Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

- nave come IN concerning
motorists who have beer
\ victimized at gasoline serv.
ice stations. These cases OF
fraudulent practices include short
measures of both oil and gasoline
and substitution of inferior
brands.
It is q kind of practice that fl
hard to detect. A man may watch
a weighing machine in a grocery
store, but seldom does he pay
much attention to the filling tank
and should he do so, it would be
impossible for him to be aware OF
small shortage. Investigation oil
filling stations comes under the
jurisdiction of George NJ. Roberts
superintendent of weights and
measures, but as work of this kind
requires a lot of time, and other
investigations are his duties, fill
ing stations may escape notice al
longer intervals than what might
be for the best.
A report comes from the Cleve-
land Automobile Club, afflliated
with the American Automobile
Association, concerning the same
condition in the Ohio city. The
report is issued Jointly by the Sec
rotary Of the club, Sealer of
weights and measures for Cleve-
land, and Cuyahoga County
sealer. Conditions found there
were far from satisfactory.
Local Situation.
Checking up on the local situa-
ton, varied expressions of opinion
were found. The American Auto
mobile Association, through rep
reSentative, declared that the stu
alton in Washington was probably
the same as in Cleveland and
other parts of the country. 1t was
stated that a drive had not been
undertaken here for some time.
but that the American Automobile
ASS ociation would start one in the
neSr future.
From the Office of Mr.. Roberts,
the superintendent of weights and
measures, statement was given
out that the National Capital was
very free from fraudulent prac-
tices Of this kind, and that while
a few places had been found to
be selling short measures, it was
not regarded as intentional.
Edward D. Shaw, secretary of
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, reported that his or
ganiZation had not come into
knowledge Of dealers selling short
measures to any appreciable ex-
tent, that it had been reported
there was considerable subStitu-
ton made at some of the service
stations for high-teSt gasoline and
also for the better grades of oils.
Proposed Regulation.
Because of this, Mr.. Shaw
stated, the association had pro-
posed a law compelling service
stations to place on each of their
tanks the kind of gasoline being
sold and upon the fuel wagons as
well. This proposed legislation is
now in force in Maryland and Vir-
ginia, he said. The District pro-
poSal, drawn by the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, is
now before the Commissioners.
According to Mr.. Shaw, a man
drew up to a service station here
a short time ago and asked the
dealer to fill his tank with a GER
tain kind of high-teSt gasoline
Ten gallons were poured into the
automobile tank and the driver
asked for a receipt, saying that he
had to turn it in with his expense
account.
This the dealer is said to have
refused to do. The man then said
that he would not pay for tn .
gasoline without a receipt. Rather
than give a receipt the dealer al
lowed the man to drive away with
10 free gallons of gasoline. Mr..
Shaw stated that this was con-
vincing that the dealers were SELL
ing a substitute fuel of lower
grade and attempting to charge a
high price for it.
Louis Rothschild, director of the
Better Business Bureau, stated
that no cases of short selling haC
come to his attention, but that a
few cases of substitution had. He
said that while the bureau did not
A4oAANAC NooCo VI O1lAo h1AlO
narily, 1t would if complaint was
brought before them. He could
not say what the condition was
here.
The situation here should be in
vestigated more fully. It is of i'm
portance that the motorists Of this
city are protected. Although the
loss Of money is only a little at a
time, it mounts yearly into high
figures. It is to be hoped that flu
ture investigation will disclose
that the situation in the National
CAPITAL Is satisfactory.
The Cleveland report is of in
terest. In part it follows:
Drive Conducted.
"a three day drive against
gasoline stations giving short
measure was made. The Cleve-
land Automobile Club furnished
investigators and four specially
equipped cars, operating from
hidden tanks and permitting re-
moval of the regular tanks so that
the gasoline purchased could be
accurately measured.
--------------------