Evening star., 1943-06-18
Special Group
To Study Pools
OF Federal Cars
Will Guide Program
To Reduce Use by
At Least 40 Pct.
BY JOE RICHMAN.

Immediate study of q plan to
establish central motor vehicle pools
and interchange of vehicular serv-
ices for Federal agencies here and
in the field will be made by an H.
man Federal Mileage Coordination
Committee.
The committee, appointed yester.,
day by OPA Administrator Brown,
will guide the Governments pro-
gram 10 reduce the mileage of We
hicles used In the Federal service
by at least 40 per cent. e..
Need for more rigid control OF
Federal cars here became evident
earlier in the week when an invest
igation by The Star revealed that in
some cases officials are still using
departmental cars to take them din
ing and to transport them from
their homes to work.
Drive to Luncheons. ,
Particularly prevalent in some
cases, the investigation showed, Is
the use Of Federal cars, complete
with chauffers, to drop officials of
for noon luncheon engagements.
In the light Of restrictions the
State of Maryland placed on use Of
State cars for other than official
business, after an official travelled in
State-owned car to attend his
son s wedding in Georgia, the in
vestigation made 1t apparent that
stronger control over Federal car use
is needed.
At present each Federal agency
has mileage administrator to
organize and control the use of its
motor vehicles. following recent
order of President Roosevelt. But
the various agencies are still at
variance over the means of control
over the vehicles.
Local OPA Lacks Authority.
Local OPA officials, when told
| that some Federal cars are still be-
ing used for pleasure" purposes.
said they have neither the authority
or cause to look into this problem.
and that it is chiefly "a matter OF
concern to the Federal agencies"
r. Wallace Brewster, in charge Of
the Government Mileage Conserva-
ton Program in OPA, has been
named chairman of the new COM
mittee. which will advise OPA in its
Federal mileage conservation pro-
gram.
Mileage administrators Of vari-
Gus Federal departments who are
members of the committee include
Arthur B. Thatcher. Agriculture
Department.: J. A. Hale, Budget
Bureau; John S. Collins, Com
merce Department.; C. E. Calvert.
Interstate Commerce Commission;
G. Norman Rogers. Treasury De-
partment; Floyd E. Dotson. Interior
Department.; Arthur M. Hill, Navy
Department; 0. H. Transtrum, Of
flee for Emergency Management;
Harrison Parkman, Post Office De-
partment, and Brig. Gen. Raymond
G. Moses, War Department..
Will Study Federal Laws.
The committees goal will be 20
effect the full coordination of
motor vehicular use in the Gov
ernment in order to eliminate all
unnecessary driving. to assure max
imum ride-sharing arrangements
for travelling in line Of duty and 20
reduce travel costs, it was an
l nounced.
A study will be made by the group
of Federal laws and regula tions
which bear upon the problem of
interdepartmental exchange of mo-
tor vehicular services and equip
ment here and in the field. 1t also
will devise uniform system of re-
porting forms and procedures re-
lating to motor vehicles in the Fed
eral service for adoption by the va
rious departments and agencies.
A bill now pending in the Senate,
introduced by Senator Byrd, Demo-
crat. of Virginia, chairman of the
Joint Economy Committee would
punish those who misuse Federal
cars by making them subject to dis
missal from Office and not more
than $1,000 fine or Imprisonment FOR
year.
One source suggested that this
legislation provides too severe" pen
alties and, therefore. would not have
the sympathies of officials who
WOULD l,o,o +ha