Evening star., 1942-09-04

Lag skAAe Soe1A&J AA1 sAA~ s~~~~S - 49,
dire stress.
We feel free to discuss the gaso-
line subject because We haven't any
sort Of q card. We haven't any car.
as q matter Of fact. Our car is up
on jacks, q patient patient In an
automobile sanitarium In Southern
Florida.
Only occasionally do we hear from
1t, and then secondhand, via a
practicing mechanic who sends us a
professional card that reads like
this:
"Car doing well. Spark plugs
normal. Differential feverish. Axles
holding their own. Cylinders doing
as well as can be expected"
II we had a gas card we wouldn't
write this. But, as We said before,
We haven't an A card. B card, Q
G card, or the kind the politicians
get. So, few days ago We plunged
into q study of gasoline rationing.
Was 1t on the levei7 Was II
strictly square7 Did every Ameri-
can get decent break7 In short.
were the men in charge OF gasoline
rationing doing q good job7
The answer is this: No. They
aren't.
Example: A newspaper friend has
. B card. A newspaper friend Of
his, and also . friend Of ours, has
an A card. Newspaperman A lives
q frogs Jump from = railroad sta
tion. He can take three steps and
catch . train that will carry him
to his ONCE in Manhattan. Once
there, he is less than = frogs jump
from subways, cabs, trolley cars and
other vehicles which will take him
to wherever he has TO 60. The other
newspaperman (Newspaperman b
lives 10 miles from . train. He Ii
having one devil Of . time getting
to work. In addition, his work
calls for him to report events all
over the New York area. He needs
gasoline to do his work.
Another example: We could get
an A card by applying for one. The
chances are We could get . B card.
Yet our brother. who Is . salesman,
whose living Is dependent on his
getting from town to town by auto
mobile, has to try to make his way
with B card.
We have heard that the travelling
salesmen OF the country have
formed an organization and are
lobbying IN Washington for better
treatment. We hope their lobby
does all right.
Example 8: An acquaintance has
an A card. All he needs 1t for Is
to get to the golf course and play
. few holes Of golf. Another ac-
quaintance. an old lady who counts
on the few dozen eggs she can sell
during the week to keep . roof
over her head. also gets an A card.
She happens to live in the country.
After all, you can't keep chickens in
3 midtown apartment. Who de-
serves little more gas, the guy who
spends his ration looking for q
birdie, or the old lady who wants to
sell her eggs7
There must be q full million such
examples In this country.
Why not take . survey, and find
out who needs gasoline and who
doesn't? The same goes for tires.
Take the gasoline and the tires away
from those who don't need them
and give them to the man or woman
who is doing something toward the
war effort.
That would cost money. A survey,
I mean. Sure, 1t would, but those
In Washington must know by now
that money, more money, and still
more money, doesn't worry the aver
age American. He Is willing to riye
1t all toward victory: but Washing
ton is going to learn this, sooner or
later:
This country Is not forever going
to put up with nghtweights doing
the thinking. Some time, sooner or
later, there is going to be a national
demand for honest, level-headed
leaders.
You know as well as we do that
all this country has ever needed ia
make it unified, to make It rough.
tough, and 100 per cent strong ia
fellows In charge whom every one
trusts. The day We have such men
will mark the end Of all the labor
and capital foolishness. And well
get 1t, rest assured. Just keep pitch
ing until honesty arrives.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate, Incl