Evening star., 1943-06-07
New Gasoline
Ratings Issued
For Industries
locuI Situation
Eosed Somewhat;
Coupons Scarce

The ONCE of Defense Transporta-
ton issued a revised list of indus
tries to be given preferential treat
ment in the Eastern gasoline short
age area today, dividing them into
four groups.
Approved by the War Production
Board. the list, which replaces the
original WPB list issued May 30.
parcels industry into the following
divisions:
AA-l tmost critical;
Al very critical;
Az tcriticaD;
AS important.
In Washington gasoline was OBJ
tainable if not plentiful. No long
lines of automobiles encircled service
stations and in most places there
was little delay in getting as much
fuel AS desired. Ration coupons
seemed to be getting scarcer and
this, plus the fact that most drivers
thought they could get gasoline when
needed. accounted for the let-down.
Lend-Lease Trucking AL.
The AL rating was given to
trucks used in movements of Army.
Navy. Maritime Commission. Coast
Guard and lease-lend supplies for
export by sea or air. Essential sup
plies for all other uses by those
agencies will be given a preference
on the same basis as other con-
sumers
1t also was disclosed that farming
will be placed high on the list but
that ODT Chief Eastman was pre-
pairing a letter for farmers empha-
sizing their moral obligation to the
Nation in the crisis.
The second. third and fourth rat
1ngs were assigned to a wide vari-
ETY. of industries and services. News
papers, periodicals and magazines
were granted an A-3 classification
when area deliveries have been
pooled and combined in man.
ner approved by ODT.
ODT emphasized that all car
riers, including those rated essen
tial, must Cooperate to the utmost
to comply with the recent reduction
of 40 per cent in IT rations for
commercial vehicles to gain neceS-
sary additional gasoline to con-
tinue operations.
Pipeline Facilities Enlarged.
Opening of additional pumping
facilities on the Plantat ton Pipeline
from Greensboro. N. c.. to Rich
mond. Va. last Saturday increased
the flow of gasoline from 2l.O0O
barrels to 10000 barrels daily and is
expected to assure a steady rise OF
imports in this area From Rich
mond the fuel is transshipped by
tank car and barge to Washington
and Baltimore. Washington's great
difficulty in keeping adequate sup
plies on hand arises from lack OF
storage facilities which keep the
city on a hand-to-mouth basis even
under normal conditions.
Whether the Medical Society
would take action to assure gasoline
enough to keep physicians cars
running in future emergencies could
not be ascertained today. Theodore
Wiprud, secretary of the society. was
in Chicago and not expected back
until Friday 1t was revealed Satur-
day, however, that nine service sta
tions in designated areas. wherein
special pumps mad been marked off
to serve only doctors and emergency
vehicles, had not received additional
gasoline to put the plan into effect.
Only the general easing of the situa-
ton saved physicians from the same
predicament as the average COM
mercial user.
There was some evidence of
pleasure driving in the District.
Virginia State police and investi-
gators from the Richmond district
OPA office yesterday picked up
almost 200 suspected violators of
the ban. Teams of police and in
Vestigators We're stationed at the
Mattaponi River Bridge at West
Point, on Mechanicsville pike at a
tavern, at the junction of route ?
and the George Washington Me-
mortal highway 5 miles east of Fred
erlcksburg. and at point Just below
the new Potomac River span near
Dahlgren. Most of the cars stopped
appeared to be headed for beaches
or summer resorts