Evening star., 1942-12-20
New OPA Order
Restores Value
Of A Coupons
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Price Administrator Hender-
son announced yesterday that
the suspension of gasoline sales
IN the District and II Eastern
States will be lifted at midnight
tonight and that the value of B
and c coupons will be reduced
from 4 to gallons to relieve the
critical shortage. The Validity
OF A books will be restored along
with the others, their coupon
value remaining at 3 gallons.
Earlier yesterday, James F. Byrnes,
director of economic stabilization,
stepped into the confused gasoline
and fuel oil picture, announcing that
he would promote whatever action
Is necessary to remedy the situation.
Mr.. Byrnes will confer Monday with
the heads of the three Government
agencies responsible for gas and Oil
distribution and supply-Mr. Hen
derson, Petroleum Administrator
Ickes and Defense Transportation
Director Joseph B. Eastman.
Senate Hearings to Resume.
Chairman Maloney announced
that the special Senate committee
named to investigate the gasoline
and fuel oil situation would resume
its hearings January 4 because re
cent developments have convinced
the committee of the necessity for
a complete study of the Nation
wide petroleum situation with the
purpose of keeping the Nation in
formed of just what it must expect
in the future" First witnesses will
be Mr.. Henderson, Mr. Ickes. Mr..
Eastman, Rubber Director William
M. Jeffers and Rear Admiral Emory
S. Land, chairman of the Maritime
Commission.
The East Coasts 100000 motor
lists will resume fairly normal war
time driving habits tomorrow morn
ing with the lifting of the ban on
gasoline sales, which threatened to
swamp transportation systems in
most Eastern cities and to inter-
fere with vital war production. The
suspension order was placed in effect
at noon Friday to prevent exhaus-
ton of low gas supplies by runs"
and to give officials time to work out
a more permanent solution to the
shortage.
"B" Holders to Feel Pinch.
An estimated 2,7OO,OOO motorists
are affected by the 1-gallon cut
in value of B and C coupons. The
100000 B book holders will feel
the pinch most, since they receive
only Is supplemental coupons each
three-month period. In the District,
about $4,000 car owners are affected
by the cut.
Mr.. Henderson said that A book
rations were not reduced further
primarily because 40 per cent of the
workers in the East use A tickets
exclusively in getting to work He
nevertheless called for an end of all
pleasure driving. West Virginia
was added to the States where A
coupons are worth three gallons.
An extensive program for reduc-
ton of gasoline consumption, with
emphasis on breakdown on boot
logging and black market opera
tions, also was announced by Mr..
Henderson. He reported to his
press conference that illicit sales
of gas is substantial problem. A
total of 100 dealers have now been
suspended. Mr.. Henderson warned
that deliberate violators of ration
ing regulation from now on will
get the limit-suspension for the
duration, which means they will be
out of business He added that he
had just signed suspension orders
against more than 10 dealers, many
of whom got the limit
Silent on Byrnes' Report.
Mr. Henderson said he received
Mr.. Byrnes' request only a few min
utes before the press conference.
1aC uCeiilicd CoiliIlleilI OH tIle SIdDlll-
zation directors announced iaves-
tigation of the gas and Oil situation,
saying That is a matter between
Mr.. Byrnes and me-
Mr.. Byrnes, who rapidly is as
suming the duties of an assistant
president in ironing out Govern
ment conflict and confusion, said
that because of the critical gasoline
shortage in the East he had re-
quested reports from the three
agencies handling petroleum "as
quickly AS possible. He asked that
these reports indicate:
RI In what respects our existing