Evening star., 1943-05-29
Gasoline Ban Ea5ed
For Services Aidinq
Public Health, Safety
Doctors, AmbuIonces
To Get Relief Under
New OPA Order

Measures to assure sufficient
gasoline for vehicles performing
such essential services as public
health and safety in Washing
ton and other Eastern cities suf-
fering from an acute shortage
were announced this afternoon
by the Of11ce of Price Admins
tration.
OPA moved to protect specifically
the necessary operation of doctors
cars, ambulances and hearses and
vehicles necessary to the Police and
Fire Departments.
Under the emergency procedure
OPA district directors will have au-
thority. subject to approval of the
OPA deputy administrator in charge
OF rationing. to designate service sta
tions or other facilities which will
give preference in selling gasoline to
services designated as essential. Such
stations will be required to post
notices to this effect.
Floods Shrink Supplies.
All other stations still are required
under OPA regulations to sell gaso-
|. line to ration holders without dis
elimination. This does not prevent
them, OPA explained, from limiting
the number of gallons sold to each
customer if a shortage OF supplies
makes it advisable.
Chairman McCarran of the Sen
ate District Committee has written
to Price Administrator Brown.
calling attention to the importance
of doctors being able to keep up
their calling lists, in view of the
reduced number Of medical men at
home during the war.
THE price administrator is to be
most heartily commended for the
prompt action he has taken, which
is a demonstration that the OPA
can act efficient in an emergency"
Senator McCarran said.
The Office of Defense Transporta-
tion announced, meanwhile, today
that tank car deliveries of petroleum
and petroleum products into Eastern
States had fallen off 238 per cent
below the levels maintained before
the disastrous floods in the Middle
West. ODT said the Eastern move
ment would not be restored to pre-
vlous figures until pipelines, railroad
bridges and roadbeds had been re-
paired with recession of flood wa
ters.
Trucks Coming Here.
Earlier a spokesman for the Pc
troleum Administrator for War dis
closed that gasoline supplies in the
Washington Baltimore area will be
augmented today by the arrival of
5000 barrels in 100-tank trucks from
Greensboro, N. C.
Arrangements have been made to
continue deliveries Of similar
amounts daily for one week, the
spokesman said, but that plans
worked out between PAW and ODT
did not extend beyond that period.
He could not say whether officials of
the two offices had any long range
plans along similar lines.
The additional gasoline, amount
ing to approximately 1886, 900 gallons
day, will afford some relief to
motorists in the area, but will not
mean any easing Of driving restric-
tions for either private, commercial
or public utility vehicles, officials
said.
Act After AAA Criticism.
Announcement that trucks, as
sembled by ODT and placed on the
loading racks this morning, were
being pressed into service followed
closely a statement by Thomas P.
Henry, president of the American
Automobile Association, in which he
criticized the Government for not
using trucks.
Pointing out that gasoline receipts
were 10000 barrels under the daily
quota allotted this area after the so
per cent cut in civilian driving, Mr..
Henry charged that trucks were not
fully utilized in the emergency be-
cause of quibbling over Government
subsidies for hauling petroleum.
Such subsidies now apply only to
rail and water movements.
Sunday Buses Curtailed.
Meanwhile, Capital Transit Co.
omcials announced today the dis
continuance of four Sunday routes
In outlying districts to bring its
schedules In line with the 20 per cent
mileage reduction achieved during
the week. More drastic curtailment
OF bus travel, . spokesman said, was
impractical because 80 many Gov
ernment workers use buses on SUM-
day.
Lines Abandoned include the p.A