Evening star., 1943-01-20
Three Pleasure
Drivers Lose
T. Gas Books
Authorities Press
Campaign to Enforce
New Restrictions

three of them severely, as four
District rationing boards last
night and yesterday afternoon
continued digging into the hun
dreds of cases of alleged pleas
ure-seeking drivers that have
piled up since the ban went into
effect IL days ago.
At the same time, pleasure driving
charges were dismissed against
eight drivers when they presented
valid excuses, and several other
cases were taken under considera-
tion by the boards. Five of the %
motorists due to report at the four
boards failed to appear.
Although yesterday was only the
second day that hearings had been
held in the District for violators of
the OPA ban, many board men,
bers already were beginning to feel
the necessity for revisions in the
procedures now used Several ex-
pressed themselves as being in favor
of centralized court" established
by the OPA solely to hear the pleas
ure- driving cases. Most of them
believed there should be more thor
ough preliminary investigation to
make it unnecessary for drivers who
are obviously innocent to appear
before them.
Pleasure driving hearings were to
be held at noon today by Board so,
Seventh and I streets SW.; Board
81, Georgia avenue and Upshur
street NV, from $3.50 to $50 pm,
and Board so, Fifteenth street and
Good Hope road Sc, 8 pm.
Meanwhile, local OPA inspectors
added "a names and District police
five names to the list of pleasure
driving suspects as the result of an
overnight check. These reports
brought to 715 the number of
Washington motorists cited as sus-
pected violators since the pleasure
driving ban became effective jan
uary 7.
Book Revoked.
The most stringent penalties yes
terday were levied by Board No. 80
at the Brightwood School. Arthur
Cam, sailor on duty at Clinton,
Md, had his &C" book revoked and
six coupons taken out of his "a"
book. Mr.. Cams car was found
parked outside the Chevy Chase Ice
Palace.
Another sailor who lost his &C"
book for 80 days and had two "a"
coupons taken away was Bruce La
mond, 1900 Sudbury lane NV, on
duty at Hybla Valley, Va. Mr.. La
mond said he was shopping at Silver
Spring, Md, and had gone into
drugstore to buy some cough drops
when OPA spoilers found his car.
Daniel Pickerell, TOT Rittenhouse
street NV, an oil burner service
man, will be forced to surrender
his &C" book for so days and bis
"a" book for 80 days beginning
February 2l His car was found
on Silver Spring parking lot, and
he explained that he was on his
way to visit a sick brother and
had stopped to get a package of
cigarettes.
The protest of William F. Mar
tin, 6700 Fourteenth street NV,
a filling station operator, won for
him the return of his "a" book
which the board had taken up.
Mr. Martin said he had parked his
car in Silver Spring to buy gro
ceries when it was observed by
the OPA investiga tors.
The board is holding the "a"
book of Paul E. NORM, 713 Tewkes-
bury place NV, until he can
produce statement from the
commanding officer to the effect
that the Army man was on
furlough in Washington at the
time Mr.. Morins car was spot
ted. OPA investigators found it
parked in front of a liquor store,
and Mr.. NORM explained that it
was being used to transport an
Army officer on furlough. Under
OPA interpretations this is per-
missible.
Similar instructions were issued
by the board to Solomon Hofberg,
116 Kennedy street NV, who said
he was transporting his son, who
was on leave from the armed serv-
ices, when his car was observed at
the Crossroads, Bladensburg road
night club.
Three Fall to Appear.
Three alleged violators failed to
show up last night. w. C. Strasser,
board chairman, said they would
be given another two days to ap-
pear, after which drastic action
would be taken.
At Ration Board AZ, which met
at the Langdon School, Twentieth
and Evarts streets NE, a youthful
car owner explained frankly in the
only case to be heard by the board
last night, that he was having his
last fling before entering the armed
forces.
The defendant, Joseph George
Ciufolo, 20, of 3l06 Monroe street
NE, told the board he had quit
his job three weeks ago to enter
the Marine Corps. He said he
learned on Monday that he had
two more weeks to wait before
he would be inducted.
Mr.. Ciufolo said he had about a
quarter of tankful of gas left in
his car. His ration book contained
a full sheet of eight No. 4 coupons,
the equivalent of "a gallons. The
board decided to take away six
units from the youths book. They
explained that they were leaving
him two units, one for each week
before he would enter the service.
Six of the seven cases handled
by Board No. 33, at the Brookland
School, Tenth and Monroe streets
NE, late yesterday, were found
to involve instances of justifiable
driving and were dismissed
Fined Two "A" Coupons.
The only driver who suffered the
loss of part of his ration was