Evening Star Newspaper, April 21, 1929, Page 59

s AR PRI . UNFORN TRAFF - LAWSBENG URGED American Engineering Coun- cil in Move to Obtain Action Throughout U. S. Plans to bring about the adoption of uniform traffic practice in every munici- pality of the United States are an- nounced by the American Engineering Council, 26 Jackson place. Through State committees which are being selected the council will urge official recognition of the recommenda- tions resulting from a year's Nation- wide survey by ils committee on street traffic signs, signals and markings. The survey, directed from Washington, cov- ered 35 States and the returns analyzed were collected in more than 100 cities having a population of over 33,000,000 The report of the council’s committee, now available to the public, declares that the practice recommended will by gen- eral use make traffic on city streets both safer and more convenient. Difficulty in enforcement is foreseen owing to the wide variation in the gl‘uc- tice of placing the official responsibility for the selection, placement and main- tenance of traffic signs, signals and markings. Practice Not Uniform. “The practice is so diverse that no general statement relating to it can be made,” the council pointed out in a statement by President Arthur W. Berresford. “In most cities the re- sponsibility is placed upon some branch of the police department. No standard official organization handles questions relating to traffic signs, signals and markings, and this defect is perhaps | one of the most serious features of the present condition. “Some municipalities may have to permit some deviations from the coun- cil's recommendations so as to make them conform to the requirements of State laws. A vast amount of the equipment not in use does not conform substantialiy with the recommendations ‘without excessive cost. “The density of traffic in many cities emphasizes the need of standardizing traffic signs, signals and markings. In | these cities the safety of everyone de- pends upon the instant and full recog- nition of the meaning of the message to be conveyed by the traffic-control devices, but the diversity of use and meaning that now prevails causes great hazard and delay. Policy Carefully Considered. “Every effort has been made to pro- duce a report which is a true expres- sion of the best thought and largest experience. No recommendation has been made without careful considera- tion of every opinion held concerning the regulation of traffic. “The committee has not invariably recommended the practice that is most general, because some of the newer practices, although less common, are deemed better than the older ones. “A local committee was organized in each city selected for study. The mem- bership of these committees included engineers, safety men, automobile club members and representatives of other groups. Carefully prepared question- naires and instructions covering signs, signals and markings were furnished to these committees. “These questionnaires were divided into two parts. The first part was de- signed to elicit certain definite facts. ‘This material was supplied by the city officials in charge of traffic-control de- vices. The second part was designed to obtain an expression of opinion from the members of the local committees as to the effectiveness of the equipment and practices now in use. Effort Made to Learn Defects. “A special effort was made to learn the defects that had caused the aban- donment of any type of equipment or any method. For many cities the opin- ion of the committee was supplemented by that of city officials. “The first part forms the basis of the report, which constitutes a definite traffic code nationally applicable. “Moreover, the committee, through the co-operation of approximately 80 ! local committees, obtained factual data and authoritative comment relating to traffic signs, signals and markings in over 100 cities. “This material was carefully com- piled and formed the basis of the rec- ommendations contained in this report. ‘The compilation contains tables show- ing the number of cities using each type of sign, signal and marking. It also contains statements concerning many related matters, such as colors used, E‘r(ne intervals, safety zones and the e. “Anyone directly interested may secure from the council a copy of Part II, and & report on the volume of trafic which Justifies the installation of a signal.” Committees to urge the acceptance of the code have already been appointed in Florida, Georgia, IHinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis- souri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. | VETERANS GET READY FOR 500-MILE CONTEST | tained. Race Drivers Are Tuning Up Cars for Indianapolis Speed- way Test. Y INDIANAPOLIS (#).—Veteran race drivers, early on the job, are preparing , their cars for the 500-mile international speed classic here May 30. | CUff Durant, millionaire sportsman and an old-timer at the Indianapolis track, was among the first to arrive. Early arrivals also included Dave De- vans, Johnny Seymour, Deacon Litz and Bob McDonough. A dozen cars are un- | dergoing tests at the track. Louis Meyer, winner of last year’s ! 500-mile race, is preparing to drive a new car this year, while Deacon Litz is here with the car that Meyer drove to victory last year. ! _ Qualifying trials will begin Saturday, May 25. Cars must be piloted by the starting drivers for 10 miles at an aver- age of 60 miles an hour or more. En- tries will close midnight May 1. ' Lists Motor Trouble Causes. Motor car ewners who like to diag- nose the zilments of their engines will find many valuable hints in a booklet Just issued, entitled “Facts About Spark Plugs and Engines.” In this booklet engineers have assembled the results of years of study into the causes of a lJong list of motor troubles which per- lex the amateur and sometimes even e professional student of internal combustion engines. The range of in- formation offered is wide. The booklet includes not only a discussion of spark plug construction and possible irreg- ularities in their functioning, but a survey of other parts of the mecha- nism of the modern gasoline motor, as Racing Designs Improved. Still futher advanced signs in the 91- inch rear wheel drive cars are being Preprefl for this year's racing events. . Innovations in rear axle and spring con- struction to decrease unsprung weight are being made to place the rear wheel car on the same level with the front ‘wheel drives, which have attained tre- mendous speeds during the past year. —_— ‘The a ‘bought for of corn necessary to average car in 19i3. 1)@ FEERCER ADGTHECARY SHOD (Title registered U. 8. Patent Office.) FROM this place - oldest dr: store in America-a. faithfi doctor stej to the. of history as General H T dying élonousl in-battleat Princeton.Here for many Washi keptaprivate @ Citizens uild. of rglgshurg. Z ferson, Patrick He; gsfthe Colonies.Here no ~ RISING SUN TAVER;I ATHERING place of patriots blow, and. where,before the /ash: Yorktown . Storied markers which no modern day tras W2 broad. open fireplace vanish er © koericns Fighway Eduestion Barese, Waskingtan, D.C. BOOST IN OIL PRIGE WILL BE RESISTED Motorists Declared Opposed to Making Conservation Excuse for Increase. Car owners of the country, who an- nually spend over $2,000,000,000 for gasoline and oil, favor a constructive program to conserve the Nation’s ofl resources, but will be quick to resent any move on the part of the industry to create an artificial shortage, with the purpose of raising prices to the con- sumers, according to a bulletin issued today by national headquarters of the American Automobile Association. The A. A. A. statement was issued under the signature of its president, ‘Thomas P. Henry of Detroit. Mr. Henry said that the national motoring body is in whole-hearted accord with the pol- icy of President Hoover as far as the oil resources of the public-owned do- main is concerned. “When it is considered,” said the A. A. A. president, “that America has only about 18 per cent of the world’s oil resources and in 1928 produced 68.2 per cent of the world production, it is time to adopt some means of assuring a sup- ply for the future. Artificial Shortage Opposed. “If all elements of the oil industry are sincere in the move to join Pres- ident Hoover in honest conservation of these resources there is little danger of unfavorable reaction on the part of the consumers. If, on the other hand, there develops any indication that the oil interests intend to use conservation as a cloak for the creation of an arti- ficial shortage, the organized car own- ers, through their national and local associations, will be found ready to do battle.,” Mr. Henry cited figures for 1928 to show that there was no unusual excess in the gasoline supply, although there was an overproduction of crude oil. “As a matter of fact,” he sald, “it appeared that refiners did not accumu- late sufficient supplies of gasoline dur- ing the Spring and were pushed to fill orders in Midsummer.” The statement continued: “Gasoline production totaled 377.- 183,000 barrels, or 15841,686,000 gal- lons in 1928, which represents an in- crease over 1927 of 14 per cent. Causes of Increase. “This increase resulted both from in- creased runs to stills and from an in- crease in percentage of recovery of from 39.6 per cent in 1927 to 41.3 per cent in 1928. The increased yield of gasoline from crude oil was due partly to increased cracking activity. “The indicated domestic demand for gasoline in 1928 amounted to 328,832,- 000 barrels, or 13,810,944,000 gallons, an increase over 1927 of 11 per cent. “In view of this situation, it is quite probable that the low point in stocks, 26,378,000 barrels, or 1,107,876,000 gal- lons, on September 30, 1928, represented only working stocks. “Moreover, figures for 1928 show that the supply in storage varied from one sufficient to meet 47 days’ demand in January to 22.days in August, the peak of the motoring season, when there is the greatest demand for motor fuels and lubricants. “However, it is mnatural to suppose that if the oil industry succeeds in cur- tailing the production of crude oil it will naturally diminish the amount of gasoline. “The car owners feel that they bave an unquestioned right to demand that an adequate supply of fuel be main- , based on consumption, and that the move toward conservation not be made a cloak to cover & boost in price for gasoline and ofls.” iy BAD DRIVING HABITS INCREASE GAS COSTS Various Ways Cited Whereby Mo- torists Waste 0il—Care of Car Emphasized. Bad driving habits and improper care of car are usually responsible for ab- normal consumption of gasoline, ac- cording to Frank N. Nutt, research engi- neer, who cites the causes of these faults: Letting the engine run at high speed while idling in traffic. Many drivers have this bad habit. Uneven acceleration, that is, stepping on_the accelerator unsteadily. Racing the engine in spurts when waiting for the traffic “Go” signal. Driving with fouled spark plugs. This wastes about 20 to 25 per cent of the gasoline used for every plug that is_out of commission. Dashing up to a stop street and then jamming on the brakes, Also this is hard on a car and is a dangerous practice. Druflng brakes waste gasoline and wear out e linings. Driving too long in first and in second to high. permi grow into a large one. This is why the periodical car inspec- tion and overhauling is necessary to keep cars in the best operating con- dit 3 - Roads Shorten Distances. Motor transportation dist have tances to such an and good roads | Europe Copies American Car Bodies In Design and Manufa.cturing Methods manufacturers to follow American trends both in actual design and in manufacturing methods. the statement of H. J. C. Henderson, sales and advertising man- ager in the automotive industry, after two months spent in studying every If American manufacturers and de- signers of motor car bodies ever pat- terned their wares after the finest products that European coach builders | That is could advance, they are doing so no longer. On the contrary, there is a distinct tendency among European DODGE BROTH phase of the automotive industry in Paris, London, Berlin and the smaller cities of the continent. Mr. Henderson has returned to the United States with a definite knowledge of the superiority of American automo- bile bodies. This country, he says, far outdistanced Europe in giving the utmost in comfort to both driver and passengers in its motor cars through adding body conveniences which in- crease riding and driving comfort appreciably. ‘Two definite trends have marked the the Revolutionary winds beganto fireplace W nroe S as and Doctor Mercer made plans for the free n stopped. on his victorious retumgftg'r years a:;eh lt‘;’h&ese old taverns |10 HIGHWAYS NAMED AS ARTERIAL ROUTES Maryland Law Requires Vehicles to Stop Beofre Entering Designated Boulevards. —By James W. Brooks (Sketches by Calvin A. Fader.) up;cz Dispatch to The Star. TIMORE, April 20.—The Wash- Ington Boulevard and the Defense Highway are among 10 highways desig- nated by the State Roads Commission | as “boulevards” and will be so marked Iln}:hg l:m future. aming of these roads is the first ‘lslep in complying with the boulevard !law passed by the last session of the | Legislature, according to G. Clinton Uhl, chairman of the commission. ‘The new boulevards are the National pike, the York road, the Philadelphia road, the Belair road, the Annapolis Boulevard, the Crain Highway, the g.shhmmonm B‘iull;ev"d‘ the Defense way, the rty road and t Rgskuwwn road. ¥ Under the boulevard law, after adequate markers have been placed at the intersections of the boulevards and paved or improved roads, all vehicular | traffic on the intersection thoroughfares must come to a stop and yield right of way to traffic before entering or cross- ing the boulevard. EASIER DRIVING SOUGHT. QI‘Opmpa.rethem (!rae Generals coming,an orderly Wasea’g:{onatta&%ano Y g&%fl%:mfid&e here m; Hi President & ol e [ \ has | the lower-priced field of cars to a plane PARIS (#)—Devices to take most of the hard work out of driving trucks or big busses are interesting French | automotive engineers. The same principle used to myltiply power on brakes is applied to ‘steer- ing and is being experimented with on ;urltvy clutches that require much ef- ort. One of the ideas is to use a vacuum created by the engine to work two op- posed cylinders connected with t! steering mechanism, multiplying many times the power applied to the steer- ing wheel. automobile body-building industry dur- ing the last two years, he says. One has been the provision for the driver’s comfort as exemplified by the recent adoption of adjustable driving seats, and the second has been the elevation of creations made for them their demands are responsible for bettering the efforts of every one in the industry.” | $50,000,000 Outlay by Tourists. | More than $50,000,000 will be spent | in European countries this year by | at least 7,000 American motor touring | parties who will take their cars abroad | to travel under their own power, ac- cording to the foreign travel division ui‘lmthe American Automobile Asso- ciation. equal in style and comfort to that heretofore confined to the field of more costly automobiles. “Newspaper advertising has played a great part in bettering motoring condi- tions,” Mr. Henderson added. “When consumers know there are better DE LUXE SEDAN (wire wheels extra) 2 ecurity for the Woman Who Drives— From the dainty wing-tipped radiator to the graceful curve of the rear fen- ders, the new Dodge Brothers Six is a car women invariably admire. Tts brisk alertness in starting at the touch of the finger, the accessibility of pedals and the simplicity of controls, the ease with which it handles and the feeling of security and protection which its Mono-piece body imparts, all recom- mend it as the ideal woman’s car. Its proverbial dependability and safety plus the new comfort and beauty so typical of Chrysler-styled cars are daily winning more devotees among women who would motor in proud security. EicHT BoDY STYLES: $945 To #1065 F.o.B. DETROIT. Convenient Terms. ERS SIX @ CHRYSLER MOTORS PRODUCT sponcie SEMMES MOTOR CO., Inc, sscsnw H.C. Flun%n. Moter Co., Hyattsville, Md. Frye Motor Co., Leesburg, Va. £ Leonardtown Motor & Hardware Co., Open Sunday and Nights RAPHAEL SEMMES, President ) Mitchell Motor Co., La Plata, Md, Prince Georges Motor Co., Forestville, Md. E. B. Semmes, Inc., Alexandria, Va. _ Warrenton Sales, Inc, Warrenton, Va.