Smyrna times., 1943-07-15
ATTORNEYS TO
HEAR AUTOCASE
Pleasure Driving Hearings
Conducted by Paid Lawyers
i'm Kent and Sussex
PANEL REFUSE HEARING

Because of refusal of Sussex
County war price and rationing
boards to hod hearings on pleasure
driving ban cases and the disin-
clination of the Kent County boards
to conduct such cases, paid attor-
neys from outside the respective
counties where the motorists reside
will conduct such hearings in the
future. Charles w. Hardesty, state
OPA director, said Charles L. Har-
monson and A. B. Magee of Kent
County will hear the Sussex Coun-
ty cases and Houston Wilson and 1.
Dolphus Short III of Sussex County
will hear the Kent County cases.
Refused to Hear Cases
Members of the Sussex County
war price and rationing boards said
the boards have refused to conduct
hearings in cases of suspected vio-
lation of the pleasure driving ban
because of unpopularity of the ban
and because of dissatisfaction of
poultrymen of Sussex County with
the OPA handling of the poultry
price situation in the county. For
quite some time" Mr.. Hardesty
said, I'VE have been concerned re-
garding the probable inconvenience
and in some cases, embarrassment
caused by the necessity for local
boards or special panels to con-
duct hearings and impose penalties
for violations of the non-essential
driving ban, especially in the small
er and less densely populated sec
tions."
Change Advisable
District directors" !" Mr.. Hardes-
ty continued, were authorized on
June 1 to appoint qualified persons
to serve as hearing officers if the
boards expressed a desire to be re-
lieved of portion of this respon-
sibility, particularly that referring
to the imposition of penalties.
However all the boards in Kent
and Sussex Counties did not re-
quest such a change, but it was de-
cided advisable to provide a stand
ard basis of organization in order
to accomplish a uniform method of
hearing procedure and penalties.
mo salary is attached to the ap-
pointments, but hearing officers are
compensated on a per diem basis
plus actual travelling expenses"
Mr.. Hardesty said. ut is not in
tended that the announcement of
these appointments shall be utilized
for the purpose of securing compli-
ance. They were appointed not for
the value of any publicity but for
the purpose of speedily exercising
the responsible and essential func-
tions provided in ration order No. 5.
Appeals from the decision of a
hearing officer may be made
through the hearing commissioner
in the same manner as those from
a board or panel to the district di-
rector.
No Reflection on Board
This change can in no way be
considered a reflection on any
board or panel and such changes
were made with full knowledge and
consent of all the boards affected"
Mr.. Hardesty said. Board members
in Sussex County said that neither
members of the boards or members
of the special panels want to hear
pleasure driving cases. In almost
all cases the board members ana
the panel members know the indi-
viduals suspected of pleasure driv-
ing by their first names, and are
usually familiar with their day-to-
day use of their automobiles.
Lack of Bus, Trains
Board members said the ban was
especially unpopular in Sussex
County because of lack of bus or
train transportation. Many of the
motorists, it was explained, own
cottages at nearby resorts and are
in the habit of visiting them each
weekend and in many cases, in the
evenings during the week also.
Panel and board members frequent
ly know the conditions which exist
in respect to the individual motor
lists.
Poultry Growers Dissatisfied
Many poultry growers are dis
satisfied with the OPA's ceiling
price of 281a cents pound on
broilers and the investigation of the
OPA into black market operations
in the county and subsequent ar
rests of both dealers and growers.
Mr.. Harmonson heard his first cas-
es in Georgetown on Friday and
Mr.. Magee his first cases in Frank
ford on the same day. Kent Coun-