Imperial Valley press., 1942-11-27
Jeffers Supports
Rationing Of Gas

ate committee investigating the
war program to explain the neces-
sity for nation wide gasoline ra-
tioning, scheduled to go into ef-
feet next Tuesday
Nobody has come forward with |
any workable suggestion to con-
serve rubber as drastically as we |
must conserve it, except by cur
failing gasoline supplies he tes-
titled.
CAN'T TRUST DRIVERS
Il am aware that the vast ma
jority of patriotic Americans will
reduce their driving voluntarily,
but we cannot depend on purely
Voluntary conservation. We must
keep all our cars in operation, if
that is possible, to avoid serious
difficulty lii transportation.
Jeffers was the first of four high
officials called before the Truman
committee to discuss the nation
wide rationing program.
CONCRESSMFN MEET
On the House side of the Capt.
tol. leaders CT tne bloc oil west
crn and mid-WeStern congressman
who oppose the program met to
consider legislation which would
outlaw nationwide rationing, in
spite Of President Rcosevelt's warn
ing that it must start as scheduled
to prevent and delay in victory Tor
the United Nations.
Da@1nrro1f yyOipnI 11ic
ing last ni3ht in letters TO Jet-
fers and Price Administrator Leon
Henderson. Asserting that the
need for rationing as rubber ccn-
serVation measure grows more
acute with every day that
passes" he made it plain he would
veto any legislation to postpone
CT ben nationwide ration!ne.
STCCKPUE DUWN
Jeffers tcld the Truman COM
mittee that at the end of Octo-
Der. the crude rubber stockpile in
this country amounted to 1922
tons. # the current CONSUMPTION
$4,000 tons a months not
cl,,taije.l, he said, the stockpile
will drop to 100000 tons by Sep
tenaber !, 1o43, even after allow
inc for possible imports.
This. he said, is too close to the
100 OCO tons which the Baruch com
rittce recommended as an 1850
lutte minimum .-aserVe stockpile. He
warned that not to take measures
now to prevent rapid depletion ol
rubber stocks would be to "gamble
that the synthetic rubber program
will be completed on schedule.
CHEEKY FORECAST
III all gDc3 we'll he said, we
should be able to allocate import
am Guantities of rubber for thc
manufacture of civilian tires in the
carly months Of 1914. Thus II
there is no hitch in The program,
We should be able i'll 1894 to re-
place in last measure the all
tomobile tires uoW in use on the
Il 900 900 passenger cars and the
100000 trucks operating in the
United States
But the synthetic rubber pro-
gram, he said, is full of IFS II
must compete with several other
must" programs for critical ma
telials, and "Wc have never engag-
cd in the fabrication, on large
scale, Of finished products from syn-
thetic rubber"
while all the experiments are
go0d,' he added, and the Outlook
is reasonably bright, deem il plain
cCn1mon SenSe at a time like this
10 orr on the side of conservatism.
We do not dare take chances with
this material which is SO vital To
modern Warefare.'
In l943, Jeffcrs said, there will
be only 30.010,000 tires-including
compared with normal demand oil
100000 tires, and most Of these
will have very much less potential
mileage than new tires
In the light of this circum-
stance be testified, Il can see no
way around drastic conservation OF
the largest StoCkpilc Of rubber VIC
have, the 100000 toms in tires nov
in service. That l,000,eJ0 tens
carefully limited in Use, will keeu
Our passenger cars and trucks roll
i0g Tor tho duration cf thc cmer-
gencY.'
JcffcrS disclosed that he already
has provided for modification of the
rationine program as it applies tc
formers and workers in war plants
He said he had directed Defense
Transportation Director Joseph b
Eastman to allow farmers to con
tinue their normal operations un-
til such time as their individual
needs arc determined
He directed Eastman and Hen
dcrson to see to it that in setting
gasoline allotments for war work
ers. local rationing boards should
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