Evening star., 1942-06-12
Sas5cer Asks
MoreGaso|ine
For Workers
Request Follows
Double Plea Made
By Gov. O'Conor

OIOlndC dCOT To-Day was Studying an dp.
peal from Representative Sasscer,
Democrat, of Maryland, to ease gas
oline restrictions in the Washington
Baltimore area where, it is claimed,
defense workers are kept from their
jobs because dealers supplies have
been cut too drastically.
The appeal followed an earlier re-
quest by Gov. O'Conor to Petroleum
Co-ordinator Ickes and Price Ad-
ministrator Leon Henderson to make
additional allotments of gasoline to
dealers because he said thousands
of man hours of work are being lost
in the Baltimore area since en-
ployes are unable to get fuel to
drive to work.
Representative Sasscer declared
that ration cards are worthless in
many instances because at times
lover 80 per cent of the dealers are
out of gas entirely" He estimated
at least $4,000 persons in his district
are directly or are closely associated
with war work.
Cites Location of Plants.
He called attention to the loca-
ton of the Indianhead Powder Fac
tory. the Naval Academy. the Beth
lehem- -Fairchild Shipyard. the Coast
Guard Depot at Curtis Bay and
number of other war operations
located in his district. He also
cited the thousands OF Federal
workers that live in the Washing
ton suburban area.
Gov. O'Conor said he had urged
Mr.. Ickes to provide Baltimore with
greater gasoline allotments" while
Mr.. Henderson was asked to make
Traditional gasoline available for
defense workers"
Before Gov. O'Conor announced
his appeals Mr.. Ickes Office said it
was investigating the report OF
gasoline shortages and promised
action "as soon as possible
Meanwhile, figures forwarded to
the OPA by the traffic division OF
the State Road Commission showed
that approximately 38 per cent
OF Maryland's drivers needed more
gacoline for purely business use
than provided by B-3 card, the
Associated Press reported.
Relays Mileage Figures.
William F. Childs. jr, division
director, said the Public Roads Ad-
ministratoin had relayed an OPA
request for actual figures. presum-
ably for use in development of the
new gacoline rationins program.
Mr.. Childs said the figures used
BY his staff to determine business
mileage travelled by Maryland mo-
torists in relation to total annual
mileage vGre based on a survey
taken in 1861.
The OPA asked also that the
traffic survey group report the ratio
of total mileage to various truck
weights. Mr.. Childs informed the
agency the figures showed little
relationship between truck weights
and annual travel variance.
The passenger car charts showed
SAIL per cent travelling more than
5000 miles per year for business.
OF this group, only l6 per cent had
enough units On a B-3 card to fill
their business needs.
Business Travel Rises.
The survey indicated also that as
total mileage increased. the per-
centage travelled for business rose
also.
Only 20 per cent OF the motorists
in the $500 -mile-a-year class used
their cards for business more than
10 per cent of the time.
Nearly 60 per cent of the motorists
who travelled between 22.500 and
27,5O0 miles a year reported they
used their cars for business 10 per
cent or more of that mileage. The
business mileage percentage climbed
to 100 in the 47,500-5 900 mileage
class.
Only 1861 per cent of Maryland
motorists reported absolutely no
business of their cars.
In Baltimore Motor Vehicle Com
missioner w. Lee Elgin asked every
woman capable Of driving an auto
mobile to get drivers license II
she does not have one now.
Mr.. Elgin said every woman with
even part-time access to car
should be equipped to drive it."
Such ability, he continued, would in
many instances result in gasoline
and tire sayings.
MANY war workers are daily carry
ing two to five fellow workers with
them to factories and 'if through
illness or accident this driver is un-
able to carry on, many valuable
man hours are lost, unless the wife
is equipped to take over during her
husbands illness"