Evening Star Newspaper, November 28, 1935, Page 11

LU 15 SEN SAFET WEMACE Business Men’s Research Foundation Cites “Had- Been-Drinking” Drivers. The re-established liquor traiffic, with its 400,000 retail outlets now operating under governmental pro- tection “is rapidly coming to be the outstanding and major menace of the motor traffic problem in America today,” according to a statement is- | sued by the American Business Men'’s | Research Foundation. It was pointed out that many ac- cidents in which drinking was a contributory factor, are credited to other causes in police reports, and | that as a matter of fact, “not ‘drunken’ but ‘had-been-drinking’ drivers are the real menace in traffic accidents.” A cocktail or a couple of beers, it | was emphasized, “may render the | ‘reckless’ and ‘speeding’ driver l,‘ major risk on our Nation's high- | ‘ways.” The foundation’s statement. slgned‘ by Fred D. L. Squires, research secre- | tary, was issued to controvert a statement signed by W. H. Stayton, executive director of Repeal Associ- ates, with headquarters in Washing- ton, in which it was argued that aleohol is “an exceedingly minor, if not infinitesimal, cause of traffic ac- cidents; that the primary death rate from automobile accidents increased tremendously during prohibition years, and that causes other than alcohol explained 96 per cent of automobile casualties.” Held At Variance With Facts. *are so completely at variance with the facts that we ask the privilege of briefly correcting their implica- tions.” He explained that students generally agree that “so-called official figures throughout the country, taken as & whole, do not adequately reveal the presence of alcohol as a factor in these casualties.” He cited traffic authorities as stating that thousands of cases of accidents caused by drink- ing drivers are commonly credited to speeding and reckless driving and that in other cases where alcohol is & factor, the records show such causes as over-confidence, inexpertness, ir- responsibility, carelessness, inatten- tion, etc. He cited investigations which “have revealed the presence of alcohol in more than 60 per cent of scores of consecutive accidents.” | protection and that of various State | Used Outdated Figures. “Mr. Stayton,” he said, “apparently Telies upon the now completely ou dated classification of liquor-bred acci- dents as being due to ‘drunken drivers’ and to ‘abuse of alcohol.” Everywhere, during the past 12 months, expert opinion has emphasized the fact that, not ‘drunken’ but ‘had-been-drinking’ drivers are the real menace in traffic accidents, and that not merely ‘abuse’ but ‘use’ of even small quantities of alcohol—a cocktail or a couple of beers ——may render the ‘reckless’ and ‘speeding’ driver & major risk on our Nation's highways. “Mr. Stayton's assertion that ‘the total death rate from primary auto- mobile accidents inc: 58.7 per cent from 1923 to 1938’ surprisingly neglects to compare death rate figures of the last ten years of the prohibition | period (1923 to 1932) with 1933 (in- cluding eight months of legal beer) paign and other well-known agencies, agree that the startling record made m | 1934 as compared with previous years, | before the annulment of the eight- | eenth amendment, will be maintained | | almost without change during - 1935, | despite better records in certain cities | and States, due to local and temporary | factors, such as intensive safety cam- | paigns, ete. | “The records of scores of cities on file at the Chicago headquarters of | the American Business Men's Research Foundation, including testimonials of almost countless officials and stu- dents of the traffic problem, confirm the conviction that the re-established | liquor traffic, with its 400,000 retail | outlets, now operating under Federal |and local governments, is rapidly | coming to be the outstanding and major menace of the motor traffic problem in America today.” YULETIDE SHOPPING Formal Opening of Season Finds Stores Gayly Decorated for Throngs. The 1935 Christmas shopping sea- son will be formally opened tomor- | row in Washington stores, gayly dec- | orated for the holiday period. Edward D. Shaw, secretary of the Merchants and Manufacturers’ Asso- | ciation, today explained the early and with 1934, the first full zzjmoppmg period will enable the public months of the relegalized liquor traffic. “The official figures show that the motor traffic death rate for 10 years, 1923 to 1932 inclusive, under national prohibition, averaged 20.1 per 100,000 population, as compared with 25 for 1933, first year of legalized beer and | 28.1 for 1934, the first year of complete | repeal. | “The statistician of the National | Bafety Council, in ‘Public Safety’, its official publication, summarizing the record of 1934, the first full year fol- lowing repeal, declares: “‘All motor death rates for 1934 are aharply up.’ “‘The population rate (deaths per 100,000 population) advanced from 25 in 1933 to 28.1 in 1934. “ “The rate per 10,000 motor vehicles increased from 13.2 to 14.3. “‘The rate per 10,000,000 gallons of gasoline consumption increased from 22 to 233" “‘The 1934 population rate is the highest ever recorded, twice as high as in 1922. . The registration rate is the highest since 1919, when the an- nual mileage per car—and thus the exposure to accident—was much less than at present. The gasoline con- sumption rate is the highest' since 1927 “‘With the possible exception of | December, there were more motor vehicle fatalities in each month of 1934 than in the corresponding months of 1933." “The latest estimates of the National Safety Council, United States to make their Christmas purchases to better advantage. Analysis of last year's figures show careful buyers like to make their purchases several weeks in advance former crowded six or eight days’ buying of former years now is spread over five or six weeks, he added. Early buying season also enables Christmas givers to get their presents into the mails and have them de- livered before the last-minute rush, thus affording the post office a better opportunity to give the best service, | Shaw explained. C. H. Frame, superintendent of the | Railway Express Agency, said yester- day he expects this Christmas to be the best since 1929. DUTCH-TREAT DINNER | Strangers Are Invited to Thanks- giving Day Event. Strangers in the city have been in- vited to attend a Dutch-treat Thanks- giving dinner at the Shoreham Hotel at 7 o'clock tonight. The custom of holding this dinner was originated last year by Dr. Grace A. Thompson. Guests for the dinner will assemble in the Garbo room of the hotel, where iutroductions will be made by Mrs. Caroline Daue, who will act as toast- Automobile Association, Travelers In-| surance Co. statistical department ! mistress. Reservations will be open until the time of the dinner. Safe Driving Pledge N THE interest of accident prevention and safer eonditions on the stréets and highways and in eo-operation with the Safety Council of The Evening Star, § promise to: Never operate at reckless speed. Drive on right of highway. Stop at all 8-T-O-P signs. Officials of the Farm Credit Administration back Star's safety cam=- Left to right: Herbert Emmerich, executive officer; R. W. Rigsby, “These claims,” Squires declared,| assistant executive officer, and Mrs. Mary G. Bud, secretary. * |“BEGINS” TOMORROW | of the rush season, Shaw said. The | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28 1935. Farm Credit Heads Join’ —sStar Staff Photo. Safety (Continued From Furst Page) _ | cards were distributed, with the ac- | companying bulletins, the afternoon | they were received from The Star council and at the opening of business | the following morning 300 signed pledge cards were received by Mr. Emmerich’s office. Others are coming in steadily. Pledges to be Collected. In the bulletin which accompanied ihe piedge cards. Mr. Emmerich said: 1 | “The Evening Star has, for some | | months, been sponsoring & campaign | to promote careful driving and ‘o | | reduce accidents in the District and | its environs. i “Many Government departments | have indorsed this campaign and the Farm Credit Administration, sympa- thizing with the purposes of the drive is calling it to the attention of the | . C. A. employes. “Accompanying this issue of the| | bulletin is an individual pledge card. | | If you drive a car and care to pledge | yourself to promoting safe driving, | sign the card and place it in your outgoing basket. The messengers are instructed to see that such cards are collected and they will be taken to| the safety campaign headquarters. ‘Pledged Safe Driver’ stickers for wins- | | shields will be distributed to those . who sign the pledge cards.” Many Units Involved. The Farm Credit Administration, | which is housed in the old Southern Railway building, Thirteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, also is handling the distribution of safe driv- ing pledges and stickers to such af- filiated Federal units as the Central Bank for Co-operatives, the Emer- gency Crop and Feed Loan Section, the Federal Credit Union Section, the Federal Farm Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank Section, the Federal Land Bank Dj- vision, the Joint Stock Land Bank | Bection, the National Farm Loan As- sociation Section, the Production Credit Division and the Regional Agricultural Credit Division. Thousands of Federal employes, representing virtually every branch and agency of the Federal Government, in Washington, have been enrolled as | pledged safe drivers. They have | joined the drive in many cases as volunteer individuals. = Thousands, however, have come into the cam- paign as units, backed by the official support of their Federal departments or agencies. Others have been en- rolled through the United States Treasury Department Beneficial As- sociation, the National Federation of Federal Employes and the American Pederation of Government Employes. Under the personal leadership of Secretary Daniel C. Roper, the De- partment of Commerce was the first Faderal organizations to join The Star Safety Council in the drive for safer streets and highways. Secretary Roper's enthusiastic indorsement of the campaign was matched by the officials and employes of his depart- ment, which has made a splendid showing in the campaign. Secretary Roper a few days ago was authorized by President Roosevelt, himself a signer of a safe driving pledge of The Star Council, to call a conference early next month to consider the re- duction of the American accident rate. The lead of the Commeree De- partment has been followed by the Post Office and Navy Departments as organizations and by a score of the “alphabetical agencies” and sub-de- partmental groups. FANS ASKED TO AID G-MAN RADIO TESTS Superpower Broadeast Station to Go on Air Next Week at Beltsville, Md By the Associated Press. Police and short-wave radio fans have been asked to co-operate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in tests to be made next week in connection with plans for a super THEY'RE WORTH power “G-man” radio broadcasting station. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the bureau, announced some time ago consideration was being given to erection at the Department of Justice of a powerful short-wave police radio center capable of flashing emergency orders to agents in all parts of the country. The station also would be used to co-ordinate Federal, State and municipal agencies in important man- hunts or other cases. “There is no precedent in this country for broadcasting from one station on such 55 AND *10 NO- MONEY DOWN! requires, of course, very careful study. The Federal Communications Com- mission and the National Bureau of Standards studied various plans from a general engineering standpoint and submitted the recommendations of their engineers to the F. B. 1" Hoover asked short wave radio listeners, especially west of the Mis- sissippi and in Florida, to try to tune in tests December 2, 5, 9 and 12, from Station WWV at Beltsville, Md. ‘The schedules on those test days: Two pm., E. 8. T, on cycles; 2:10 pm, E. 8. T, kilocycles; 2: 8. 1. 20r3 Years to Pay! \ 2-Pc. Moderne Living Room Suite A very stylish suite that will beautifully furnish the liv- ing room.at a reasonable cost. Two pieces exactly as illustrated comprise @ moderne sofa and deep seat chair. The spring construction is comfortable and fully guarane teed. The upholstering is both neat and durable. No Money Down! 1, 2 or 3 Years to Pay! Smart 4-Pec. Moderne Bedro;:m Suite A lovely suite that combines beauty and comfort in the %Up,, 4,000 kilocycles; 11:15 pm., E. 8. T, on 6,800 kilocycles. ARESEE e SRR ALFONSO EXPECTS.TWO GRANDCHILDREN SOON| By the Associated Press. PARIS, November 27.—Former King Alfonso of Spain expects to be a grandfather twice by next Spring, his friends seid yesterday. They sald his eldest daughter, Bea- trice, wife of Prince Allesandro Tor- lonia of Italy (son of the former Elsie up,, arg, . p Chagy oy, Baiy, of.. Yop one 2Y ap Pre,, enj e Mg, Moore of New York), awaits the Hfll of & baby in February. F; The wife of his second son, Jaimgq the former Emanuela de Dampierrq (who is of French, Italian and Ameris can descent), will become & mother in April, the informants said. Both princesses intend to go tq Rome for the births, it was said. Train’s Farewell. As the last train pulled out of Devon, England, before abandonment of the Breakfast Set Wel with porcelain made, y finishe top table All-Metal Dump Truck ali- Wago r. Neatly _4 B NOMONEY DOWN 1,2.3 Years to Pay Governor Winthro_p Secretary 819.7 3 ery beautiful in every detail with plenty of writing space and 3 spacious drawers, rich- ly finished in beautiful walnut veneers. A fine value at this low price. Lounge Chair Colonial Desk Sturdily constructed and finished in beauti- ful walnut 50¢ a Week 39.85 Deep spring seat and back. Cover- ing is in neat tapestry. 50c a Week Refrain from jumping traffic lights. Make turns from the proper lanes. Signal before turning or stopping. Give right of way in doubtful cases. Heed pedestrians’ rights. Never pass on curve or top of hill. Slow down at intersections and schools, Keep my vehicle in safe condition. Be courteous and considerate of others. season’s latest style. Includes a chest of drawers, dresser, vanity and panel bed. Each piece is substantially built qnd will give years of lasting satisfaction. Finished in rich matched veneers. 84 No Money Down! 1, 2 or 3 Years to Pay! Lane Cedar Chest $12-95 Mothproof inte- rior. Finish in rich walnut, Nl e s Addrose e e GAS IN THE GUTTER Yet you insist in hunting for Bmhloyor .l i i The Safety Council of The Ehening Star Sign and send above coupon to The Evening Star Sefety Council, Rooms 600, Star Building AR PROTECTION APITAL GARAGE 1320 New York Ave. 7th. AND