The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1942-03-19

WASHINGTON, Marcn ~
(P - Gasoline consumption by
100, 900 filling s.-t,ons in the area
and Pacific northwest was re-
duced by 20 per cent today, and
opera tons of approximately
100000 fillin stations in the area
were limited to a 12-hour-day,
six-day-week.
Supplementing this wartime
action, the Office Of Price Ad-
ministration froze the retail gas
oline prices in the area at the
levels prevailing last Friday and
made violations punishable by
a maximum $4,000 fine or one
year imprisonment.
EFFECTIVE MONDAY
The freezing order, which will
be in force for at least 80 days,
becomes legally effective on
Monday, March %. In issuing
the order, acting price admins
traitor John E. Hamm disclosed
last night that serious consider
alton" was being given to the Ii
ccnsing of ell filling stations in
the curtailment area as further
measure to guarantee observance
of the price regulations.
Like the reduced gasoline con-
sumption, the freezing order APP
piled to the District of Columbia
and 10 states y Ma ne, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New Jersey, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland, Virginia, Della
ware, West Virginia, North Car
DINA, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida East of the Apalachicola
River, Oregon and Washington.
AS consumption was curtailed,
the petroleum industry warned
that only "the fullest coopera-
ton of every consumer" in the
the program could prevent dras-
tic rationing by coupon books.
CUT EFFECTIVE TODAY
The reduction effective today
through One-fifth cut in sup
plies delivered to service sta
tions-was ordered by the War
Production Board on recommen-
dation of Petroleum Coordinator
Ickes who said the condition
If >ofroIo,,y,, cfncLv -, %ko oroos
had become acute due to SUBJ
marine sinkings and war de-
mands on tanker ships which
normally supply these coastal
| states.
Ickes issued statement say
ing automobile drivers can help
their country" and advising:
Drive carefully. Don't use your
car unnecessarily. Share rides
with friends and neighbors. Con-
serve gasol nj and oil. That
means rubber, too.
"Remember-'oil is ammuni-
ton, use it wisely"
Under the limitation system
effective today, each filling sta
ton will receive 20 percent less
gasoline from his supplying COM
pany, and the individ ial station
operator will have the RESPONSE
bility of distributing the avail
able motor fuel equitably among
his customers. 1t was expected
that he would do this by selling
each purchaser only a few gal
Ions.
There was nothing to prevent
motorist going from station
to-station until his tank was fill
ed, except the appeals by Ickes
and the petroleum industry and
threat of rigid rationing il the
present program fails by an in
equity in the apportionment of
the short supplies among all mo-
florists.
While all filling stations in the
affected area must confine their
operations to IL hours daily and
six days week, the individual
operator can choose any IL hours
a day and any day of the week
he wishes to lock up his pumps.
Petroleum quarters expected,
however, that most stations will
be closed at night and all day
Sunday.
Essential vehicles will con-
tinue to get all the gasoline
they need. The WPB said these
included machines operated for
public and health and safety; by