Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-12-04
Gas RdtiOninQ
PeriIs AAA's
Road Service
Auto Club Protests
Low Quotas for Aid
TO Stalled Motorists

Michigan's garage road service
lis threatened with complete
breakdown. thus depriving thou
sands of war workers with auto
mobile repair service. unless inn
mediate adjustments are made in
the gasoline rationing allotments.
Richard Harfst. general manager
OF the Automobile Club of Michi-
gan. declared today.
HarfSt made his complaint in q
letter 10 the national AAA office
in Washington, ID. c.. asking the
appeal be presented 10 William
letters, transportation admins
traitor for the nation.
Nearly all Of the AAA garages
in the Detroit area have used
within 20 gallons Of their full De-
cember quota of gasoline in
answering the thousands OF road
calls OccaSioned by the cold
weather. according 10 Edward F.
Shumaker manager emergency
road service.
a few have received no gasoline.
CAN'T KEEP Up SERVICE
1--WE will not he able To pro-
vide service much after January
Is at the present gasoline supply
rate, even III the driving weather
IL favorable" Shumaker said.
within a few DAYS most of
our garages will he dipping into
their January quotas for gasoline
for their tow and repair trucks"
Shumaker -eXplained these
trucks arc operated on quarterly
books. providing varying amounts
of gasoline
During the last two days the
Detroit AAA has received an
average Of $500 calls daily. This
number is high because Of tho cold
weather, Shumaker pointed out
MOSTLY CANT STARTS
About 90 per cent ~ these
calls were cant starts Shu-
maker continued There are GO
ing 10 he more and more such
calls because automobiles are
growing older and many persons
will not drive sufficiently Ia
keep their batteries charged In
cold weather.
THE ODT has not taken these
facts into consideration In allot-
ting gasoline"
A. least 70 per cent Of tho De-
trolt AAA members are var work
prC Harriet estimated
Whether many Of these
members ran get Ia work de-
ponds upon the road service we
can give them" Harfst said
WHY 1T CAN'T BIZ DONE
Harfst cited instances OF made
quate rstion!nE
The only Wrecker in WAYNE
IL expected 10 operate on one
gallon Of gasoline = day," no
said This IL our official garage
that services territory including
Willow Run plant.
"a round trip from the garage
20 the plant consumes one gallon
~ gas"
He told ~ Lake Orion garage
closed for three days because Of
no gasoline ALLEGATION.
This garage owner spent the
last three DAYS In Pontiac at the
ration board attempting Ia get
ration Okeh." HarfSt continued.
TRENTON CASE CITED
A Trenton garage receives two
gallons Of gasoline per day for It's
single service truck, while the
garage reports 10 gallon per day
average. often increased 10 Is gal
Ions in cold weather This garage
owner already is drawing on his
January ALLEGATION. He has ap-
pealed three times without avail
before the Wyandotte ration board
Harfst said.
One Crosse Pointe garage. which
has been alloCated IS gallons. AL
ready has consumed It's full supply
while a Centervllle garage is Civ
inC road service with flat tires on
It's service truck because a ration
board has denied a new tire pur-
chase order.
Numerous garages have refused
20 answer calls more than few
blocks distant. HarfSt added
One Detroit garage owner twice