Evening star., 1942-03-17
Dealers Back
Sunday Closing
0fGas Stations
Association Fovors
7 AM. to 8 PM.
Hours on Week Days

All indications were today that
Washington would return to gasless
Sundays and nightly closing of gas
stations following recommendations
OF the Gasoline Retailers of Wash
ington yesterday to meet a War
Production Board order cutting gas
oline deliveries 20 per cent in the
East.
Plans for a school to train service
station operators and employees in
details of a tire conservation pro-
gram were announced at the meet
ing. Operators will be taught to
instruct the public in the best means
of stretching their tire mileage, it
was sid.
The association, which represents
a majority of gas station operators
lin the District, recommended:
Closing of all retail stations ex-
cept thoA designated to serve trucks.
cabs, physicians cars and the like,
all day Sundays.
Opening of stations during the
week not before 7 am. and closing
by 8 pm, with each station operat-
ins maximum of IL hours day.
Ration Cards MAY Come"
IF IN the next so days we and
the public cooperate, we can stave
off further rationing," Harry VAIN
wright, research director of the re-
tailers' group, declared during
meeting held yesterday at 4l10 Wis
consin avenue NV.
He warned. however, that gasoline
ratio,Iing cards may come" If fuel
supplies are cut further. "On the
present basis of a 20 per cent reduc-
ton We can carry on" he told the
retailers.
Joseph Ellis, secretary Of the asso-
citation md presiding officer, said
that to serve wartime needs of many
WaShingtonians best some stations
shohlf', remain open as late as pm.
Many who work long hours are un-
able to get to station much before
that time, he pointeo out
Under the w. P. B. order no sta
,tien may stay open more than IL
hours out of each "a and all re-
tailers must take a 20 per cent cut
in their deliveries. The order limits
sales to a 72-hour week and leaves
it up to dealers how they apportion
hours each week
Sunday CIosings Urged.
Mr. Wainwright pointed out that
operators will be forced to turn away
many of their customers or to limit
Sales to n few gallons per person If
not take steps to cut down
the number of selling hours. e"Yoa'
will be able to sell every gallon of.
gas YOU can get,F he asserted. .4,,r
Closing stations on Sunday is the
patriotic thing to- do" Mr.. VAIN
wright said. ~ ,'aos =.
Prior to adoption of the recon-
mendation, which will be sent to all
retailers here, members of the asso-
citation voiced their willingness to
cooperate with the Government
order. One comment was: "Our
boys in uniform don't pick their
hours, why should we?"
1AAlOdy WOulo SlNC
ployes an extra day off and night
closing would conserve electric pow
er, another retailer pointed out.
The w. P. B. order goes into effect
Thursday. Meanwhile, retailers to-
day and tomorrow were to continue
discussions of the measure.
The first session of the school to
train dealers in tire conservation will
be held later today at 400 Wiscon-
sin ave. NV, Mr.. Wainwright an
nounced Glasses will be held daily
for the next month, it was said.
The operators will be taught to
estimate the mileage problems of
individual motorists. If. motorist,
for example, wishes to make his tires
last another three years, the dealer
will measure the rubber on his cas-
ings and estimate the number of
miles he can drive. daily, weekly or
monthly, Mr.. Wainwright explained