Evening star., 1942-07-04
Filling Stations
Dry as Holiday
WeekEnd0pens
But Capital Is Held
Better Supplied
Than Other Areas

Many Washington holiday-makers
began the Fourth of July week end
today without prospect of obtaining
more gasoline than they had in their
automobile tanks, because confusion
in gas distribution arising from the
current temporary rationing system
has left many filling stations dry.
While the keystone Automobile
Club reported after a survey that
most filling station operators expect
to run out of gasoline by tonight or
tomorrow, it was said by Harry
Wainwright, research director of
Gasoline Retailers of Washington,
Inc, that the District was faring
better than most Eastern Seaboard
areas, which are blighted by real
gasoline drought.
Some Washington stations already
were displaying "out of gas" signs
when the day began.
Proposed Changes Studied.
Meanwhile the Office of Price
Administration mulled over sug-
gestions of organized Eastern gaso-
line dealers for changes in the pro-
posed permanent rationing system
that goes into effect July % in II
East Coast States and expected to
continue conferences with the re-
tailers next week. The main desire
of the dealers is the continuation
of scheme for limiting retailers
supplies, Sol A. Herzog, their spokes-
man, said.
Authoritative commentators at
tributed the July Fourth shortage
to overgenerous rations to motor
lists which are disproportionate to
the so per cent cut in deliveries to
filling stations.
The temporary rationing scheme,
which will be supplanted July %,
allows dealers up to half of their
last years sales This was not in
creased when on June Is the value
of units on motorists ration cards
was doubled from to gallons.
Get To-Day Quotas.
Dealers in New York, Mr.. Herzog
said. who have been getting their
quotas in lots supposed to last 10
days have been selling out in two or
three. Even x card holders cannot
buy gasoline when there is no gaso-
line to buy.
The meeting here yesterday head
ed by MrA Herzog, who claimed to
represent 10000 East Coast dealers,
expressed fear that the July % sys-
tenn will cause Wholesale price wars
and drive out of business many
small, independent dealers. The
dealers had three-hour conference
with Joel Dean, chief of the OPA
Fuel Rationing Division.
Members of the Dealers Commit
tee said privately they were con-
cerned over the apparent failure OF
the new rationing program to limit
supplies to dealers.
Without dealer rationing, they
said, the coupon system might re-
suit in price wars, since dealer sup
plies would be allotted on the basis
of the number of coupons turned in.
Oppose Coupon System.
Well-financed dealers, they point
ed out, might gather in large sup
ply of coupons by resorting to price
cuts, thus gradually driving smaller
and less prosperous dealers out OF
business.
Mr.. Herzog said the committee
had made several specific sug-
gestions to meet the dealers objec-
tlons to coupon rationing.
Mr.. Herzog said the conferences
would be continued next week and
expressed the hope that I'VE will
get something constructive out OF
them"
He said that Mr.. Dean had in
dicated the OPA was sympathetic to
the dealers problems and had under
consideration several alternative
plans to be used in conjunction with
coupon rationing.