Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-06-05
FRIDAY. JUNE 5, 1912

"The Chief Executive should nat
urally have the power, if he does not
already have it, to acquire any and
all instrumentalities of transporta-
ton in the interest of efficient pros
ecution of the war, and this includes
passenger automobiles. But it should
be made clear that this wartime
power would be exercised by the
President and his responsible agents
only when it is absolutely necessary,
and that the objective be not merely
to accumulate a mammoth pool of
automobiles to be kept in idleness to
meet demand that may never event
uate.
"The motorists of the country are
perfectly willing to assign their We
hicles for war purposes when they are
needed. In the meantime there should
be an end to threats of confiscation
and communicating, the only effect of
which has been to cause millions of
people to question the value of con-
serving property that might be taken
from them overnight.
"Confiscation of automobiles has
been widely publicized as a means of
enforcing a proposed Federal speed
limit of forty miles an hour. There
is every reason for lower speed linn
its on the highways as a means of
conservation, but this is being secured
in substantial measure now through
a unique degree of motorists coopera-
ton and through state action. The
need for Federal statute which
would be all but unenforceable and
with such penalty as is proposed is
highly questionable.
IF it be the policy of the Govern
ment, as it should be, to maintain as
many passenger cars as possible in
service, it naturally follows that the
needs of these cars should be related
to the p lans of the Government as re
CARDS rubber. Specifically, the syn
thetic rubber program should be eX-
tended as a bulwark against the day
when conservation as such is not
enough to maintain an adequacy of
passenger car transportation.
''The Government should in augu-
rate an aggressive campaign for the
collection of enormous quantities of
scrap rubber, for the lack of which
the retaining plants are faced with
a shutdown in a few months. SINH
larly, it should be made clear that
once formula for essential use is
developed, existing stocks of tires
will be rationed out on the most lib
eral basis that a prudent regard for
the future will permit, and not held
for eight years or more as the public |
is now being told. Inequities in tire
rationing regulations should be speed |
lily removed and steps should be taken
to get into circulation the enormous
number of used tires that are now
frozen because of established price
ceilings. Inventories of tire stocks,
new and used, should be completed
and made public as an essential part
of the information the people should
have to understand the rubber situa-
ton.
Gas regards gasoline, in spite of
the shortage on the Atlantic Sea-
board, a commendable effort has been
made to supply this area with gaso-
line through the development of over
land and saltwater transportation.
1t is now clear that because of mill
tary requirements, we cannot depend
upon the tanker fleet. The time has
come for the policy makers to consid-
er again the wisdom of providing
materials for pipeline that would
bring petroleum supplies up to es-
sential requirements into an area of
the ountry which is called upon to
play an outstanding role in the indus
trial war effort. Immediate attention
should also be given to the petroleum
requirements for the Pacific North
west.
"In the event that gasoline ration
ing on a nationwide scale is consid-
cred, the question should be approach
ed from the standpoint of an over
all policy closely related to a program
of vehicle and rubber conservation
and not as measure of economic re-
preston"