Evening star., 1943-06-15
|ckes Dep|ores
'Looseness' Of
Gas Rationing
System Is Abused,
Capitol Conference
Is Informed
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Looseness" Of the present gaso-
line rationing system was deplored
today by Secretary of Interior Ickes,
the petroleum administrator for war.
Testifying at a joint conference
Of House and Senate members who
became aroused over a move of an
eastern bloc in Congress to get adj
ditional supplies for ~ gas-starved
Atlantic seaboard States and the
District of Columbia at the sacri-
flee of the midwest area, Mr.. Ickes
declared:
ut took pleasure driving ban
with teeth in it, plus the unpleas-
ant shock of finding service stations
out Of gas to convince the public
Tin the east) of the reality Of the
shortage"
Stricter Rationing Possible.
Mr.. Ickes foresaw depletion Of the
Nations oil resources and served
notice that stricter rationing is pos
sible, but asserted that the Govern
ment has mo secret schemes to in
woke rationing to satisfy some quaint
philosophy of demanding public sac
rif1ces on the altar Of war"
During discussions on the price
of crude oil, revolving principally
about an increase recommended to
OPA by Mr.. Ickes but turned down,
the Secretary said:
I'VE are on the verge of passing
from an exporting Nation to an i'm
porting Nation in oil"
In response to questions by Sem
ator Moore, Republican, of Okla
homa as to whether we now face
an alarming situation because the
price of crude oil has not been in
creased, Mr.. Ickes disclosed that
new discoveries have not met the
demand the last four years, and the
situation certainly isn't what we
would like to see it,
Representative Brown, Repubn-
can, of Ohio pinned Mr.. Ickes down
to a direct reply on whether "in
your opinion, would further ration
ing of gas outside the Eastern area
relieve the situation in the East
today" Mr.. Ickes said NO"
Perhaps the heaviest drain on re-
serves of crude oil is on the West
Coast, and at the present rate of
consumption that area will not be
able to meet demands within q
year" Mr.. Ickes predicted.
Charges Wide Evasion.
Although unpopular and widely
abused and evaded," gasoline ration
ing, Mr.. Ickes said, has reduced the
non-essential use of the motor fuel
somewhat"
However" he declared, st suspect
that a wholesome fear on the part
OF some prudent motorists that tires
worn out could not be replaced, has
had much more to do with reduced
consumption than the coupon sys-
tenn
The ineffectiveness of coupon ra.
tioning of gas, Secretary Ickes point
ed out, will continue unless the peo-
pie who use it understand and be-
lieve' in the need for reducing con-
sumption.
Here in the East when the value
of the "A coupon was theoretically
reduced" he said, ''the first result
we could observe was the issuance
OF still more b and C. coupons and
so far as can determine the nom
essential use of gasoline was &C
tually increased rather than re-
duced."
No Good Extending Ban.
Mr.. Ickes was asked by Senator
Lucas, Democrat, of Illinois, whether
there had ever been any discussion"
over proposal to place the ration
ing OF civilian gas supplies in the
PAW instead of OPA.
Eve have proposed it." he an
swered, but we haven't received a
very enthusiastic response"
Secretary Ickes explained he be-
Ieved that the Midwest and other
parts of the country should share
the Eastern distress" but pointed
out 1t would do no good now to ex-
tend the pleasure driving ban to
those areas and cut rationing
coupon values because transporta-
ton facilities are not available to
bring additional supplies to the At
lantic Coast.
"At the present time civilian
motorists in the East have neces-
sarily been placed on a vigorously
lean diet of motor gasoline-far
less than their more fortunate
brethren in the other States" he
declared. ITO the extent that
Eastern distress can oe alleviated
by moving gasoline from district
2 the Middle West) and district
(the Golf coast. area) 1t is obvi-
Gus that the burden can and should
be shared.
Many Factors to Consider.
However, in considering the
necessity Of rationing the civilian
use of gasoline and fuel oil in sreas
other than district l (the East
COAST it is necessary to appraise
the cumulative effect of many other
factors-the shortage of crude oil in
some refining areas, the shortage
OF transportation for crude oil and
products, the necessity Of producing
fuel oil even at the expense of gaso.
line, the necessity for producing
aviation gasoline and other war
products largely at the expense of
gasoline and the necessity for sup
plying military needs before sup
plying motor gasoline for relatively
non-essential use."
Senator La Toilette, Progressive
u Wisconsin, who called the Joint
conference, was flanked on both
sides by more than 40 House and
Senate members from the Western
and Mtdwestern States. Among
them was Representative Brown,
Republican Of Ohio, who was elected
| last week hv the Westerp h1oc In,