Evening star., 1942-07-15
0DT Repeats Order
Affecting Trucks
Return Loads
IS Pct. Requirement
Would Have Forced Many
Carriers OFF Highways
Nv JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.
The Office of Defense Transporta-
tion repealed an order requiring
trucks to carry IS per cent return
load, a provision the operators said
would drive from the highways
many trucks supplying vital trans
portation.
A revision OF the orders applying
TO return loads of contract and pri-
vate trucks is expected within a few
days. 1t was on these types Of car
riers the original order would have
exerted the greatest hardship. since
. their terminal facilities are scat
tered and unorganized.
ODT announced the plan to be
substituted for the IS per cent re-
ouirement in the case of trucks
operated by common carriers. The
old order could have been complied
with more easily by these trucks.
since the vehicles usually operate
largely on schedule and from spe-
ciflc terminals.
40-Mile Speed Limit Set.
Under the revision, effective Au-
gust /, common carrier trucks must
carry capacity load over a CON
siderable portion" of the trip out
and back. Such trucks may be
operated with less than capacity
loads. or empty, over portion of a
trip only when the owner or driver
can prove he has made thorough
check and is unable to get load.
Even In this event the truck must
carry full load over part Of the trip.
In another major revision, ODT
limited the speed of trucks operated
by common carriers to maximum
of 40 miles an hour. This is de-
signed to save tires and prolong the
life of engines and running parts.
The capacity of truck is deter
mined by the weight-carrying abil-
ity of Its tires. Such capacity is set
forth in an appendix of the order
for all types of truck tires.
Perkins Heads OPA Branch.
James A. Perkins of Philadelphia
was appointed price executive of the
paper and paper products branch of
the Office of Price Administration.
He succeeds Robert M. Macy, who
resigned recently to accept a post
in the Office of the quartermaster
general.
Mr.. Perkins has been serving as
acting director of the paper branch.
He is on leave from Princeton Uni
versity, where he Is assistant director
of the school of public and interna-
tional affairs.
Fleet Rationing Explained.
Operators of fleets of automobiles
or motorcycles must apply for feet
rations of gasoline at local rationing
boards, OPA pointed out, saying
some fleet owners applied at schools
last week for A coupon books.
A vehicle is considered part OF a
feet If it is one of four or more of
the same general type owned or
leased by, and operated by the same
person and used principally in con-
nection with the same occupation
Rationing regulations provide no
basic ration for a fleet vehicle, since
gasoline for 1880 miles of non-occu-
pational driving is obtainable from
A books. Fleet vehicles are not en-
titled to this everyday" mileage.
Hence, OPA stated, a salesman who
is permitted to make personal use
of a company -owned fleet car will
receive no gas for that use.
Ordinary feet vehicles are eligible
for B books. To be eligible for C
books fleet vehicles must show need
in excess of mileage provided by BIS,
and must also belong to the pre-
ferred group of users regarded as
most essential to the war effort.
Priority Powers Delegated.
Priority powers, including both
authority to issue priority orders
and regulations, and power to dele
gate rationing authority with re-
spect to specified areas or commodi-
ties to the OPA formerly have been
delegated by Production Chief Mel
son to WPB's newly-created post of
director general for operations.
These powers formerly we're dele
gated to the director of industry
operations, whose duties were COM
bined with the director general for
operations in Mr.. Nelson "realign-
ment" of WPB announced last week.
ODT reported the transportation
system set up in recent months to
feed industrial alcohol In unprece-
dented quantities to newly-built
smokeless powder and synthetic
rubber plants is functioning
smoothly.
The output of industrial alcohol
through expansion of plants and
conversion of the whisky distill-
Ing industry has increased tremend-
ously during wartime. To handle
the extra transportation it was nee
essary to establish traffic schedules,
establish freight rates, arrange stor-
age space and make provision for
rail and truck equipment.
Sugar Refiners Get Relief.
OPA has completed arrangements
with Defense Supplies Corp. for
Government reimbursement to West
Coast sugar refiners for unusual
cost of transporting sugar to terri
tories east of Chicago, This was
done to assure equal distribution of
sugar throughout the country. Lo-
cal shortages have been reported in
Eastern sections.
Normally. the shipping of the
commodity by rail beyond Chicago
would not be economically justified
without price increase to cover
extra transportation costs, Most of