The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-31
MOTORLEsS DAYS
 FEW IF OBSERVED
Strict Compliance Expected 60 Make
 Unnecessary Any RatiOning of Gasoline

washington, Aug. 0O-fu uel ALI ministration officials have made no plans for the compulsory rationing of believe no such steps will be neces- sary if. for short time, owners of automobiles and power boats will abandon their use on Sundays, ac- cepting the restriction in the spirit in which the people responded to the need for food conservation.
 In an official announcement yester- day the Fuel Administration gave in some detail the savings which it was hoped would be effected and added that If this program is followed to the extent that the Fuel Administra- ton believes it will be, a few Sundays will effect the desired conservation"
 In the meantime every effort will be made by the Oil Division to main --tain production of fuel oil at a maxi mum, so that the output may be placed upon a basis which will end for many months to overcome the danger of a serious shortage.
 The Oil Division, of which M. L. Requa is the head, for months has been giving serious consideration to the fuel oil situation because of the increased fleet of destrOyers and alsoi because of the great number of air? planes which 1t is expecting America will be able to place in Europe after the aircraft program has been placed on the basis of quantity production. To meet these conditions, it is felt that the use of pleasure automobiles should bee urtailed until it Is shown beyond dispute that the danger of a shortage in the future is ended.
 The request for voluntary conserva- tfon of gasoline was brought about in part by reports that hundreds of thou sands of automobiles were being used for pleasure trips East of the Missis- sippi apparently without thought of the need of the fuel for vital war purposes and that the use of such pleasure cars had increased, rather than diminished, since the United States entered the war
 Calling attention today to the esi- mate that in the territory East of the Mississippi there are 4.OOO, 900 motor driven vehicles, of which 100000 are trucks, and that on the basis of two gallons of gasoline to each of the re maining 3,S00,000 vehicles, the Sun day saving would reach a possible maximum of 7,600,0 gallons. in ad- dition to the saving effected by the norl-use of motorboats since the con- servation request had no application to motor fishing boats plying at nec- essary trade, and added:
 Motorists are requested to initiate every means of conservation possible In the handling and use of gasoline and lubricating oils. The useless op- eration of engines when the car is mot In motoin must be discontinued. Ex- treme care must be exercised that gasoline and oil is not spilled; that leaks are not tolerated and evapora- ton. rot permitted. The, gasoline and ubricating oil user must realize that there is not an inexhaustible supply of crude oil, and he must appreciate the fact that the need for it now ex- ceeds that of any previous time. War needs must be first supplied. By con- serving through the non-use of motor driven vehicles for a few Sundays and the exercise of care in the use of gas oline and oil during other days, there probably will be no necessity for more severe control." -r- -.--s
 Questions concerning the exemp- ? tion of taxicabs and motor busses such as the Fifth Avenue busses are before Dr. A. Garfield, Fuel Ad. ministrator, and he personally vii make the decisions. It is his hopt that the spirit of the request for vol untaEy conservation will be followed by all interests which can subscribe to it without working too much hard ship. It is probable that some an nouncement will be made concerning claims for exemption before Sunday but no formal decisions was obtain ble yesterday.