Evening star., 1941-08-08

ington, q Jefferson or Harding
to have improved on 1t.
But the truth remains that the
Ickes plan misses perfection by 10
minutes.
Had he named $50 pm. as the
curfew hour, there would soon De
so much gasoline along the At
lantic seaboard that the streets
would run with it.
Because the days that the plan
has been in operation have reVealeo
4 new and fascinating facet OF tne
American motorists character. IL
ha, come to light that the 10 mln-
utes between $50 and 7 pm. are
the ones when every motorist wants
to fill the tank in his car. just az
the Engnshman must have his tea L.
at 4 pm. and the owl his snack OF
mouse at midnight, the American
motorist must have his MI OF AMI
knock, Ethyl and hish-test q lev
minutes before Z pm.
I have been studying this weak
ness or failing or trait, or whatever
you want to call it, Of the American
automobile driver, at first hand. Fos
the past several afternoons, shortly
after 6, I have set out In the electric
runabout I have put back into
service because of admiration Tor
Mr.. Ickes.
With 4 Arm hand on the electrics
steering rod, have toured the hisn-
WAYS of and about New YORK ana
iotted down my findings.
They offer concrete df badly writ
ten) evidence that, unless the clos
ing time for the filling stations is
changed to $50 pm, Mr.. 1ekes
plan won't save enough gasoline
to remove a soup stain from
mideet's dinner jacket lapel.
with your indulgence will de-
scribe a test run df the IA mp.n.
OF a 1915 electric can be called
rum 1 made on main highway
out of New York.
From s to $50 the cars poured
along the highway in a steady line
I paid particular attention TO tne
faces Of the drivers as they passed.
and they showed none OF the symp-
toms common to the faces OF men
who are about to run out OF gaso-
line. There was no nxed and fe-
yerish stare at the gauge OF the
dashboard; no wild, haunted giances
toward the side OF the road IN
search Of filling stations.
The highway, as I saw II, was
packed with happy. earefree mo-
torists.
At Gas. however, there came .
sudden change. All the cars moved
into the right-hand lane. They
started slowing down to such an
extent that my electric could keep
up with the pace.
Children. obviously designated as
lookouts, popped their heads from
windows to spot hlling stations.
At $50 a filling station came into
sight and the cars, like motorized
buffaloes, stampeded toward 1t.
They charged onto the concrets
apron and occupants leaped out to
offer any and all assistance to the
attendants. There was q magnificent
spirit of cameraderie. No one asked
for free air. No one wanted his
windshield cleaned. Every ons
pitched in and helped every one else
get flled up with gasoline.
SNAP it up, boys!" big fellow
who had voluntarily taken over the
duties of foreman, cried. only
eight minutes to CO."
A woman unselfishly pulled her
car past q pump to make room for q
fellow traveller. explaining that she
had . 20-gallon emergency drum in
her trunk rack.
Old jalopies, whose tanks had
never had more than hve gallons
in them before, gulped gratefully ss
their owners ordered Pill her up
until she runs over"
At 7:o1 peace came to the filling
station.
The CLOSED until 7 am" signs
were trundled out. The exhausted
attendants started cleaning up the
gallons they had spilled in their
haste.
The motorists climbed back into
their cars, and drove OF in jack
rabbit starts, wearing the smiles Of
true patriots.
As one motorist explained to me,
by taking on more than he needed
Just before the curfew, he had
avoided any temptation to buy gaso-
line before Z the next morning.
(rnxtributed hv ArN.usht axnAir.t. rnrl