Evening star., 1942-09-13
Henderson Asks
All j. ). Drivers
To Ration Selves
OPA Indicates Uniform
Gasoline Allowances
Throughout Nation
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Price Administrator Leon Hen
derson last night asked motor
lists in unrationed areas to place
themselves voluntarily under the
same gasoline and mileage ra-
tioning controls now in force in
the II Eastern States.
Declaring it would be several
weeks before coupon ration books
could be printed to carry out the
Nationwide gas rationing recon-
mended by the Baruch Rubber Com
mittee, Mr.. Henderson cautioned
that to-day and every day that
passes until the cut is made we
Americans are wasting one billion
tire miles in unnecessary driving"
His request followed other indica-
tions from OPA that the national
rationing plan, when placed in ef-
feet, would put the rest of the coun-
try on an equal footing with the
East as to the amount of gasoline
allowed motorists,
Chart Made Public.
Fasteners receive basic ration
OF approximately four gallons week.
ly, with supplemental allowances
for essential driving. The commit
tee headed by Bernard M. Baruch
which investigated the rubber sit
uation, recommended that motorists
be curtailed to a general average
OF 5000 miles a year.
To further the tire conservation
program, President Roosevelt made
public yesterday a chart showing
that 30-nile speed would make
tires last twice as long as those
driven so miles an hour. The
Baruch Committee recommended a
speed limit of IS miles an hour.
The President Is expected to an
nounce appointment of q rubber
administrator tomorrow and put
into effect then the machinery to
accomplish other recommendation
by the Baruch Committee, but for
maly imposition of gasoline ration
ing will necessarily have to come
later.
"I don't think we have to wait
to make a really good start" Mr..
Henderson declared. I'VE can be-
gin to make big dent in that pile
of wasted rubber If we take this
matter into our own hands for the
time being"
I Out Of 10 Have A Stickers.
II am, therefore, asking that every
driver in the unrationed areas i'm
mediately put himself voluntarily
on the same mileage basis as his
fellow Americans in the II rationed
Eastern States.
I'm those States, seven out of every
ten drivers have an "A sticker
pasted on the windshields. That
means they are limited to 240 miles
of driving month.
about 18 per cent have b stick
ers. These are issued when the es-
sential vocational driving exceeds
$50 miles per month, and the driver
has agreed to share his car with
three passengers.
"a very few have &C. stickers.
These drivers also have to agree to
share their cars, but in addition they
must be members of highly essen
tial profession or occupation-per-
sons like doctors, munitions plant
workers, and workers in essential
public utilities services, and who in
addition have occupational driving
needs In excess of 47o miles per
month.
All Drivers Can Comply.
my request means simply that
each driver in the unrationed area
should ask himself honestly into
which of these classes his driving
falls. If he is in the "A group, he
limits himself to that $40 miles a
month, which is divided roughly
into 80 miles for family driving, and
$50 miles for the essential vocational
use of the car.
"If the driver thinks he is in B'
class, that means he is convinced
that his essential driving really ex-
ceeds $50 miles a month, and he
limits himself to top figure of
470 miles of vocational driving and
agrees to share his car with at
least three people. But the average
of B car driving in the rationed
area is substantially below that
maximum.
Every driver, I am sure, can
comply with this request, and by
living up to it conscientiously can
make one of the most important
contributions he will be privileged
to make toward winning this war"
National Uniformity Forecast.
Earlier, OPA officials had indicated
possibility that the national gaso-
line rationing plan might undergo
some notifications in view of the
(see GASOLINE, Page A-3J