Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-31
Sunday ~Automobiling

OUHNUV HCOH&OOttttS
Fuel Administrator Garfield seems to have the faculty of going
about things in the most unpopular way. He invites criticism and
calls down condemnation upon his head when, with a little tact and
judgment, he might avoid it all He doesn't seem to know how to
deal with the public in a way to prevent them being rufled at him.
In his latest order regarding the conservation of gasoline he has
followed the,same tactics that he applied in bringing about a general
shutdown of all industries and business every Monday for a month
or two last winter. The order comes almost like a bolt out of a clear
sky; the people do not have an opportunity to brace themselves for it.
Surely, Mr.. Garfield must have seen this shortage in gasoline
coming several weeks ago. Why did he not issue some kind of a warm
ing and let the people know what to expectf OF course, there have
been rumors all summer, but there has never been a hint from any
official source.
Then, suddenly the request is made to take effect the very next
sunday-at once, right off the bat
And it falls on the one Sunday, too, when the people do the most
riding. Thousands count on the Sunday preceding Labor Day for a
two days outing. There + more cars o. the road Labor Day and
the Sunday before than on any two days in the year. No doubt this
is one of the reasons why the order has been put into effect at once
so as to save al that gasoline. But why not tell the people long
enough in advance so that plans would not have to be disrupted caus
ing universal disappointment
If gasoline is 81 scarce, one would have thought that the request
to conserve it would have been made before. If the danger is not so
pressing, why not have waited until after Labor Day, at least SO that
the thousands who have been putting off their little vacation all sum-
mer, looking forward to this one occasion, could have got their out
ingf
As a matter of fact, the blow falls heaviest or the middle and
poorer classes for the rich man will start off to his resort in the
mountains or by the sea on Friday or Saturday, remain over Sunday
without using his car, and return to business on Tuesday. Just as
much gasoline will have been used, as far as he is concerned, as if he
had made the tour on Sunday. But the thousands who have only
Sunday and Monday off, and who must be back to business early
Yaesaa5-HeFHing, viii not be able to get away at all, for it will be too
late to start Monday morning for any kind of a trip and they wirnot
be able to start early enough Saturday. Sunday being barred to them
they are cut out altogether.
As said before, Mr.. Garfield could not have selected a more In
suspicious time to make his request than this Sunday.
But it viii be remembered that the order to close down last win
ter fell like a wet blanket all over the country east of the Mississippi
in much the same way. No warning, no intimaton of what was going
to happen and then-bangl Everything came to a standstnl. The
country never received such a shock as it then experienced. 1t has
hardly recovered yet.
But, of course, regardless of what opinion We may have of Mr.
Garfield and his methods, his request not to use motor airs and motor
boats for pleasure on Sunday will be obeyed by every patriotic chi
zen. 1t may mean a sacrifice for some, but war is sacrifice, anyway.
We ought to be able to give up a little pleasure riding in automobiles
on Sundays for the sake of the boys who re doing the fighting "Over
there" If the gasoline is needed to help win the wal, we aresurc the
American people viii say, take it all in welcome.
We are ready to go the limit.
We have given up and curtailed in the use of wheat. beef and
sugar We can do it in gasoline. But Mr.. Hoover, the food admins
TRAITOR, has the faculty of placing the matter before the public in less
brutal manner than Mr. Garfield. who controls fuel.
However, the request has been made, and it goes into effect to-
morrow There are to be n arrests, there will be no tabulations ofI
The ears that may be on the road. The people are placed Oh their
honor to heed the request. There is nothing to stop them joy-riding
tomorrow except their own conscience. IL they don care anything
about winning the wal they will ride al usual If they think NOR. ofl
their pleasure trip in their automobile than they do of the lives of the
boys IN the trenches they win pay no attention to Mr.. Garfeld's re-
quest.
One thing is certain, however. If the mere request that the nnb-
lie refrain from using automobiles and motor boats for pleasure on
Sunday does not have the desired effect and there is not a appreci
able gam IN the supply of gasoline for war purposes, the order viii
60 iorlh with the authority of the government behind il, to stop all
motoring n sunday and then everyone viii have to stop riding, con-
science or no conscience.
Better do it now voluntarily than be compelled to do it later.