distinctive method of making left | turns, but he has learned in his conferences with the traffic ex- perts that there are many who be- lieve the system prescribed in the | model code is the most scientific {and should be adopted in Wash- ington. M Street Problem Continues. Again agitation has been re- newed for improvement in traffic conditions on that portion of M street passing through George- town, but the Commissioners, traffic authorities and the Police Department either are baffled for a solution or because of the pres- sure of other problems have not found time to turn their atten- ‘What Mr. Harland proposes to do is to suspend the permit nr" every driver involved in an acci- determine responsibility. It is his theory that some one is to blame | for every accident, and it might | be in the interest of safety to fix| the responsibility and punish those who cause the minor as well | as the major accidents. A driver | who merely crumples a fender through carelessness, he believes, might later develop into a reck- less driver of the most serious type, unless curbed in the adoles- cent stage. If this plan is adopted, and it | most likely will be in the near| future, there will be no more out- | of-court or curbstone settlements between two drivers whose cars crash on the street and the in- Jjuries are confined entirely to the vehicles. The police would be in- structed to make a complete re- port of such accidents to the Trafic Bureau, and an investiga- tion would be launched immedi- ately to determine responsibility. Permits of both ‘drivers would be suspended during the inquiry. ‘Thus, if no additional punishment was inflicted other than the sus- pension of a permit for three, four or five days, Mr. Harland feels confident this i1 - ynvenience alone probably would be sufficient in most of the minor accident cases to make drivers more careful. Co-operation Credited for Record. The improvement in the traffic accident and fatality records last year was not due wholly to the additional regulations put into the traffic code, or to the extension of the automatic traffic lights, al- though they are deserving of some share of the credit, according to Mr. Harland. Co-operation of the drivers, the police, the courts, the public schools and the press, he said, also contributed much to the success of the continuous cam- ralm throughout the 12 months 0 make the streets a safer place for the pedestrian as well as the motorist. “I cannot too strongly empha- size that there was no single fac- tor responsible for the good traffic record of 1928,” Mr. Harland de- clared. “It was the combination and co-ordination of all agencies vitally concerned with public safety and the motorists them- &elves that deserve commenda- on. “There is, however, considerable room for improvement, which must be brought about this year. ‘The continued co-operation of the motorists, the press, the police and the courts is essential. The schools also should extend their safety education work, for there is the most potent field for the dissemi- nation of the gospel of safety.” Study Model Code. Mr. Harland and his assistant Maurice O. Eldridge are still dis- cussing with the traffic council the model municipal code worked out by the National Conference on Street and Highway Safetv, under the chairmanship of Presi- dent-elect Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce. Section by section this volume is being studied in minute detail with a view to ad- justing the traffic regulations of the District to conform so far as is practicable with provisions of the so-called model. tion to this traffic-snarled thor- oughfare. Extremely narrow for a main| dent, regardless how minor its|traffic artery, M street not only| nature, pending investigation to|carries nearly all the traffic that | crosses Key. Bridge and a major portion of that which uses the Chain Bridge above, but the tracks of the Capital Traction Co.’s Georgetown line as well. In the non-rush hours the traffic is heavy. In the rush hours the street usually presents a picture of an unending jam from Twenty- eighth street to the Key Bridge. Previous appeals for relief for this traffic-stricken thoroughfare brought forth a two-hour parking restriction. It has failed miser- ably. Now only one solution re- mains—abolition of all parking during the rush hours, on the south side in the morning and on the north side in the afternoon. This would create an additional lane for the rush-hour traffic and allow a more expeditious passage of vehicles through the congested area. A prohibition against rush-hour parking also would remove the parking abreast evil, which con- stitutes one of the contributing causes to the present congestion on M street during - the rush hours. Double parking is not tolerated in the downtown con- gested area. Pledge Aid in Tag Round-Up. _ The Traffic Bureau has g}edged its co-operation to the authorities of Arlington County, Va., rounding up residents in that| county driving with District| license tags. Virginia authorities plan to start their drive against automobile owners_in that State who are using District tags Wednesday, the day following expiration of the 1928 Virginia tags. All cars leaving Arlington County via the Key and lehwa{ Bridges bearing District tags will be stopped by the county authorities and un- less a satisfac explanation is given by the driver he will be ticketed to appear in the Arling- ton County Police Court, Both the District and Virginia authorities are aware that a num- ber of Virginia residents have procured 1929 District tags in order to save a few dollars, but Traffic Director Harland points out it will be impossible to stop this practice until Congress passes the pending bill provldm%a cer- tificate of title law for the District, which will enable District authori- ties to obtain the bona fide ad- dress of an applicant for a tag before a machine is registered. The fee for District tags is $1 for all makes of gasoline-driven vehicles. Virginia charges by the weight on a scale of 70 cents per 100 pounds. Thus, the demand for District tags by residents in near- by Virginia. Determine Cost of Tires. The research department of the American Automobile Association has compiled some interesting statistics which show that car owners of the Nation paid an aver- age of one-seventeenth of a cent for every tire mile in 1928. This per mile cost of tires for last year compares with a cost of 1 cent a mile in 1913 and fur- nishes an impressive idea of the development of America’s great tire. industry. in Only Four Cars Surv ive of 31 Exhibited At First National Auto Show Held in 1900 Recalling the first National Auto-| mobile Show, held 28 years ago at Madison Square Garden, New York, Frank N. Nutt, prominent in engineer- | ing circles, and who every year has at- | bel tended a national show, recites some interesting reminiscences. “The first show was held November 3 to 10, 1900,” Mr. Nutt says. “Thirty- one different makes of cars were shown. Eight were steam driven, eight electric and fifteen by gasoline motors. Twelve of the 15 gasoline cars were fitted with single cylinder motors, two with two cylinders and one had three cylinders. “‘Out of the thirty-one makes of cars then on display only four are still be- ing made. “Power plants with one or two ex- ceptions were located inside of the body and under the front or rear seat. The steering wheel made its appearance on | one or two cars, one cdmmentator say- | ing editorially ‘a few have adopted that foreign freak, the wheel, which is in- | convenient and complicated and can- not_compare Wwith the lever. | “The show, sponsored by the A\Ilu-i mobile Club of America, was &n un- qualified success, and the club came in for a lot of praise for the eflicient manner in which it handled ‘New York’s first real automobile show.” “One publication contrasted the ex- hibition with the ‘farce held in 1899 when a dozen vehicles were gathered together and palmed off as an auto- mobile show, at which vigilant guards prevented visitors from kneeling to look under the carriages—and promptly sent away any one exhibiting too much antelligent curlosity.’ “In addition to viewing the cars the visitors were treated to test demonstra- tions in the Garden. These tests were designed to show that the cars would run and could be steered and stopped. “It is interesting now to recall some show. Here are a few: “Tops—mostly none; some canopy. “Fenders or mudguards—metal frame with patent leather sewed over the frame. “Windshield—none; used goggles. “Steering gear—stick or lever; one or and water tank a part of the lamp; electric and electrics. “Drive—chain. ;’ElgmlAmochlnicnl and electric “Ignition—make and break; one or two with jump spark. “Instruments—no speedometer, meters nor gauges.” LICENSE REVOCATIONS INCREASED THIS YEAR Violatiohs of Maryland State Motor Vehicle Law Bhow Considerable Gain. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, January 12.—<Revo- cations and suspensions of driving licenses for violations of the State | motor vehicle laws showed a consid- erable increase this year over 1927, according to Commissioner E. Austin Baughman, ‘The driving licenses of 1,149 mo- torlsts were revoked and the licenses of 2,116 other drivers suspended for periods of from 10 days to 1 year. Aside from arrests made by mem- bers of the State police on the high- ways, 34,474 drivers were warned or reprimanded for unsafe practices or minor breaches of the law. Investi- gators, special deputies and examiners | issued warnings to 3,175 more drivers. The legal examiner of the commis- sion held hearings for 2,264 motor v hicle operators. These hearings re { sulted in the revocation of 150 licenses, t suspension of 437 others and the \ 5 i of the specifications of cars at the 1900 | inistration of 1,569 reprimands. _ | STROMBERG CARBURETOR | Distributors and Official Service CREEL BROS. two _had wheels. "mfimn—mx elliptic or long semi- n i with gas 1811 14th St. N.W. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUARY 13 1929—PART % 16T ST, . CATCH Me.uowy REALLY DESPERATE (¥ TRAFFIC LIGHTS,~, 3 13T ST.~ MORE LIGHTS- WORSE CONGESTION ,GETS HGHWAYS SHON OPENSTOMORRDH Convention of American Road Builders to Be Held in Cleveland. \ Road builders from 30 nations of the world will gather in Cleveland to at- tend the sessions of the twenty-sixth annual convention and road show. of the American Road Builders’' Associa- tion, to be held January 14 to 18, it was announced today by Charles M. Upham, association secretary-director. ‘The representatives from foreign countries will join with road builders from Canada, Pan-America and every State in the Union to swell the at- tendance to a new high mark of 30,000, according to reservation figures. Representatives from far-off China and South Africa have salled some days ago for America. Others will come from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Cuba, Canada, England, Germany and Italy. Mexico will have the largest foreign delega- tion, headed Octavio Dubois, head of the association’s Pan-American di- vision, and president of the National Highway Commission of Mexico. Meet in Groups. ‘The association’s membership, clas- sified as city officlals, county highway officials, engineers, contractors or con- structors, manufacturers and Pan- Americans, will convene in that man- ner, with certain days and meetings set apart for the special groups. ‘The road show, for which some 500 car loads of machinery and materials to be shown here by more than 400 exhibitors are now en route to Cleve- land, will offer the greatest demonstra- tion of road building machinery, ma- terials and methods in the world. Every foot of avallable display space, utilizing eight acres in Public Hall, the Hall Annex and Central Armory, is assigned, according to Director Up- ham, and a number of would-be ex- hibitors have been turned away. The convention week will start Mon- day, with the entire day devoted to the varjous exhibits. In addition to equipment and materials for road- building, there will be instructive ex- hibits by the United States Bureau of Public Roads, the American Associa- tion ‘of State Highway Officlals, the Federal Department of Commerce, several states and Pan-American coun- tries, Mexico will send a valuable col- lection of 200 photographs of that country, including the anclent Mitlan and Aztec ruins. ‘The city officials group, which was formed in Cleveland one year ago, will hold its first annual meeting Tuesday. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, division presi- dent and assistant to the Engineer Com- missioner, Washington, D. C., will pre- side. Mayor to Speak. The Tuesday morning general ses- sion will open the convention pros with an address of welcome to Cleve- land by Mayor John D. Marshall, The response will come from Col. R. Keith Compton, president of the American Road Builders’ Association and direc- tor of public works, Richmond, Va, City Manager Willlam R. Hopkins of Cleveland will discuss the trend of city overnment. He is a nationally- nown authority on the city manager plan. ‘The contractors’ group will meet Tuesday afternoon, ‘The Pan-American sessions Wednes- day will be eagerly watched by all the Southern American nations, as the Pan-American delegates plan to decide on a permanent location for the Pen- American highway, Which already is one-half constructed through Mexico, and all but about 40 miles in Guatemala. ‘The engineers’ group will meet Wednesday afternoon, and the con- tractors will hold their second session. The _count; officials’ grou HAWKINS Has Moved to 1529 14th St. N.W. Decatur 3320 | l be expected. Five thousand or so snow- TRIES:MASSACHUSET TS, AVE .+~ USUAL: DELAY R — *WANTED, To TRADE — BRAND NEW 1929 GADGET-SIX SEPAN - WILL SWAP FOR. THREE-ROOM APARTMENT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF DOWNTOWN {BUSINESS SECTION.” Removal of Snow From Highways Saves Vast Sums to Business During Winter Snow removal on rural roads, largely made possible by the mcuasln‘ mile- age of pavement, this year will save the Nation vast sums of money through elimination of business and social periods of hibernation, it is predicted. Roughly, 125,000 miles of roads wili | be kept open throughout the five months in which heavy snowfalls may | removal outfits, consisting of tractors or trucks,, with preventive measures such as the placement of snow fences, will bring the snow-removal cost to about $1,000,000. Benefits Minimize Costs. Yet this s considered by highway | authorities to be a small outlay in con- | sideration of the benefits that accrue to those communities keeping open their most important lines of communi- cation.” A scant decade ago, snow removal for the most part meant dlgflnl . trench from the farmhouse to the barn. ‘When paved roads proved that mud could be conquered, the aspiration of early Americans for year-around travel became first a possibility and soon a reality. Most paved roads,. with thelr firm, unrutable surfaces, in the 36 States in- URGES COMMONSENSE RULES FOR DRIVING Motor Car Dealer Suggests Some Things to Be Borne in Mind Constantly. Commonsense rules are the best ones to follow whether in city driving or in cross-country touring, according to Rudolph Jose, local motor car_ dealer, who has laid down a few simple rules which, if pursued by all motorists. would result not only in safer but also in_more pleasant conditions. Here, briefly, are some of the things which Mr, Jose believes all drivers con- stantly should bear in mind: Don't think you are the best of all possible drivers. Remember that some- times you, too, may be wrong. Give the other fellow credit for being right now and then. Use hand signals liberally. They are to motoring what the block system is to the railroad engineer. 1t is the worst policy possible to trust to Juck. It usually falls at the last moment, Therefore, take every precau- tion at every danger point, and be cer- tain that the car itself always is in such mechanical condition that it can respond to an emergency effort. Keep to the right. The practice of straddling cartracks and part of the street is dangerous and wasteful of much needed floor space. Always bear in mind that while reck- less speeding may save two minutes in a five-mile trip down town, it also may ym | mean injury or death to one or more persons. Before taking the chance, stop and figure out whether it's worth while. That is the course of no regrets. will hold forth Thursday, with its pres- ident, Thomas J, Wasser, Jersey City, N, J., in charge. The manufacturers will also meet Thursday morning. Thomas H. MacDonald, chief of the United States Bureau of Public Roads, will share honors with Senor Dubois of Mexico in presiding over the Pan- American sessions. A number of spe- cial receptions, teas and social honors will go to the foreign delegates while in Cleveland. Senator-elect John G. Townsend, former governor of Dela- ware, will speak at the road builders’ annual banquet for 1,000 _guests Wednesday evening at the Hollenden Hotel. The Hollenden and the Public Auditorium will house all the meetings and social affairs of the week. End Your-Gear Troubles Tranamission;and!ResrpASLS Ttoublel'fAro'.Duc:tF Faulty Lubrication. o W g Ask for Ebonite-T, for transmis- sions and 'EBONITE-R for “rear axles” and you will have scientific | gear lubrication. EBONITE i S {(Combination \nll Pure 'Ofl) cluded in the snow belt, are traversed by plows shortly after the snowfall reaches a depth of five inches or so. Michigan, typical of the States of heavy falls, pays out about seven per cent of State road maintenance funds for snow removal. For this sum, three months or more are added to the period of usefulness of several thousand miles of roads. Gas Tax Repays Minnesota. C. M. Babcock, commissioner of high- ways, Minnesota, points out that in his State last Winter $520,000 was spent | for snow removal in three months. During this time, the gasoline tax col- | lections amounted ta $830,000. Only a fraction of this sum could have been expected if the snow had mnot been shifted. Further, it indicates an eco- nomic stability that could not have been obtained otherwise. Coach - - = - - In Economy—against small light cars, whose chief appeal is s o A (/p, economical operation, and which do not contend for per- P b bt L formance distinction. TownSedan - - = - 850 Roadster « - « « : m ADva FEATY Here is a challenge that rings with fulfillment. Its bid is to all who would own the best, and no car is excepted. In Fast Getaway —against the champions of any price class. In Speed—anything the road offers up to 70 miles an hour. In Endurance—60 miles an hour all day long is being proved by thousands. In Hill-climbing—give it the hardest task you know. In Size and Roominess—match with big cars of large passenger capacity. In Appearance and Smartness—compare it with the costly cars, in which high price is paid for just those things. 4.81 MOTOR CARS LISTED FOR EACH HIGHWAY MILE World’s Records Also Show Aver- age of 59.91 Persons Are Car- ried by Each Vehicle. ‘There are 4.81 motor vehicles to every {mile of highway in the world and 59.91 persons to every automobile. ‘The road mileage in the United States is almost equal to that of the rest of the world. This country has 3,005,- 614 miles of roads, as compared tc 6,582,001 in the entire world. ‘There are a total of 31,617,615 motor vehicles in the world, of which 25,001,- 625 are located in North and South | America, and 23,386,542 of this num- ber in the United States. ‘The range in the number of persons to every motor vehicle is from 5.1 in the United States to 64,1026 in Ethiopia. France has 36.6 persons to every car. Germany, 734, and the United Kingdom has 2 2 NCep REs Step on it, but safely, comfortably m’t}‘hec;m?mltcgllx @ at_is the m e Twenty- ninth National A:t‘;n‘l;bflt Show ‘zt New York. broadcast to 25,000,000 mo- torists for 1929. The motor world has set out to make speed practical—a task that has called for drastic redesign of every important unit of the engine and chassis. | Sustalned speed calls for abundance of power, and to meet this demand the industry has offered 17 chassis models with engines developing 100 horsepower or more. Safe speed calls for dead accuracy in steering and stability under all road conditions, many manufactur- lers therefore featuring y-proof steering and improved spring control. All-weather speed necessitates water- proof braking systems and greater visi- bility, & requirement that has been met by inclosed, internal expanding four- wheel brakes and the steel or steel- wood body. Speed Stressed at Show. Speed was stressed to such a point at the New York show it definitely al- tered the outward appearance of cars. Hoads were longer, not only on the | eight new straight eights but on & num- ber of the sixes as well. Bodies are hung still lower on several cars to pre- vent sidesway, while one of the new models revealed hood louvres extended to the sides of the cowl—a suggestion of provision for extra ventilation for high-speed driving. Ten chassis models at the show were rated at 125 horse- power or more, not counting one of the foreign cars of German make that rates 140 horsepower when the super- charger is operated. That this is to be & year of forward marching was graphically demonstrated by the offering of a companion car to a_high-grade make eiulpped with a de- vice to prevent rolling backward on hills. Those of a mechanical turn of mind will be interested to know that this long-awaited safety device fits be- tween the transmission and the pro- peller shaft brake, acting as an suto- matic brake on the drive flne to prevent backing except when the driver is in {gverse gear and desires rearward mo- ion, Although the widely anticipated | front-wheel drive car was not ready in time for the annual automative event at the Grand Central Palace two brand-new makes and a third of long standing joined two other makes al- ready in the fleld with four-speed trans- missions. Internal gears were found in the four-speed gear sets, as well as in the new transmission of & three- speed car, a development which offers speedy shifting, as in the case of the synchronized meshing of gears used on two other leading makes. Choke Sets Throttle. One manufacturer has equipped his 1929 models with a choke that auto- matically sets the throttle just right for an efficient and speedy start. Another arrangement found on a leading line provides a means of stopping the en- trance of raw gasoline into the cylin- ders the instant the engine starts. ‘The automobile public came close to seeing a two-speed selective gear trans- mission at the show when an estab- lished maker offered a three-speed transmission with two highs, the lower of which can be used for starting. Fifty-five miles an hour in the lower of the two high gears is claimed. A strictly low gear is retained, but is in- tended for use only in eme: fin:m. By using these “top” higl d a result of the high rear axle ratios that are provided on direet drive, the motorist will he able to run faster en SPEED,WITHSAFETY AND COMFORT ! ; MOTIF OF NEW YORK AUTO SHOW Seventeen Models With Engines Developing 100 Horsepower or Over Offered by In&ustry. as | the present decision going further [ boulevards and speedways, yet with approximately a 25 per cent saving on the engine, including a comparable sav- ing on gas and oil. A careful check of the rear axle reduction ratios will show that most of the new cars, re- gardless of the transmission type, are geared higher. Usable Speed Is Aim. In former shows extravagant claims were made for hill-climbing ability, but the latest motor exhibit reveals che ple- ture as having changed in favor of speed ability. The new products are equal to any reasonable hill hecause of such improvements as dual carbure- tion, higher compressioin, twin igni- tion, positive fuel supply by pumps or vacuum boosters, enlarged cooling area, heat resisting valves, aluminum alloy pistons and non-dragging brakes, but they are not being designed for stunt work on up grades. Usable speed is the alm. ‘The increase in horsepower output of most of the engines has been ob- talned through the addition of cylin- ders, increase in bore, improvements in valves, lightening parts and instal- lation of improved carburetion. In some instances the greater displace~ ment of most of the motors merely takes care of the added welght of the longer chassis and heavier bodles of the new jobs. Very definitely the industry has aban- doned the idea of the small European type car, which was indicated two years ago and which appeared to be losing ground at the 1928 exhibition. The 1929 car is bigger, longer and heavier, It is built to get somewhere, to hold the road and to give its occupants a sense of security never before enjoyed. This trend has progressed to the point where there are 26 chassis with wheel bases of 130 inches or over, and one maker has definitely announced continuation of a line of bodles which were criticized in 1928 as being clumsy. Because there is more room inside for passengers, the manufacturer finds the public is stead- ily coming to appreciate the produet. Those who delve deeply into trends in body design, which now are elosely linked_with_chassis_features, maintain " (Continued on Seventh Page.) OVERHEAD RAIL CROSSING OPINION IS RENDERED Holds State May Compel Roads to Build Them With Due Regard for Safety. A decision of importance to mo- torists of the country, from a stand- golnt of safety, has just been rendered )y the United States Supreme Court, holding that a State has authority to compel railroads not only to build over- head highway crossings, but that they must be built according to specifica- tions and with due regard to safety, according to a reFort of the decislon made by the legal department of the American Motorists’' Assoclation. The railroad cannot prevent the ex- ercise of a State’s police power by the excuse that the change from grade crossings to overhead crossings would interfere with interstate commerce or lead to the bankruptcy of the rallroad, the court declared. The present de- cision broadens a similar decision ren- dered previously that a railroad could be forced to build overhead crossin, holding must be built with due regard hicular safety. that the overhead cmmbl __.20,Cents a Shot! At Filling lnuon_luxd_ofiiig‘l; i SONOIL'WORKS These are but a few of the 76 ad- vanced features which a million Super-Six owners are appraising in Essex the Challenger. Come . ' examine and drive it. It will not Hear the radio Program of the *““Hudson- only win your endorsement, but Essex Challengers™” every Friday evening LAMBERT-HUDSON MOTORS CO. DISTRIBUTORS—PHONE DECATUR 2070 Cor. Fourteenth and R Streets N.W. Service Station, 24th and M Streets N.W, METROPOLITAN DEALERS I C. Barber Motor C:». Universal Auto Co., Inc. Saunders Motor Co. Sd:ult':a": xohr Co. . Lincoin l.(u 14th 3208 M St.—West 144 challenge your ownership inter- est against any value that motor- dom may offer. —C Columbla