The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-09-04
YOU'RE UNPOPULAR
IF YOU USE ANY GAS.
OL|NE ON SUNDAY
MOTOR PARTIES JEERED SUN.
DAY AS THEY PASSED ON
THE STRRETc

Sunday was practically gasoline
less day as far as Belding was con-
cerned and but very few machines
were out on the streets at any one
| time and it is safe to say that not
more than two per cent of the usual
| number of machines which appear
on the streets, were out on Sunday.
The people of this city were patriots
of the first class and the gas wagons
held no Joy for them from Saturday
night until Monday morning, when
it was all right to again crank up
the flivver and take a spin, although
it is a noticeable fact that the ban on
gasoline on Sunday will also cut the
consumption of that war necessity
on week days hereafter.
Some thoughtless people. or per-
haps they did not care whoop for
laws and rules which would do with
the conserving of the gasoline supply
got out their cars and started to run
around town. At every place where
they were discovered they were
hooted and jeered and told that they
were no better than the ordinary lot
of people and that they should hunt
up their garages and put the wagon
away. In several instances people
tried to excuse themselves, but the
critics would take no excuses and
took the fact that the people were
using their cars as prima facie evi-
dence that the. riders were either un.
patriotic or that they thought them
selves above the general run of peo-
pie whom the law or ruling might be
intended for.
In one instance, an automobile
drove up in front of a local restaur'
; ant and its occupants got out and en-
tered the restaurant for something
to eat. The proprietor asked them il
they owned the auto standing out
side and when they answered in the
affirmative, they were told that they
had better hurry on to the next stop a:
they would get nothing there, in {
maner that expressed the utmost con
tempt for anyone who is not willing
to help in every last way in conserv
ing when called upon to do so.
; Several parties who passed through
town flying the white flag, while
they might have had right to u.s.
the flag, were given no such credi
|. and were hooted and jeered in an un
welcome manner and they acted as i
they were mighty glad to get out o
sight and hearing. However, on
circumstance was remarkable an
that was that whenever a soldier il
the khaki uniform of our nation ap
peared driving q car, he was allowe'
to 60 unnoticed and uncensored Tn
> general trend Of thought seemed t
be that the boy had a perfect righ
to burn up gasoline on Sunday. If !
would add pleasure to his furlougl
and not a contemptuous remark wa
heard in such q case.
We are told that the person wh
: is caught out with an automobile o.
next Sunday, after church hours, an
q without some real urgent busines
e making 1T necessary for trip, Wi
5 be called to an accounting in this mat
2 ter, by parties who are interestin
a themselves in this gasoline savinl
2 business and we are also told that
bright yellow paint may grace tn
:. bodies Of cars whose owners are no
patriotic enough to live up to the dc
sires and aims of the fuel admins
e tration in this regard and insist, ii
{ stead, on burning up gasoline in plea
il sure riding, while other and more pat
{ riotic felix's are either walking, usin
some other kind of method OF trans
portation or remaining at home.