Evening star., 1943-06-25
New Unit Gives
Pleasure Drivers
Light Penalties
IL Lose From One
To Three Coupons;
Four Fail to Appear

Four Fail to Appear
Twelve persons, including Mrs
Irene de Bruyn Robbins, chief OF
the State Departments once OF
Foreign Service Furnishings, were
penalized last night for pleasure
driving in the first hearings held
by the special panel of three attor-
neys appointed to hear such cases
by the District Once Of Price Ad-
. ministration.
Mrs. Robbins, widow of Warren
Delano Robbins, cousin of President
Roosevelt and former Minister to
Canada, was fined one A gasoline
coupon. She admitted attending a
Sunday night party at the home of
Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean but
argued that she had no means of
transportation other than her pri-
vate car.
Also penalized as pleasure driver
was Edward Phillips. colored chef,
who had a chauffeur drive him to
and from work in his large auto
mobile.
22 Are Summoned.
Twenty-Five suspected violators
we're summoned TO appear last night
before the special panel, which was
set up to help local ration boards
take care of their present tremend-
Gus backlog of pleasure driving cases
Penalties were comparatively
light and the unofflcial consensus
of the panel was that enforcement
of the ban was virtually hopeless.
"I know all the tricks of getting
gasoline" one said, "and it is a
tough racket to break up. All we
can do is hear the cases and try to
make fair decisions"
Panel of Legal Men.
He seemed to think that pleasure
driving will continue as long as gas
oline is obtainable, regardless OF
penalties imposed by OPA.
Judging the cases were Fred
Stohlman. chairman; John C. Con-
lift, ir., and Peter j. Connolly. Mr.
Conliff is an assistant United States
district attorney, while the other
two are wel-known lawyers. John
L. Laskey, Offlce of Price Admin
iStration attorney, prosecuted the
cases, but questioning was mild.
Mr.. LaSkey expressed his pleasure
with the progress made last night
and said the group undoubtedly
would aid local ration boards in the
disposition of cases now pending
The panel will meet again at
o'clock tonight at Force School. l74C
Massachusetts, avenue NV, and
hearings will be scheduled each
Thursday and Friday at the same
hour las long as the necessity con-
tinues."
Board 80 Penalties Two.
Meanwhile, the District OPA re-
ported that two suspected pleasure
drivers were penalized last night as
the result of hearings held by Ra-
ton Board No. 33, at Tenth and
Monroe streets NE. William r.
Gregory of 1927 Monroe street NE,
was forced to surrender two A cou-
pons, while Charles G. Neil of 1910
Eighteenth street NE. was fined
two A and two C coupons.
The District OPA also said that
"a pleasure driving suspects were re-
ported last night by the IS OPA
inspectors working out of the local
office. -
Three persons suspected of viola
ing the ban failed to appear, Mr.
Laskey said they would be notified
by registered letter to appear at the
next hearing and if they failed to do
so action by forfeit would be taken
against them.
Mrs. Robbins Loses Coupon.
Mrs. Robbins admitted she had
driven to the Mclean home, but
protested she had been unable to
hire a taxicab and was cautioned
against taking streetcar because OF
heart trouble.
Mrs. Robbins had A and B ration
books, as well as one from the State
Department, which she used in her
official duties.
Mr.. Phillips said he had boy
drive him to work in the morning
and call for him in the evening ano
that he had given strict instructions
the car was not to be used during
the day. He did not know his wife
and another woman had taken seven
children to the zoo for some fresh
air" and a picnic lunch. He had
received both A and B ration books
from his board, but when the panel
asked to see them, obviously for the
purpose of penalizing him, he said
all the coupons had been used.
His case was referred to his local
ration board with instructions to
deduct one "a" coupon or three "B''
coupons if supplementary coupons
are issued.
Two Went to Ball Game.
Two pleasure driving suspects ad
mitted attending baseball games at
Griffith Stadium and another man.
appearing for a garage, said his firm
had loaned a car for a trial to a
prospective purchaser who had gone
to the baseball game.
John e. Parsons admitted calling
lOi o hlld
to the golf links for a match. But
he turned in "B" book to his ra-
ton board several days ago, as he
is on vacation before going into the
Navy next month. and the panel let
him off with no penalty.
John Litsas said that one of his
two brothers in the service made
him present of the car involved
and a Massachusetts, ration book
Mr.. Litsas said he, too, is entering
the service next month and the
charge against him was Withdrawn,
but the board took away his gaso-
line book and advised him to OBJ
tain another from District board
Others Penalized.
Others penalized were:
Bernice Bibb, 5733 Third street,
NV. one "A" coupon; Benjamin Or
leans, 5000 Eighth street, NV, one
"a" coupon: Jessie Purvis, two &C"
coupons; William Hack, 1912 Ingle-
side Terrace, N. W., one "a" coupon. :.