Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-24

Rides or Walk
Swap rides with others or walk
was the ultimatum given Detroit
workers today following a meeting
of city, industrial and transporta-
ton officials TO expand and inn
prove the swap-the-ride plan 10
make Detroit cars and tires las
for the duration,
Most of the meeting was oc
cupied by representatives of tho
city'S leading war n dustrie
trading information, experience:
and results in their efforts 10 get
their employees 10 work and home
with a smaller number of auto.
mobiles.
Result of the meeting was the
drafting of a resolution. to be sent
to Leon Henderson, director OF
OPA: William NJ. letters, newly
appointed rubber car. and Joseph
B. Eastman. director of war trans
portation, urging that new tires
recaps and extra gasoline, in the
event of rationing, be given those
participating in swap the ride
plans.
ATTITUDE OF MANY
at has been the attitude Of
many men," Donald SlutZ, local
director of the OWT. said. "that
because they are war workers
the government will see that
they get tires. They will have
10 be convinced that unless they
form swap-ride teams they will
get neither gas nor tires"
T. T. Wiley. associate city traf-
fic engineer, presented charts he
had prepared showing why Detroit
must expand its swap-riding to
prevent everybody walking within
a year.
LAST April we estimated that
$4,000 auto rides n day were
being made In Detroit. Through
employment estimates we found
that more than 500, 900 would be
required by mid-l943. The 20O,-
900 autos available now to
transport this number would
disappear from the road at such
rate, through wearing out of
tires and parts, that by that
time they would be inadequate
to transport the load even IL
every one rode Ave to the car.
by 1914 there would be In
even IL they could ride % to the
car.
S"Our first problem was TO
erase three-fourths of all nom
essential driving and combine
that with an aggressive swap
ride plan. Either one would
only get us through 194S. We
had to have both. Gasoline ra-
tioning will take care of the
former. 1t Is up to us TO do the
latter.
"By doing both. we will have
111,0O0 cars. carrying As persons
per car to get us through 1914"
A survey just completed by ID
Grant Mickle. city traffic engineer
shows that 81 per cent of the cars
on the principal streets of Detroit
still are occupied by drivers only
Approximately 81 per cent of all
war workers get to work in autos,
30 per cent by the DSR and 8 per
cent walk. OF the 81 per cent
driving, 80 per cent drive alone
Is per cent pick up riders along
the way and z per cent swap rides
EXPECTS DIRECTIVE SOON
An objection TO the swap-ride
plan was voiced by Samuel l.
Dibble. representing the General
Motors Corporation. Dibble said
''The OPA policy now limits
tires and recaps to those par
ticipating in the share-the-ride
plan. That il, I'm cases where
one man does all the driving and
his passengers pay him. II Is
difficult to interest workers in
the swap-ride plan when we are
not able to promise them that
this will get them tires.
81 think that within two or
three weeks" Slutz replied, 1--WE
will get n directive recognizing
the swap-ride plan In the grant
ing Of tire priorities.
1t was then moved by Mickle
that the resolution be sent tc
Washington urging the change.
Others attending the meeting
were John Brooke Of the Chrysler
Corporation, H. II. Pulver of the
Ford bomber plant. Jack Byrne
Briggs; Dibble; Harry d. Fenske,
Great Lakes Steel; L. S. Doll
Murray Body: S. d. Smith and
w. B. Kirkland, Ternstedt; Tom
Lewis, Chrysler; Foster Winter,
]. L. Hudson; w. J. Cronin, Auto
Council for War Production; j.
N. Pohl and ]. w. Hertel. Bohn
Aluminium; Victor Reuther. war
emergency director of the JAW
Go. and Del A. Smith of the DSR.